1. 9 Baci
This cosy culinary retreat is like an escape to Italy. With its authentically crafted menu of cucina, pizza, pasta, gelato and café delights, and a classically sophisticated ambience, 9 Baci makes a memorable spot to celebrate a special occasion or to simply savour a night out on the town.
10200 Keele St., Maple
905-303-1992,

2. Designer Kids Wear
The kids are just as excited as you to get back into their springtime attire! Spoil them in style with a fresh and comfortable ensemble from Designer Kids Wear. The latest from Armani Baby, Roberto Cavalli Junior, Young Versace and more will have them smiling into spring.
7500 Martin Grove Rd., Unit 8, Vaughan
905-264-7228,

3. Edible Arrangements
Baptisms, first communions, bar or bat mitzvahs — whatever spiritual milestone your little one is celebrating this season, a bouquet from Edible Arrangements will make it that much sweeter. A scrumptious and healthy gift, fresh, colourful fruit dipped in fine chocolate is the cherry on
top of their big day.
3255 Rutherford Rd., Vaughan
905-738-4100,

4. Elte Market
A proudly Canadian company with Parisian roots, Elte’s 90 years of leadership in home design has made them a go-to for décor fanatics across Toronto and the GTA. The new Elte Market’s style-savvy store of locally made furniture and home accents is a source of inspiration and originality for homeowners across the GTA.
1381 Castlefield Ave., Toronto
416-789-0800,

5. Fiori Bevilacqua Floral Studio
This quaint Richmond Hill florist helps brides create something unforgettable out of their big day. From bridal bouquets and boutonnières to centrepieces and other accents, enchant your guests with an array of lush floral designs crafted with only the freshest blooms and made by hand with love by passionate professionals.
361 Carrville Rd., Richmond Hill
905-882-9761

6. Great to Hear
Voted the top hearing clinic in the city, Great to Hear houses an unparalleled commitment to service excellence. Its superior products, caring and warmth are also offered in the clinic’s fully equipped mobile clinic, which is the trusted choice of nine retirement homes across Vaughan.
8787 Weston Rd., Unit 7A, Woodbridge
905-850-7997,

7. IKEA
As if we didn’t already have enough reasons to love Ikea, it just bought a wind farm in southern Alberta, which will generate enough power to run 32 Ikea stores. Shop happily at the Scandinavian-style hub, which has wind farms in eight countries.
200 Interchange Way, Vaughan
905-695-5075,

8. Tasios Orthodontics
Nothing charms quite like a brilliant smile. Dr. Bruce Tasios and Dr. Suzanna Lekht combine the latest technologies with seasoned expertise and positive energy to bring their patients a refreshing orthodontic experience. To bring your smile to life, discover the orthodontic solution that’s best for you at Tasios.
3611 Major Mackenzie Dr., Unit 2,
Vaughan, 905-553-7778
2085 Lawrence Ave. East, Unit 6, Scarborough, 416-901-7778

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For the better part of the 18 hours I’d spent at the helm, we’d only made about five kilometres total. Ship-killing ice was moving down from the north, forcing us into a wall of equally dangerous ice to the south. The sea floor of the Arctic’s Northwest Passage is littered with the crushed carcasses of hundreds of ships and perhaps twice as many men who, during the past few hundred years, tried to accomplish what I was trying to do: find and cross the Arctic Grail, the theoretical shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Just a few hours before, I was happy to gain 150 metres; now I was praying that Bagan, my 57-foot trawler, would gain a precious few more to keep her from her impending fate of total destruction.

Three years earlier I’d come up with the idea to travel to the Arctic to make a documentary about the Passage and the nearly 14,000-km journey from Rhode Island to Seattle. As risky and deadly as the idea was, it was something I could handle. But as Bagan became more and more hopelessly stuck in the six-foot-thick ice sheets, one thought repeated in my exhausted mind: “Have I reunited my children only to lead them to their deaths?”

As a filmmaker and professional sailor with nearly 65,000 offshore kilometres, I had always toyed with the thought of finding the Passage and perhaps carving out a film about the hunt for it, and about something that’s on everyone’s minds these days: climate change. After years of debating the merits of such a trip, the fateful day came in December of 2006 when I realized that I had the boat, could find the crew, could probably find the funding and that there was no time like the present. For almost a year everything fell nicely into place — until things started falling to pieces. Due to the economic crisis of 2008, three months before we left for the Passage I lost every penny of financing. A crippling blow, for sure, but I had already put in enough of my own money that I couldn’t afford to back out. I believed in my dream project but also realized that unless a miracle occurred I’d be paying off the cost of it for the rest of my life.

Throughout my years I’ve found that one of the wonderful things about life is that if and when miracles come, they are seldom what you expect. Shortly before I lost my funding, the trip and my life took one of the most powerful and abrupt turns I’ve ever experienced.

Fifteen years prior I was living in California with my two stepchildren, son and then-wife. Sadly, we didn’t survive as a family and went through a divorce — which seemingly happens more often than not these days. Both my ex-wife and I tried as hard as we could to make a bad situation tolerable, but as any parent knows, it’s never enough. Because of hurt and anger, I slowly lost contact with my stepson, Chauncey, and had only partial contact with my stepdaughter, Dominique. But my son, Sefton, and I managed to see one another many times a year. They lived on the east coast and I on the west, and despite daily phone calls, it seemed an insurmountable distance both physically and emotionally.

When the idea of the Arctic trip came up I made sure that Dominique and Sefton knew about it. I didn’t know what or how much Chauncey knew, for at that time we weren’t in each other’s lives. I hoped Dominique and Sefton would join the trip, but Sefton had college commitments and Dominique wasn’t 100 per cent sure that she could. Yet around four months before Bagan departed, the miraculous unfolded. Dominique was able to commit full-time, Sefton got a waiver from college for the semester, and after at least 12 years of silence Chauncey got in touch, asking if there was room aboard. For the first time in a decade and a half, all four of us were going to be together, all under one very small roof and attempting to travel through one of the world’s most unforgiving but spectacular areas. It would be five months and almost 14,000 km of living in extremely tight quarters in which anything could and most probably would happen. So with my family and two other hand-picked crew members, the six of us headed out and into the Arctic, hoping to do what explorers have tried to accomplish since the days of Columbus: find and transit the Northwest Passage.

What occurred during those five months was staggering, something that to this day my kids and I still have trouble believing. Despite the presence of a very large “elephant in the room” — the unanswered questions, untold hurts and unspoken mistrusts hanging over our heads — we very quickly and assuredly came back together as a family. Due to the tremendous physical and mental challenges, we didn’t have the luxury of time for a post-mortem about what had happened 15 years earlier. We very quickly found out who we are now and didn’t reflect on who we were then. We all found ourselves in the trenches together and had to trust each other and have each other’s backs, which we did time and again. Certainly we compared notes about long ago, and many times played “remember when … ?” But the hurt and pain couldn’t stand up to the love and support we carried deep inside — love and support that, due to the demands of the trip, grew daily. We spent many hours talking about the future, what it held for not only each one of us, but for us as a family. What had happened — the divorce — was “then,” and this was “now.” We were back together as a unit and would have many, many years to discuss the past if we wanted to. I have never known the sort of pride, admiration and love I felt when I saw how my kids, now grown adults, came together in moments of horrendous weather and circumstances, and none more amazing than the three days we were trapped in the Arctic’s killing ice.

Once in the Passage proper, we headed south down the wide channel of Peel Sound. We waited for the semi-permanent ice to clear in the Central Channel, the southern part of Peel Sound, for over a week, all the while keeping an eye on the northern part of the channel, our escape route. Three times a day we downloaded ice charts from the Canadian Ice Service, trying to follow their predictions as to what the ice to the south of us was going to do and if there’d be a small opening that would allow us through. Day after day we saw no hint of such an opening forming, and finally the day came when the chart told us what we desperately needed to know. We would be able to move down through Peel Sound, exit the bottom of it and head to the west.

We left early that morning and set out to find the break in the ice the charts promised. After five hours of pacing back and forth along the northern border of the ice, however, we found no opening and no sign of a potential one. We decide to head back to the safety of the anchorage where we had just spent the past week, and wait some more.

Were it only that simple.

Just to the north, and heading south down Peel Sound, was an ice field perhaps 30 km long and at least 3 m thick. By the time we found it, it was well past our safe anchorage. With the stationary ice to the south of us and the approaching ice to the north, we were in a deadly squeeze play, just like the type that had killed so many hundreds of men and ships before.

It only took a few hours for the ice to get us. It locked us in with Herculean strength and, regardless of what we tried, we couldn’t move an inch. Bagan was trapped and slightly canted up on her starboard side. Hidden and uncharted underwater currents slowly but inexorably drove us up and onto a rock-bound shoreline. We were all out of options. As far as I was concerned this was the start of the final deadly chapter in our family’s new life. We were in 24-hour daylight, so we were spared the horrors of darkness. But day or night, the sounds of the ice clawing its way past our hull were nothing short of banshees’ wails. Screeching, ripping, shattering sheets of ice squeezed Bagan until even she wailed in protest. Several times I sent Sefton below to pull floorboards and see if our hull had been breached and if we were taking on the Arctic’s freezing water.

Yet as horrific as the situation was, my sense of love and pride at seeing how my kids handled it was beyond description. No one was in denial as to what could happen, and I’m sure that we all nursed hidden fears, but with the task at hand none were shared publicly. Instead, we endured three days of what the Arctic threw at us in a calm, serious and logical manner. There was even laughter to be heard. During that time I have never been more proud or more honoured to be with three people. I’m firmly convinced that this level of maturity and care could only have been reached through the love we had all started to find at the beginning of the trip.

We eventually made it to Seattle but not without other terrifying incidents. With each and every one I saw again what I saw those days in the ice: three grown “pros” who not only had each other’s backs but each other’s hearts as well. After the trip ended, Sefton, Dominique and Chauncey went their separate ways and continued to do what they were doing prior to departure. We are all closer to one another than ever, now a new “old” family unit — one that survived not only the Arctic but also the challenges of reuniting a loving and caring family that had seemingly only “taken a break” for 15 years.

Guest Travel Editor
Sprague Theobald is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, author and seasoned sailor based out of Manhattan, New York. Through his company Hole In The Wall Productions, he’s travelled from Alaska to Zanzibar, and his writing has been featured in the New York Times. His journey through the Northwest Passage was documented in the book and documentary film The Other Side of the Ice.

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To grow into their best selves, children need safety, predictability and love. To nurture their imaginations, they need stories they can engage with and adults who help them to confront their normal childhood fears. Most young children these days spend their days engaging with screens — a TV, a parent’s phone or an iPad, or a combination of all three. While today’s programming is very creative and often educational, it’s only one way of learning.

Reading books before bedtime introduces not only a relaxing routine that soothes a child into dreamland but can often also be the best way to relax a child’s mind before bedtime while also encouraging imagination. Stories found in books, as opposed to those found on screens, help children form their own images alongside those presented in illustrated storybooks, and to construct their own imagination of what the author is conveying. And if they address normal childhood fears, stories can present creative ways to master those fears.

Reading to a child is also a very beautiful way of establishing a rich bond between parent and child as they share this fantasy time together. When one counts up the minutes that parents actually interact with their children, it often turns out that they are precious few. Children who are read to consistently, night after night, come to trust that their parent takes time for them. Stories that address their fears open up the possibility for children to discuss what’s on their mind and ask questions about things that may be troubling them.

I wrote Timothy Tottle’s Terrific Dream because I wanted to convey to children that the normal fear of changing bodily size — and perhaps disappearing down the drain during bath time — is just that, only a fear. And I wanted them to learn that while their dreams feel real, they are actually only thoughts that they can control to some degree. I emphasize that while Timothy didn’t want to go to bed and slept in his own room all alone at night, his mother remained just down the hallway all night long — while he was having his wild dream adventure — and that she was still there when he awoke, so he could run to her bed, jump into her welcoming arms and tell her all about it.

In this story young Timothy learns that he can dream about disappearing down the drain — but it doesn’t actually happen — and that his dream about a fear can actually be an awful lot of fun.

Guest Parenting Editor
Anne Speckhard, PhD, is an adjunct associate professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University School of Medicine, as well as a child development expert, mother of three and grandmother of one. Timothy Tottle’s Terrific Dream can be found on Amazon.com.

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Vaughan City Events: Menorah Lighting Ceremony
Celebrate the beauty of Chanukah surrounded by friends and the community at Vaughan’s Menorah Lighting Ceremony on December 16 at 3:30 p.m. Held at City Hall, the event will also offer traditional treats and entertainment.
Vaughan City Hall, Level 300
2141 Major Mackenzie Dr., Maple, 905-832-2281

Fortinos Community Room: Kids’ Christmas Events
Christmas is in the air at the Community Room at Fortinos, where kids’ holiday workshops are being hosted all December long. From Breakfast with Santa and Christmas Ornament Class to Gingerbread House Builds, little ones will really get in the spirit!
8585 Highway 27, Woodbridge
905-851-1255

Fiori Bevilacqua floral Studio
Cheers to all the 2015 brides-to-be! Let Fiori Bevilacqua Floral Studio help you create the event of the year with lush arrangements, “wow” statement pieces and a breathtaking bridal bouquet. Close your eyes, dream your dream and open them to see the Fiori B magic!
361 Carrville Rd., Richmond Hill
905-882-9761

maple bakery
Playing host or guest this Christmastime?
The much-loved Maple Bakery makes holiday entertaining and gifting a piece of cake with its handmade breads, desserts and other goodies, all created from authentic recipes. Bring a custom festive treat home this holiday!
10040 Keele St., Maple
905-832-2987

GREAT TO HEAR
Celebrate the sounds of Christmas by giving the gift of hearing. The award-winning clinic Great to Hear offers the latest in technology, products and services to enhance your hearing so you can truly enjoy all the joyful sounds of the holiday season with your friends and family.
8787 Weston Rd., #7A, Woodbridge
905-850-7997

Sylvan Learning
Turn your child’s new year into an impactful time
to learn and grow. Sylvan Learning offers thorough educational experiences led by seasoned tutors, with each program customized to suit students’ unique learning capabilities.
3120 Rutherford Rd., Unit 1, Vaughan
905-879-0986

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Arcadia academy of music
Since 1984 and over 10,000 students, Arcadia Academy of Music has grown to be one of the largest and most prestigious music schools in North America.
Toll-Free 1-888-238-8079
Bolton • Bradford • Chilliwack, B.C. • Maple • Newmarket • North Brampton • Richmond Hill • South Brampton • West Brampton • Woodbridge • Milton & Ottawa coming in 2015!

Canada’s best karate
Using our comprehensive personal development program, Canada’s Best Karate can help your children develop their full potential through training in the martial arts.
Maple 905-879-8008
Woodbridge 905-893-3342

Haute couture
Feed your child’s passion for fashion by enrolling them in one of the GTA’s finest design schools, offering an array of creative courses led by seasoned industry leaders.
8099 Weston Rd., Unit 10, Woodbridge
905-264-9341

Maple academy of dance
Maple Academy of Dance welcomes little dancers of all levels to an array of fun and enriching classes.
What better way to shake off the school-year blues!
255 Bass Pro Mills Dr., Unit 504, Vaughan
905-660-6800

Woodbridge school of dance
Dance awakens the soul, sharpens the senses and
piques the interest. Let your
kids in on this life-changing art form at Vaughan’s iconic Woodbridge School of Dance.
140 Woodbridge Ave., Woodbridge
905-851-5511

Northern karate
Boost your child’s health, confidence, intellect and self-defence abilities at one of the most highly acclaimed martial arts schools in the GTA.
3883 Rutherford Rd., Woodbridge
905-265-7777

OH SO SWEET
Make your little one’s birthday a delectable one with the kids’ baking parties offered at the nut-free
bakery Oh So Sweet.
8099 Weston Rd., Unit 15, Woodbridge
905-265-9898

Splashville
Let your little ones swim with skill by bringing them to Splashville. Certified instructors teach youngsters to tackle water in a safe, fun and active environment — the perfect atmosphere to host your child’s next birthday party.
311 Cityview Blvd., Unit 4, Vaughan
905-832-3699

Sylvan Learning
Math, reading, writing, study skills — whatever challenges your children face, Sylvan Learning will personalize a program for them and build a strong educational foundation for their future.
3120 Rutherford Rd., Unit 1, Vaughan
905-879-0986

The Crystal Ladder Learning Centre
The Crystal Ladder offers innovative ABA & Developmental Services, Social Skills & Respite Programs, SLP Services, Birthday Parties and Yoga, Creative Arts, Languages, Culinary & Edible Arts Classes.
661 Chrislea Rd., #4-6, Woodbridge
905-265-0050

Woodbridge Bowl
Bowling birthday parties are a classic, and Woodbridge Bowl makes them memorable with its premium party packages, which supply food, treats and, of course, tons of fun!
191 Marycroft Ave., Woodbridge
(905) 856-3110

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Makimono Japanese Restaurant
110 Windflower Gate, Unit G1, Woodbridge
905-856-0089

• Specialties: Authentic Japanese and Asian cuisine, including an all-you-can-eat menu and iPads at tables for ordering
• Atmosphere: Warm and modern
• Dinner for 2: $50 and up
• Capacity: 180
• Reservations: Recommended for big groups or private affairs
• What customers say: The craftsmanship of their dishes makes Makimono one of the best all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants in Vaughan

Terra Restaurant
8199 Yonge St., Thornhill
905-731-6161

• Specialties: Eclectic international cuisine with a fresh seasonal menu and an extensive wine list
• Atmosphere: Rustic meets contemporary-artistic in our beautiful and elegant dining area
• Dinner for 2: $100 – $150
• Capacity: 180
• Reservations: Recommended
• What customers say: Possibly one of the best restaurants in the GTA — a fantastic menu and friendly service

Sarpa Restaurant
13311 Yonge St., Oak Ridges
905-773-2188

• Specialties: An artisanal menu inspired by the Italian spirit
• Atmosphere: Warm, cultured and musical
• Dinner for 2: $100 – $150
• Capacity: 130
• Reservations: Recommended
• What customers say: The relaxed environment and carefully designed menu make Sarpa a place to bring those you cherish the most

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The city’s lush, sprawling backyards have become a hotbed for seasoned landscapers, but one green-thumbed entrepreneur has risen above the rest. “The fact that we’re able to transform nothing into something that people can enjoy for years is an incredible feeling,” says Giuseppe Agrippa, president of Vaughan Landscaping. Agrippa, who founded his company 11 years ago at the age of 20, has cultivated his craft into an all-encompassing, award-winning firm focused on quality, customization and client care.

“Word of mouth has played a big part in our success,” says Agrippa, who caters to homeowners across the GTA and recently transformed a Forest Hill backyard into a breathtaking retreat. “I’m there from start to finish to ensure the level of quality is something I can be proud of. You’re only as good as the people who work for you so I have a skilled team behind me.”

From patios, pergolas, stonework and gazebos, to lighting, irrigation, water features and pool construction, Vaughan Landscaping and Agrippa’s subsidiary company, Vaughan Pools, can turn any outdoor space into an intimate oasis.

(416) 991-9333

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Immersed in the industry since March of 1975, Alfredo got his feet wet in residential resale and commercial real estate before working at a leading development firm in Vaughan. “In 1984, I became involved in the new homes division at Greenpark Homes, keeping my land and commercial touch as I explored a part of real estate that intrigued me,” says Alfredo, who continued to pursue his passions in and around the GTA. Soon enough, his son Massimo Aiello began to display interest in his profession, obtaining his Broker’s Designation at the tender and rebellious age of 19. With Alfredo’s expertise in new homes and Massimo’s proficiency in customer and company liaisons, the father-son twosome decided it was time to set out on their own.

In 2004, the Aiello’s founded the Concord location of HomeLife Premium One Realty Corp., an independently owned and operated brokerage firm. From the moment their partnership began, their reputation as distinguished professionals in the industry grew. Specializing in residential low-rises, industrial and commercial real estate, new homes, in-fill sites, land acquisition and development, and boasting a resale division networked by 45 award-winning realtors, the duo has launched their full-service real estate brokerage to the top. “We had a vision to expand and that meant following our life callings,” says Massimo, proudly adding that in both 2009 and 2011, HomeLife Canada awarded their firm with Most Productive Office in Canada awards.

Aligning themselves with prominent builders/developers, the Aiello name is synonymous with selling and marketing communities, and a customer-first approach. “Our service is based on loyalty, professionalism and respect,” says Alfredo, happily noting that the company has successfully stretched its latitude across key markets. Springing off from one of their biggest projects — the Upper Thornhill Estates community — Alfredo and Massimo look forward to their highly anticipated sites in Vaughan, Brampton, Newmarket, King City, Milton, Aurora, Whitby and Ajax, which cater to first-time buyers and purchasers of exclusive, executive homes. “We are always researching communities and how to enhance them, specifically those in the GTA,” explains Massimo. From selling to the market, to overseeing sales pavilions, reviewing renderings from builders, forecasting trends, incentive strategies and offering comparative market analysis and support to clients, the two are deeply dedicated to every detail of their developments.

Expanding their vision vertically across GTA skylines, Alfredo and Massimo continue to build their legacy, multiple projects at the same time. “Our expertise lies in the new homes sector, dealing with builders/developers, examining and sourcing land — essentially covering a process that takes us from A to Z,” says Alfredo. “And all projects are handled with the utmost care and professionalism.”

3-960 Edgeley Blvd., Concord, Ont.
(416) 410-9111,

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