You've probably heard this a lot in today's HOT Sellers' Market ……. "I can sell my house myself!". We all have. And homes do sell without the help of a Realtor when market conditions are as favourable for a seller as they are right now. The National Association of Realtors reports that in 2013, 9% of total home sales were FSBOs.
For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Statistic
- FSBOs accounted for 9% of home sales in 2013.
- Source: 2013 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Seller
Pretty good statistic to flaunt if you're one of the For Sale By Owner companies competing for business against Real Estate Professionals right? Of course it is. With all these companies looking to charge flat fees of $1200-$2500 for signage and marketing packages, isn't this the most cost effective way to sell your home? Can you afford a Realtor anyway?
Knowing this, I was not that surprised when the week before my new listing was to launch, the home right next door decided to list privately. With 12 homes on the street, it was quite predictable that one would try to sell privately. That would of course be approximately 9% of the street. ;) A home had tried to sell in the past six months and was priced at just under $400,000. Made sense for the For Sale By Owner to try the $400,000 mark. Even if he accepted a lower offer, he was saving 5% in commission dollars. This would be a no-brainer. And so it seemed as two days in, an offer was received and accepted for $385,000. The offer was brought in by a Realtor representing his client, and a commission was negotiated for the selling brokerage for 2.5%. Still a great deal as the seller saved 2.5% in listing brokerage commission. Well, actually once you take away the up-front, non-refundable, flat fee that was paid to the FSBO Listing Service for their signage and paraphernalia that assisted with the sale, there was still a savings of approximately 2%. That translates into a savings of almost $8,000 of hard earned equity.
Now, here's where the problem started. I had conducted comparative market analysis, competitive market research, evaluated current market conditions and had valued the property I was about to list at just under $500,000. Seeing that the property next door had just sold for over $100,000 less, my clients were obviously disheartened and requested their listing to be cancelled. After assuring them that my price point was right on and that I was confident that it would be fine to list at that price, my clients agreed to proceed.
The pressure was on. The bar had been set by the neighbour and this For Sale By Owner had devalued the entire street with his "expert" analysis of pricing in the area. I had to redo my numbers the night before the listing hit, just to see if I had missed anything. The frustration of an uneducated decision on pricing made by someone not working in the industry was setting in. I had to trust in our price point, my marketing system, and my negotiating ability. It was game time, no going back.
Six days into the listing, we had generated 18 viewings and THREE offers on the property. That day we sold the property for over asking. By putting our marketing system into place and conducting the proper price analysis, our client had just received over $100,000 more for his property than his neighbour. Now I know what you're thinking. Yes, you're right! My client did pay 5% in total commission, and the neighbour did "win" by saving approximately 2% after all the expenses. Oh, wait! Let's do the math…
The FSBO saved $8,000 on his $385,000 sale. My clients paid $5,000 extra in commission due to the $100,000 extra we ended up getting them. $8,000 plus $5,000 does add up. My client ended up paying $13,000 more in commission than his FSBO neighbour. Now, that $100,000 extra that my client received on the sale? Oh, yes! How could we forget that part. :) $100,000 less $13,000 is $87,000. Therefore, our client is taking away $87,000 more than his neighbour who was extremely happy with saving $8,000 in commission. You are probably asking yourself how typical is it for a property listed and sold by a Realtor to receive that much more over a For Sale By Owner property right? Let's look at the stats for 2013. The sold price of a typical home sold privately was $184,000. This compared to $230,000 for homes sold by Realtors. The NAR average was 20% more for a home sold by a Realtor, and the property we sold this week was exactly the same.
For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Statistic
- The typical FSBO home sold for $184,000 compared to $230,000 for agent-assisted home sales.
- Source: 2013 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
A 20% difference in price to save 5-6% in commission. No matter which app you use to do your math, the bottom line is quite clear. Many will argue that with the information now available on the internet, is there value to using a Realtor? The answer to that is, yes, there is a lot of raw data available out there. What is not available on the internet is the expertise required to compute that data into an Informed Decision. A Real Estate Professional uses their training, market knowledge, and experience to bridge the gap that exists between Raw Data and an Informed Decision. The question should not be "Can you afford a Realtor?". The real question you need to ask yourself is "Can you afford to sell your home privately and walk away from that much equity?"
Choose wisely! It's YOUR money after all.
For ways that our proven Marketing and Sales Systems can help you maximize the return from your property, call a Realtor and let's talk. It will be worth it. :)
Asif
Sometimes things just don't go as planned right? The Ice Dawgs played 3 on 3 Hockey at Canlan Ice Sports, and competed hard all summer. Our season came down to a winner-take-all, do-or-die, one-game playoff against a team that handily beat us 16-8 and 15-9 in our worst losses of the season. Okay, maybe handily beat us is an understatement. They CRUSHED us. Things were looking bleak. The team was hoping for any other team other than Black Horse to play in the playoffs. To make things worse, our leading scorer and league scoring champion was lost for the game due to his Waxers' Team advancing to the finals of their tournament. Alfred had scored 11 of the 17 goals we scored against Dark Horse during the season. Then word came that two other players that scored some big goals for us (Steven and Nolan) would not be able to make the game. We were down to six skaters and a goalie against a team that could wheel and shoot the lights out.
Early in the morning an email came through that a fourth player (Sam) would miss the game due to illness. Wow! We wouldn't even have two lines for this game. 3 on 3 hockey, full ice, five skaters! UNREAL!!
Pulling up to the arena, I had been speaking with the other coach on how to manage the bench. We had ONE D and FOUR forwards. We would start the one D with a couple of forwards and just hope that when he wasn't on, we had a forward covering. The song Brave, by Sara Bareilles was playing. That was it, I would tell the team to be Brave during the pre-game talk. It was a pretty quiet room, well mostly because there were only six kids in it. :) There wasn't a lot of hope amongst the parents as they looked around and saw five skaters. The coaches stepped out and basically said to each other, let's do this. We have the six of the seven kids here that have stepped up all season when we needed a big game. We should have a shot if everyone keeps shifts short. Parents were told to make sure water bottles were filled and it was go time!
The pre-game talk was basically 1. if they get near our goalie, knock them down, 2. keep your feet moving at all times, 3. You can only change when the puck is going into the offensive end, 4. keep shifts short and don't let your team down by getting caught on the ice tired, and 5. BE BRAVE!
We made it through the first shift, although it was only about 45 seconds long. As the first period went on, we were down 3-0 and the game was only 10 minutes old. We got one back at the end of the first and the coaches looked at each other and said "we've got them, we can win this". The players came over and were told to keep doing what they are doing and crash the net on the other side. As the shifts got shorter and the players started realizing how tired they were, our bench resembled a turnstile more than a players' bench! There were times when all three kids would come off and one of the three had to walk right through and back on as we sprayed water at them. It was comical, but absolutely awesome to watch. These kids were playing for each other. At the end of two periods, we had a 5-4 lead!!
Players were told to keep it going. It was coming down to 15 minutes. I had to make sure they knew that 15 minutes is a long time to hold a lead on a team that had 10 players and lots of fresh legs. We had to keep it on. Black Horse was getting frustrated. They took a couple of cheap shots at Tyler and Jennah. We scored on both penalty shots. We were now up 7-5, when all of the sudden a goal was taken off. It was back to 6-5. Speaking to the ref, I was told it was Tyler's 3rd goal of the period. There is a max of 2 goals per player per period. That seemed to deflate our team a bit. Black Horse was energized and man did they bring it to us. Our goalie, Stefan, made 5 or 6 amazing saves, that may give Black Horse players nightmares for years to come. Then we popped goal #7 on another penalty shot. There were still 10 minutes left in the game. As players came off, they were told that they could do this. They needed to reach inside and bring out some strength. Everyone would only have about 10 or 11 shifts, so it was time to reach inside and just give it their all. DID THEY EVER!! After Black Horse scored, they went down and scored goal #8. With 4 minutes left, Dark Horse came down and scored their 7th goal. Our team was exhausted. Legs were burning, faces were red, and sweat was dripping down their faces. We made a mental error and there were four skaters on our bench. Little Jennah ended up being the only player on for a few seconds until we realized it. She killed about 20 seconds while playing keep-a-way with 3 Black Horse players behind their own net. THIS got the boys going. The only girl on the team could keep it away from three players, and it was ON! The goal was to dump the puck into the other team's end for the rest of the game and let them chase it. Wear them out and make quick changes to stay fresh. With 3 minutes to go, Adam was told to stay on and just play defence. That gave us two lines of forwards to kill the clock with while he just focussed on taking the puck away and sending it out. Black Horse finally broke in to our zone with 9 seconds left. On a 3 on 1, their forward passed to set up the other player for a one-timer. Puck hit Adam's skate and deflected back to our blue line and Tyler shot it out with 1.8 seconds left! The ICE DAWGS WON THE GAME!!!
After the game, there was ONE message to be conveyed. Yes, at the end of the day it is just a game. However, this game had more to it. This game is a life lesson for these 6 kids, and maybe even for the 10 kids on the other side. As well, it was a life lesson to everyone watching and the coaches on the bench! Quite often we have limiting beliefs that cause us to play small. We buy into our own excuses. We prepare ourselves for a loss by convincing ourselves why we shouldn't win. These Ice Dawgs would have no part in those excuses. I told them after the game that if they took one thing out of this summer season, it had to be that no matter what they are facing, battling, fighting, or up against, they now know that with hard work and belief in themselves they CAN win. With school, hockey, future employment, and, life in general, these six kids just proved to themselves and everyone watching that they can reach deep inside themselves and bring out that little extra that will keep them winners for life! If I had to pick an anthem for this team, it would be no other than Brave by Sara Bareilles! I am in awe of these little kids. No excuses, no quitting!
Well done Ice Dawgs! So proud to have been your coach this summer. I hope we get to do this again next summer, and I hope you NEVER forget how special you all are!
Re/Max brings agent incorporation to Ontario
Courtesy REM
Aug 18, 2014
Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis
By Tony Palermo
Re/Max Integra has brought agent incorporation to Ontario.
Called the Agent Brokerage Program, the initiative brings Ontario in line with other provinces like British Columbia where real estate agents can incorporate and take advantage of the benefits, including significant tax deferral, which operating their business as a corporation offers.
Re/Max Ontario – Atlantic Canada executive vice-president and regional director Gurinder Sandhu says the program has been years in the making and was something top-performing real estate agents in Ontario have been demanding for quite some time.
“If you look at any major profession – accountants, lawyers, doctors, dentists, whatever – they’re all able to incorporate and set up a corporate structure to operate their business in the most tax-effective way possible,” says Sandhu. “Most professions have that ability, and in many Canadian provinces, so do Realtors. But it wasn’t so in Ontario. We’ve been lobbying for at least a decade to bring agent incorporation to Ontario.”
Sandhu says despite the intense lobbying, the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) wouldn’t change its position on allowing agent incorporations. So, Re/Max began looking for another way they could introduce it. They found a way about a year ago and have been refining the model and putting it through an extensive due diligence process with tax and regulatory specialists.
Re/Max’s Agent Brokerage Program is geared towards both individual agents and teams. It’s of benefit to those who, speaking strictly in dollar amounts, earn over $300,000 a year and who want to retain money in their business as a tax deferral strategy.
The program works by allowing individual agents or teams to incorporate themselves as mini-brokerages\franchises of the main brokerage they belong to, and then subcontract a good part of the administrative duties back to the main brokerage for a fee.
Since they are still classified as brokerages, the mini-brokerages still need someone with a broker-of-record licence.
“This program really is the best of both worlds for agents who want the benefits of operating as a corporation but who want to offset many of the administrative duties that come with operating a brokerage,” says Sandhu. “Still, the agent is responsible to make sure everything is done properly before they sign off on it. At the end of the day, it’s their name and responsibility.”
Sandhu also cautions that while on the surface the program appears to be simple, behind the scenes are extensive rules and regulations that need to be followed. As he says, the incorporated agents and teams are being called mini-brokerages but they’re effectively full-fledged brokerages.
He also says the fees being paid to Re/Max don’t change and that the fees charged for the administrative work are negotiated between the main franchise and mini-franchise agent.
“This is meant as a value-add for our Realtors and brokers, not to generate more money for Re/Max Integra,” says Sandhu.
RECO deputy registrar Bruce Matthews says that under the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 (REBBA), individual salespeople are not allowed to operate as a corporation. In addressing the years of lobbying, Matthews says it’s important to remember that while RECO’s mandate is to promote consumer protection through a fair, safe and informed real estate marketplace, RECO is delegated by the provincial government to administer the REBBA, not make the rules.
“Our responsibility is to administer what the government lays out,” says Matthews. “If the industry wants the rules to change, it’s the government they should be lobbying.”
Matthews says Re/Max’s Agent Brokerage Program, as he understands it, doesn’t appear to violate anything in the current REBBA. But he warns the mini-brokerage will be treated as a regular stand-alone brokerage and subject to all of the requirements such as registration, having a broker of record licence and proper insurance and it will ultimately be held liable for their conduct.
“And from a consumer protection stand-point, that’s my ultimate concern,” says Matthews. “Our current structure makes the individual salesperson directly accountable for their own conduct. I don’t want anyone to be able to distance themselves from liability by operating as a corporate business.”
They're cute, they're crafty, and there are hundreds of thousands of them living among us. Have no doubt, Toronto is a city of raccoons. Various estimates put the population somewhere in the range of 100,000 to 200,000 - that's about 12 of them per square kilometre, sleeping in garages, fighting, and poking through garbage.
"They're really, really adaptable," says Mary Lou Leiher from Toronto Animal Services. "So if there happens to be humans in their environment, they can adapt to that. They do make a connection between humans and their food source. Garbage is obviously a main food source for raccoons - it's the main thing they forage on."
In the wild, the raccoon diet consists mainly consists of berries, eggs, insects, and other omnivorous fare. They typically live in trees and tend to avoid open spaces such as clearings. Noises such as whoops, snarls, purrs, and terrifying screeches are common, even among their urbanized cousins.
Like most animals, raccoons tend to stay close to a ready supply of grub, especially if someone is intentionally leaving it out. Most of us do just that every compost collection day. Special straps and clips are often no match for their remarkably dextrous hands and sharp teeth. Raccoons have even been observed teaching bin-busting techniques to their offspring.
"Once raccoons have learned to open a latch - it sounds like something monkeys do - they seem to be able to retain that memory for years," says animal expert David Sugarman from the Ontario Science Centre. "They're one of the few animals that can teach it to their young."
The financial burden of dealing with Toronto's raccoons is unclear, but last year Animal Services collected some 4,398 dead raccoons, and another 2,455 that needed medical attention. In an attempt to curb garbage raids, the city's solid waste division is working on a way to better seal green bins.
Toronto has an odd relationship with its iconic critters. Like other pests, urban raccoons have the potential to damage property and carry disease, but attempts at controlling their numbers are usually met with passionate resistance. Maybe it's their size, maybe it's their little faces, but most people balk at calling an exterminator to deal with unruly raccoons.
They aren't all cute, however. Almost 75% of raccoons have toxic poop, says Sugarman, who has a background in parasitology, the study of parasites.
"There's a roundworm carried by raccoons that's really quite dangerous ... it's creepy. It lives OK in the intestine of raccoons, but if another animal ingests it, the larvae, the little worms that hatch out of the eggs, mostly what they do is migrate through the body and take up residence in various organs."
Baylisascaris procyonis is particularly nasty if passed on to humans. The eggs can be inhaled, absorbed through skin on contact, or soaked up by the digestive system if eaten, leading to myriad discomforts, sometimes skin irritation, difficulty breathing, and even permanent eye and brain damage.
"No drugs have been shown to be totally effective for the treatment of Baylisascarisinfection," the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ominously warns on its website.
"People really should be aware of this roundworm and make sure that they keep their sandboxes covered. If you find a pile of this stuff on your deck, you've got to be really careful to remove it," says Sugarman, who advises wearing a face mask or respirator.
"You've got to bury it or burn it. Some people have said pour boiling water on it or carefully use a blowtorch, because that really is the only way to get rid of these damned eggs."
As city dwellers, we will have to get used to the presence of raccoons, says Mary Lou Leiher, because like them or loathe them, they're here to stay.
"We're always going to have raccoons; they're not going anywhere. We can try to eradicate them - it will not work. And so what we really have to do is learn how to live with them."
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Photos: Somewhere In Toronto, Jamie Kaiser/blogTO Flickr pool.
Toronto ranks 15th on global list of millionaires per city
About 2.29 per cent of Toronto’s 2.8 million people, roughly 60,000 people, have net assets of at least $1 million — something experts say is a sign of the city’s prosperity.
Published on Aug 01 2014
Tim AlamenciakNEWS REPORTER
Toronto placed 15th on a list of worldwide cities with the highest concentration of millionaires, with more than two per cent of its population having net assets of $1-million or more.
The review, conducted by British think-tank WealthInsight, found that 1 in 44 people in Toronto fall under the millionaire classification.
“This is just another indication that Toronto is in the ranks of the most affluent global cities in the world,” said Richard Florida, director of the University of Toronto’s Martin Prosperity Institute.
Florida said it came as no surprise that Toronto placed among the likes of cities like New York and London.
“If I look at Toronto, even though it’s smaller than London or New York, it looks a lot like the economic makeup of those cities. It has a lot of finance, it has a lot of media, it has a lot of entertainment, its economic makeup is like a first-class global city,” said Florida.
Les Jacobs, director of the Institute for Social Research at York University and co-author of a 2014 survey on the national income gap, said that the figure shows the strength of Toronto’s financial sector, but that it highlights the need for the redistribution of wealth.
“I think that having that wealth is important in terms of competing in the global economy. The real question I guess . . . is the reason that you, the provocative policy issue is really about redistribution and the sharing of that wealth. That’s a trickier question,” said Jacobs.
The survey takes into account net assets, excluding the value of one’s primary residence.
Toronto, where 2.29 per cent of the population have net assets of $1-million or more, placed ahead of cities like Venice (16th) and Brussels (17th) in the survey which was conducted in partnership with Spear’s, a British wealth management magazine. The city-state of Monaco placed first, followed closely by tax havens Zurich and Geneva, which are second and third respectively.
“It’s good that Toronto’s developing, it’s good that there’s more millionaires, but we have to take care of the bottom not just the top. That’s where we’re not putting enough effort,”
©2014 The Toronto Star. All rights reserved.
Sources tell The Canadian Press the panel is expected to try moving the project forward but the proposed New International Trade Crossing will still need funding from U.S. Homeland Security.
The Canadian government has already agreed to finance the construction of the $1-billion bridge, which would open in 2020.
The total cost of the project would be about $4 billion, including work on freeway interchanges, customs plazas in both countries and infrastructure work.
The final permit for the project was issued last month after a U.S. court rejected a request for an injunction filed by the private company that owns the existing Ambassador Bridge.
The next step involves securing funding for a U.S. customs facility, along with acquiring land on the American side.
Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun has fought the proposal for the new bridge for years, instead pushing for the building of an additional span to his private bridge.
6 things to ask when buying a cottage
In town, you probably wouldn't ask if the water coming out of the tap is drinkable. Nor would you wonder if the plumbing was hooked up to the sanitary sewer. But these are exactly the sorts of questions you should ask when buying a cottage, plus a few more.
1. Get an inspection: Cottages are usually occasional residences and so may not be as properly maintained as they should be. This is why every purchase should be conditional a satisfactory professional home inspection.
If the cottage has a wood-burning stove or fireplace, then a certificate must be requested from a Wood Energy Technical Transfer specialist, to confirm that the system was installed and is operating correctly. To find out more about this, go to www.wettinc.ca.
2. Is the water drinkable? There are two areas of potential concern when it comes to water - the quantity and quality. Is there enough to satisfy family needs and is it good enough to pass the local health department requirements.
Ask the sellers for these things:
A potability certificate from the local health authority, confirming the water is safe to drink;
- Confirmation that the well, the pump and related equipment have performed adequately during the Seller's occupancy;
- Confirmation that there is an adequate rate of flow for normal household use;
- Provision of a well driller's certificate, if available; and
- The location of the well.
3. How's the septic system? Septic systems present their own difficulties because it is usually difficult to tell during an inspection how long the system may last. The replacement cost can be up to $20,000, especially if there are stringent environmental regulations in effect in your area.
Buyers should ask for confirmation that:
- The system was installed with all necessary permits;
- The system has been adequately maintained;
- The seller is not aware of any malfunctions;
- The seller will provide copies of any inspection or approval reports in their possession;
- The seller agrees to pump out the tank at their expense prior to closing; and
- There are no work orders on file with the Ministry of the Environment or the local municipality.
4. What's the road allowance? Even if your cottage fronts on water, this does not give you ownership of the land up to the lake. The first 66 feet fronting onto the lake is typically owned by the local municipality and is referred to as the shore road allowance.
Although you have access to the water, you can't stop others from using it. Nor can you build anything on that 66-foot piece of land. Many cottagers have found out afterwards that either all or part of their cottage was built on land that they do not own. In addition, if the water at the shore has receded through natural causes, then the owner may have acquired ownership of this extra land.
Conversely, if the water line has advanced, you may have lost land to the Ministry of Natural Resources.
You may be able to buy the land from the municipality or the Province, as the case may be, but it is a process and the cost can be approximately $10,000. If you can get an up to date survey from the seller, this should answer your questions. Also inquire to make sure that any required permits were obtained to build a dock or boathouse, as there is no automatic right to do this.
In all cases, make sure you have title insurance, which should assist with most of these types of issues.
5. What about Hydro easements? Check to see if there are any hydro poles or lines on the property. It is possible that Hydro has easements which could affect where your cottage can be built that are not registered on title.
Lawyers typically do searches with the appropriate hydro authority to find out.
6. Access to the cottage: If you do not have year round access by a city road, then you must ask how you get from the road to your property. If it is a private right of way over a neighbour's land, you must understand the terms of this agreement to ensure it is year round access and it is clear who is responsible for maintaining the road.
If there is no registered right of way, it can be a nightmare, with owners fighting over who has the right of way and who owns it.
In addition, check the local zoning by-laws to make sure the property is not zoned only for "seasonal" use. In these cases, the municipality may not be providing road maintenance, snow removal, garage pick up or emergency services during the winter.
For all of these reasons, it is recommended that buyers work with a local real estate agent who should be familiar not only with each of these issues, but more importantly, will be able to recommend the professional inspectors and town officials who can satisfy a buyer's concerns.
By being properly prepared before buying a cottage, you will avoid unwelcome surprises after closing.
Mark Weisleder is a lawyer, author and speaker to the real estate industry.
Children and teens are spending less time participating in physical activities and more time indoors in front of screens. New research shows what getting some fresh air can do for young people's health.
A recent study found that children and teenagers who spent most or all of their after-school time outdoors were more likely to get more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and spend less time sitting each day compared to children and teenagers who spent none of their after-school hours outdoors.
The researchers believe that school health policies should encourage students to do outdoor activities outside of school hours because these young people spend much of their time sitting inside during school.
"Encourage your child to get active outside after school."
The lead authors of this study were Lee Schaefer, PhD, from the Department of Education at the University of Regina in Canada, and Jonathan McGavock, PhD, from the Department of Education at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.
The study included 306 students between the ages of 9 and 17 years old who participated in a previous study called the Healthy Hearts Prospective Cohort Study of Physical Activity and Cardiometabolic Health in the winter and spring of the 2008-2009 academic year. A total of 58 percent of the participants were girls.
All of the students in the current study wore an accelerometer for a minimum of three days for at least eight hours per day and completed a questionnaire asking about the amount of time they spent outdoors after school.
An accelerometer measures the intensity of physical activity.
In the questionnaire, the students reported how much time they had spent outdoors during after-school hours in the prior seven days. Their choices were none of the time, some of the time and most or all of the time.
Physical activity was split into three different categories according to the accelerometer measurements:
- Sedentary time was defined as less than 100 counts per minute (cpm).
- Light-intensity was defined as 100 to 1,499 cpm.
- Moderate-to-vigorous intensity was defined as higher than 1,500 cpm.
The researchers noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends that youth get at least an hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day.
The findings showed that 52 (17 percent) of the students reported spending no time outdoors after school, 134 (44 percent) of the students reported spending some time outdoors after school and 120 (39 percent) of the students reported spending most or all of their after school time outdoors.
The students who reported being active outside after school most or all of the time were more likely to be boys, younger and to have reported about their physical activity during the spring months of data collection compared to the students who were not active outside after school.
The researchers determined that the students who spent most or all of their time participating in outdoors activities after school were 2.8 times more likely to achieve the recommended daily minimum of one hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day than the students who reported spending no time outside after school hours.
In addition, the students who were physically active outdoors during most or all of the after-school hours spent less overall time sitting and had healthier hearts and lungs than the students who did not participate in outdoor physical activity outside of school hours.
These findings show the need for more promotion and awareness of the importance of after-school, outdoor physical activity in youth, according to the researchers.
"Schools and parents should consider structured time outdoors for children in an effort to boost physical activity levels and enhance [cardiorespiratory] fitness," Dr. Schaefer said in a press statement.
This study was published on July 10 in The Journal of Pediatrics.
The Canadian Diabetes Association, the Alberta Center for Child, Family, and Community Research, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Manitoba Health Research Council provided funding.
In this edition of The Weekender, a night market, outdoor theatre and three other things to do in Toronto this weekend.
FOOD
Night it Up (FREE!)
Going north of Steeles isn’t always easy (if you don’t live there, that is), but fans of Asian street food may want to make the effort this weekend when Night it Up returns to the Markham Civic Centre. As live musical performances happen in the background, vendors will be serving up treats in a traditional Hong Kong–style night-market setting. Newbies can sample relatively tame snacks like fried quail eggs, but fearless eaters may want to take the rare opportunity to try some stinky tofu—which, if possible, is even more foul-smelling than it sounds. The event’s proceeds will benefit Unity Charity. July 11–13. Admission FREE. Markham Civic Centre, 101 Town Centre Blvd., nightitup.com
SPORTS
We Are Pan Am (FREE!)
Toronto will be hosting the 2015 Pan Am Games exactly a year from now, but so far there hasn’t been much enthusiasm in the press, or from the public. This weekend’s We Are Pan Am festivities probably won’t change that, but they definitely can’t hurt. Visitors will see demonstrations of sports like trampoline, volleyball and basketball, followed by musical performances in the evenings. This is a perfect opportunity to meet Pachi, the official mascot for the games, who looks terrifying but is a good hugger. July 11–12. FREE. Nathan Phillips Square, toronto2015.org
ACTIVISM
Slutwalk Toronto (FREE!)
Anyone who didn’t get their fill of empowerment from WorldPride may want to check out the resurrected SlutWalk Toronto, a march against victim-blaming in cases of sexual violence. Wear whatever you want (except perfume; the event is designated “scent free”). July 12. FREE. Meet at Nathan Phillips Square,facebook.com
FESTIVAL
Festival of India (FREE!)
The 42nd-annual Festival of India will begin with a colourful parade down Yonge Street, where onlookers can join in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. The festivities will continue on Centre Island, with a South Asian bazaar, traditional face-painting and outdoor yoga. Until July 12–13. FREE. Various locations,festivalofindia.ca
THEATRE
Shakespeare in High Park
Hot summer days are too precious to waste in air-conditioned auditoriums, but fortunately Toronto theatregoers have another option. This year’s Shakespeare in High Park lineup from Canadian Stage consists of Titus Andronicus (tragic, violent) and As You Like It (light, comedic, kid-friendly). Premium seats are already almost sold out, but it’s pay-what-you-can at the door for spots on the hill. Bring a picnic dinner to distract you, in case the Elizabethan diction flies over thine head. Until August 31. PWYC–$25.High Park Ampitheatre, 1873 Bloor St. W., canadianstage.com