Every year on November 11, Canadians pause in a silent moment of remembrance for the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace.
– Veterans Affairs Canada (veterans.gc.ca)

More than 2.3 million Canadians have served our country in World War I (1914 to 1918), World War II (1939 to 1845), the Korean War (1950 to 1953) and other wars and conflicts.

More than 118,000 Canadians have died serving Canada and helping to protect the values of our country and the free world.

Please visit the Veterans Affairs Canada website at veterans.gc.ca for an educational backgrounder on Remembrance Day. It includes the following statement:

“The Canadians who went off to war in distant lands went in the belief that the values and beliefs enjoyed by Canadians were being threatened. They truly believed that "without freedom there can be no ensuring peace and without peace no enduring freedom."

With the advent of fall comes a lot of festivities from Thanksgiving to Halloween. All those decorations and celebrations can make it the perfect time to sell a home with that in mind. 

Don’t simply let the season wash over you — use it to your advantage. The fall can be a hot season to sell, after families have returned from summer vacations and kids have settled in school but before the rush of Christmas.

For example, there are several fall decorating strategies that can help sell a home faster. Pull out the throw blankets on the couch, light some spiced candles and create that warm, cozy feeling in your place. It’s exactly that type of décor and staging that can set the scene for a very happy sale.

At the same time, check basic maintenance requirements like furnace filters so when you turn on the heat, the air remains fresh-smelling. Also wash the windows, both on the inside and outside, to get the grime of summer off before any buyers’ peer out.

Don’t forget about the outside of your house as well — many people make up their minds based on first appearances, after all. While it may seem appealing to jump on the bandwagon of spider webs and broomsticks when Halloween rolls around, resist the urge.

Instead, focus on some tasteful gardening. First, deal with the basics: weeding, trimming the lawn and raking the leaves. Then, change out summer floral arrangements for some fall plants that bring in splashes of oranges, yellows and reds.

Add a swinging chair with some pillows and a blanket on the porch, for example, to tempt would-be buyers with the taste of relaxing to come. All this combines to create great autumn curb appeal.

Just because the water is getting cooler doesn’t mean it’s time to hang up your gardening gloves just yet — fall can be a great time to focus on indoor plants.

Unlike an outdoor garden, houseplants can survive even the bleakest of seasons to continue lighting up a room and, in some cases, providing food to harvest all throughout the year.

These are some of the best ones to plant now.

Tillansia
These are also known as “air plants” because of how easy they are to maintain. They sustain themselves off the moisture in the air and require no soil to grow. They come in hundreds of different forms to add a splash of life to a room.

Spider plant
This pretty little potted plant spills over with long, lush foliage but requires little work to keep alive. It thrives in low to bright indirect light, making it perfect for an indoor setting.

Chives
This edible plant can be grown in almost any condition. Harvest them at the base and add them to a dish.

Zebra plant
This is one of the easiest succulents to grow because it requires low light, minimum water and can be happy in either open spaces like a living room or smaller rooms like a bathroom.

Mint
This perfect leaves can be added to teas, desserts or simply sucked on – a special treat, grown right in your living room.

Dragon Tree Dracena
A colourful tree that’s easy to maintain but can grow to a healthy size, adding vibrancy to a room while purifying the air.

Bay Laurel
Also known as the bay leaf, this is a herb that’s often called for in pastas, chillies and stews. Why buy it when you can grow it right at home?

Everyone is familiar with the idea of car insurance, life insurance and house insurance — but what about protecting the personal items you own?

If you think about it and tally up the total of all the material things you have in your house, gathered over the years, it can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

That’s where content insurance comes in. It can usually be included as part of a package with house insurance, but it’s important to specify what the policy actually covers and with what stipulations.

Contents insurance covers everything from the major appliances like the fridge or washing machine, clothing, sports gear, jewellery, and artwork. Essentially, it covers all of your personal property.

Like all insurance policies, a lot of the cost comes from how much value is covered and the deductible that is set for a pay out.

Ideally, the policy should be “all-risk”, which means that the items are covered in all circumstances except for exceptions specified beforehand — so if a flood, fire, burglary, or anything else happens, the belongings are covered by insurance. Oftentimes, even items stolen out of a car would be covered by the policy.

The other option, the “named perils” policy is usually not as comprehensive but can be cheaper. Just make sure to think about all the situations where you might lose your possessions and make sure you’ve got all bases covered.

So who should get contents insurance? Essentially, everyone.

As homeowners, contents insurance is usually tied in with house insurance policies and, for an extra few hundred dollars a year, a huge amount of liability is lifted.

Renters can also get contents insurance, which is often sold as a stand-alone policy.

Keep in mind that contents insurance often only covers the person named on the policy and their immediate family they live with – so if you are renting out a room to a friend, for example, they might not be covered.

Guests, on the other hand, typically are covered as long as their stay is within a certain time limit.

So where can you buy contents insurance from? Any third-party insurance agency, like BCAA, or Westland, or Square One, offer different forms of it, and some banks like TD or RBC, also offer competitive deals.

Planning for a home renovation is like any big project — the idea is exciting, but getting it done can be stressful.

When it comes to improving parts of your home, from the kitchen to the bathroom, and everything in between, there are several steps you can take to ease the process, saving both time and money.

1. Figure out the scope of your project.
What exactly do you want to accomplish and what’s your budget? If it’s a huge undertaking and more money than you have on hand in cash, look into applying for a home equity loan or reverse mortgage.

When creating your budget, be mindful of the full set of costs: labour, materials and equipment. If you’re painting a room, for example, don’t forget to take stock of any brushes and buckets you’ll need to buy on top of the paint.

2. Decide whether it’s possible to live at home while you execute your renovation.
Renovations can be a dusty, noisy, and inconvenient business. If necessary, stay with family or friends — or, if someone else is doing the work, this might be a good time to go away on holiday.

If you do choose to stay at home while the renovations are underway, make sure to have a plan in place for children and pets. Both are curious by nature and it’s important to set up the necessary safety protections ahead of time to keep them safe. Also, keep in mind where you will sleep and cook while the work is being completed.

3. Hire the right people.
To avoid delays, make sure to be in close contact with the right people from the start and get a written record of all requests and expected deadlines. Be decisive in your decisions, and make sure to select whatever materials and products you need well enough in advance to avoid backlogs.

Also, be realistic about what parts of the project are do-it-yourself. This is where many people overestimate their abilities and end up taking on more than they can chew. Certain tasks like painting, cabinets, and other small fixtures are easily done but things like plumbing or electrical work should be left to professionals, unless you have a very strong background in it.

4. Prepare yourself mentally.
It’s okay to feel stressed during a home renovation but knowing that you’ve readied everything as much as possible will help ease some of the burden. Stick to your plan but try to be flexible if anything unexpected happens like delays.

At the end, you’ll have a beautifully remodelled home.