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FamilyMatters NEWSLETTER
SPRING ISSUE 2005
TheScrivens Choosing the Right Driver
Perspective Education Course
By Peter Scrivens, President
ou want to make sure your children period. They may also usually be
atching your
Y or grandchildren are as well-prepared
as possible before you turn over the
eligible for lower insurance premiums.
Here are two ways to find the right
W child or grand-
child climb behind the
keys to the family car. Selecting the
right driver training school will give the
driver training school:
wheel of a car for the young driver in your family the skills • Contact the Government of
first time can be both needed for a safe driving experience. Ontario (or check their Web site
exciting and frightening. at www.gov.on.ca/) for a list of
Exciting because getting that driver’s The Government of Ontario can help. driving schools that offer ministry-
licence is yet another sign that your While it does not recommend or approved beginner driver education
child is growing up, that he or she regulate individual driver training courses.
is ready and willing to take on schools, the province does approve • Ask your friends or co-workers to
the responsibility of adulthood. beginner driver education courses at a recommend a driving school.
Frightening because motor vehicle number of training schools. Look for
collisions have long been, and still are, schools that offer MTO-approved After you’ve selected a driving school,
the leading cause of death and injury beginner driver education courses, or ask to meet with the instructors who
for children and youth in Ontario. ministry-approved beginner driver will be conducting the classroom
education courses. instruction and the behind-the-wheel
With summer almost upon us, more training to determine exactly what
kids than ever will be asking to borrow Also, remember that G1 licence holders they’re going to cover. Finally, remem-
the family car or looking for lessons who take driver education courses may ber that as soon as any children in the
on how to drive. As parents and qualify for a four-month reduction in household get licensed, they must be
grandparents, we can act now to make the 12-month minimum G1-licensing added to your insurance policy. .
sure our children have the training
and the skills they need to make their
driving experience a safe one.
Passenger Limits Lowered for Young Drivers
he Ontario Government is limiting driver with at least four years’ driving
In this edition of Family Matters, we
point out the advantages of selecting
T the number of young passengers
that young G2 drivers can carry during
experience, or if the passengers are
family members. .
the right driver training school and specific hours of the day. While the
what the more experienced drivers exact hours have not yet been deter-
in the family can do to build on mined, G2 drivers 19 and under will INSIDE
that training. initially be allowed to carry only one
passenger. After six months, or until the
matters
Driving can be fun. It should also driver turns 20, up to three passengers Passing the puck
be safe. . aged 19 and under will be allowed. Driving safely
These restrictions do not apply to G2 You and charity
drivers accompanied by a fully licensed
U Scrivens Family of Companies S 613-236-9101
270 MacLaren Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
X 613-236-0856
K2P 0M3 v www.scrivens.ca
The Scrivens RETROSPECTIVE
Plenty of “pucks” available in
street hockey games of long ago
This Bruce Scrivens memoir was written along the North side of the rink, the hitched up and did his thing on a pre-
for his children and grandchildren. season came to a close. determined route. The plough cleared a
path 3 feet wide, but also had a fold-
treet hockey (no skates) occupied our The dark green changing shacks at all out wing to extend the width to 5 feet
S leisure time after school and before
supper during the winter months. Our
the city rinks are worthy of note. The
girls and boys changing rooms were
if required. There wasn’t the same need
for sand because the horse periodically
goal markers were lumps of snow and about 12 feet square, separated by the provided some anti-slip material of
our puck was usually a frozen horse-ball supervisor’s office and equipment its own.
(or as they call it in the West, a “road- storage room, each warmed by a small
muffin”). If the “puck” broke up with a round Quebec heater. The manufac- Street ploughs were usually V-shaped
hard shot, there was always a replace- turer’s name was cast into the round lid and attached to the front of dump
ment close by. of the stove in raised letters. When the trucks. There were no snowblowers
stove was hot enough, we could burn available so snow removal on the side
Skating on the canal and Dows Lake our initials into the end of our sticks streets was non-existent. Snow wasn’t
was confined to the short time between for identification. shoved to the side, it just got packed
freeze-up and the first snowfall. The down so that as the warm weather
government did not maintain the canal Seating consisted of a continuous arrived, car tracks became grooves and
as it does now. During World War II, bench around the perimeter of the got deeper and deeper. Cars, with their
the water was not lowered, so there room and all boots and gear were narrow tires in the grooves, could drive
would be an emergency reservoir for stuffed under the seats. This provided along for most of the block before
firefighting in the event of an enemy an easy opportunity for anyone who being able to get out of the ruts.
bomb attack. needed to upgrade their footwear to
a relatively convenient shopping This was the season for us to play at
We maintained our own street rink on expedition if they were fast about it. being hydraulic engineers. With our
the lake and played pick-up games there This happened fairly frequently axes and shovels we built dams with
Saturday and Sunday. I remember play- because security was impossible snow as the car tracks became rivers.
ing long after my feet became numb under the circumstances. We held back large pools, then
and then groaning in pain while lying chopped a channel to another track
on my back in our living room with There was usually a tough crowd hang- where another dam waited thirstily
my feet against the hot-air register as ing around, non-playing types who had before we allowed the water to proceed
they thawed out. nothing better to do than just wanting down the slope of Sunset to the
to stay warm. They were usually the Driveway. There was always a groan
The winter of 1936, the Sunset gang source of much macho talk, swearing, when a car ventured along the street –
formed a team and entered the City ribald comments and generally creating in the groove as usual – so we stood at
Playground League that played on an apprehensive atmosphere for those the ready, shovels loaded with snow, to
Saturdays on the Glebe High School who were there to participate in hockey. make repairs as soon as the offending
grounds, corner of Bronson and First (And this was in the girls change room!) vehicle had passed.
Avenue. We bought blue sweatshirts
and had a logo with a puck sprouting The horse-drawn sidewalk plough was a Only one of the gang, Don Johnston,
a wing and called ourselves the fixture during this era. They were made actually became an engineer, due no
“Bluewings.” We were not world- of thick wooden planks, reinforced by doubt to the training he received on
beaters but we had fun and won our metal in the appropriate places, painted Sunset Boulevard. Brother Don
share of games during the schedule. red and stored at various sites. When the graduated from Queen’s also, but as
When the spring sun became strong sidewalks needed clearing, the operator an engineering chemist, so that
enough to soften the ice for two feet walked his horse to the storage site, didn’t count. .
2
BUSINESS MATTERS
RISK management PERSONAL ASSET
COMMERCIAL insurance management
Insurance can’t prevent disaster – it can mean recovery Make your charitable
By Ole Jensen donations work for everyone
he tsunami that struck
T
Southeast Asia at the
end of last year was by far
premises are unusable. It’s important
that you be sure there are no gaps in
your coverage. This includes property
By James Campbell
anadians give gener-
the greatest natural disaster
in living memory. It was
insurance, business interruption insur-
ance and extra expense insurance. Even
C
ously when disaster –
such as the tsunami in
not, however, the only one. Hurricanes if your basic policy covers expenses and Southeast Asia – destroys
in Florida, deadly mudslides in loss of net business income, it may not the lives of others. By
California and British Columbia, cover income interruptions due to donating wisely, in a way that benefits
drought on the Prairies, flooding in the damage that occurs away from your the giver as well as the recipient, we
East – all seem to be fixtures on the premises, such as to your key customer can make that generosity go even fur-
nightly news. Mix in some man-made or supplier or to your utility company. ther. Here are a few ways to make your
disasters like terrorism and industrial charitable contribution do more:
explosions and you’ve got a world In short, your policy should provide
where the unimaginable has become sufficient coverage to pay for the indi- • Claim both spouses’ contributions
stark and daily reality. rect costs of the disaster – the disrup- on one tax return. Your first $200
tion to your business – as well as the of charitable donations qualifies for
For business owners, the costs of a dis- cost of repair or rebuilding. The hard tax credits worth about 24%.
aster, natural or man-made, can extend fact is, one-quarter of all businesses struck Contributions above $200 earn
beyond the physical damage to the by disaster never reopen their doors. tax credits worth about 45%.
premises, equipment, furniture and • Give in kind. If donating property
other business property. There’s the For more information, please call Ole Jensen (such as capital property) it’s gen-
potential loss of income while the at 236-9101. . erally best to donate the property
in kind rather than cashing it
out and donating the money.
PERSONAL
Continued on page 4
insurance
You and Your Young Driver knowledge when you’re in the car and • Avoid words that have double
By Jennifer Falconer
the family’s newest driver is behind the meanings (“correct” instead of
wheel can make that time both safe “right”).
ong gone are the days and special. Here’s how: • Never give instructions that require
L
when parents routinely
taught their children how • Keep any instructions short and
sudden or drastic movement.
to drive. Today, we leave concise. Most importantly, before you decide
it to professional driving • Speak clearly and loudly enough to to pick up where the driving instructor
instructors to prepare the budding driver be heard. left off, review what the new driver was
in the family for life on the road. • Never give directions for more than taught. Done right, helping your child
However, the learning process doesn’t two manoeuvres at a time. gain driving experience can be a learning
end when the instruction is complete. • State directions as a command experience both of you will remember
In fact, it generally takes five years of (and avoid slang). for a lifetime.
driving for a new driver to gain the • Give the location before the direction
experience needed to become a truly (“at the stop sign, come to a com- For more information, please call Jennifer
competent driver. Sharing your plete stop”). Falconer at 236-9101. .
3
OTHER MATTERS
Continued from page 3
Worth Contributions in kind reduce any capital gains from 50% to 25%, thereby
increasing the net tax benefit of your contribution.
Reading • Charitable insured annuity. An annuity will provide you with a steady stream
of income during your lifetime, with insurance proceeds donated to your
The Official Driver’s Handbook: designated charity on your death. This allows you to provide for a charity
Ontario Road Worthy without giving up income you need.
• Charitable life insurance. By purchasing a new life insurance policy, or assigning
he Official Driver’s Handbook: an existing permanent insurance policy, you can name your chosen charity as
T Ontario provides rules of the road,
safe driving practices and instructions
the beneficiary while claiming the annual cost of the policy as a charitable
donation. At death, the insurance proceeds paid to the charity can be used
for new drivers to get their licence. to reduce your taxes in the year of death, and the year prior.
The only official driver’s handbook in • Consider combining two or more years of contributions on one tax return,
Ontario, it’s available at Chapters. and contribute in December, rather than early in the new year to maximize
the gift amount over $200.
Road Worthy is used in the province’s • Give the gift of time. If you can’t contribute financially, volunteer your time
high school driver education courses and energy to support those causes you believe in.
and by many commercial driving
schools. Ideal for new or experienced Perhaps the wisest move you can make is to consolidate your RRSP and RIF
drivers, it includes rules of the road, accounts with one advisor or firm. That ensures you’ll receive consistent advice
basic vehicle maintenance and advice and attention. Naturally, we hope you’ll make Scrivens that firm.
on how to deal with different driving For more information, call James Campbell, Ken Browness or Dave Scrivens at 236-9101. .
conditions. Call 1-800-668-9938 or
visit Publication Ontario Online to
order a copy. The Scrivens Kitchen
Read a good book lately? Let us know A stir fry for all seasons • 1 lb. of cubed chicken or beef
and we’ll tell others about it through Terry Burchill’s recipe • 1⁄2 bag oriental frozen vegetables
Worth Reading. . (semi-defrosted)
good-tasting stir fry is always in
Scrivens thanks the following companies
A season – and it’s always good for
you. This recipe is no exception.
Directions for stir fry
Heat oil with garlic and ginger, add
for their services and their support. chicken or beef and cook until meat is
Ingredients for rice well done. Add vegetables and simmer
• 1 cup cooked white minute rice for 10 to 15 minutes. Add soya sauce,
• 1 cup chicken stock salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the
• 1⁄4 cup diced onions rice and enjoy.
• 1⁄4 cup diced celery
Send us a favourite recipe and we’ll share it
Directions for rice with others through the Scrivens Kitchen. .
Fry onions and celery in a small
amount of butter, then add stock. We welcome comments or
Bring to a boil and add rice. Let stand suggestions about Family Matters.
for 5 to 10 minutes. You can reach us at
triley@scrivens.ca
Ingredients for stir fry Scrivens Family of Companies
• 1⁄4 cup of oil 270 MacLaren Street
• 1 tablespoon of fresh garlic, diced Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0M3
• 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, diced
h Scrivens Family of Companies S 613-236-9101
270 MacLaren Street X 613-236-0856
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K2P 0M3 v www.scrivens.ca