The City of Winnipeg’s Crescent Drive Golf Course is getting the spa treatment sometime next year.
The city announced Tuesday it successfully wooed a top-rated Quebec-based spa franchise to open a new location, its first franchise in Canada outside Quebec, at the city-owned links.
Nordik Spa-Nature has agreed to build a $6-million spa at Crescent Drive Golf Course, which the city is sure will make the golf course a tourist attraction as well as giving an economic boost. The spa comes with 50 permanent full-time jobs and 50 contract jobs, the city’s announcement said.
The original Nordik Spa-Nature is located in Chelsea, Que. and since its opening in 2005, it has won accolades and awards, including being named one of Canada’s 10 best spas by The National Post.
The new Winnipeg spa is slated to open in 2012, the result of a two-year business courtship to lure the Quebec business to open a franchise on the prairies.
Just in time for summer, Niagara Falls' Marriott Fallsview Hotel has served up something to top off your next bbq. Chef Ron, from the Fallsview's Terrapin Grille Fallsview Restaurant has created a great summer recipe. This refreshing blend of fruits & veggies can be eaten alone or added on top of fish or chicken.
This recipe makes approximately 8 servings.
Ingredients:
*2 diced peaches (preferably free stone)
*2 diced black plums
*1 diced red pepper
*1 diced yellow pepper
*1/2 diced red onion
*1 diced English cucumber
*1 bunch of chives finely chopped
*1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
*1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
*2 tbsp honey
*1 tbsp kosher salt
*1/2 tsp siracha (Chinese hot sauce)
Directions:
Add all the ingredients and mix well. Flavors will be enhanced if made a day ahead of time. The salsa may be kept 7 days in the refrigerator. Serve with any grilled meat or fish.
Dietary information per serving:169 calories; 12g fat; 0g trans fat; 0g cholesterol; 11g carbohydrates; 2g fibre; 1g protein
Spending by wealthy Americans on luxury goods is set to grow by $26.6 billion in 2011, with the number of affluent families planning to spend more almost doubling in the past three years, a poll found on Friday.
As the United States gradually emerges from its worst economic crisis in decades, the American Express Publishing and Harrison Group survey forecast spending on luxury goods to increase nearly 8 percent to $359 billion this year compared to 2010.
"It is a relief to finally be able to see a significant return of affluent consumers to the luxury marketplace," Jim Taylor, vice-chairman of Harrison Group, said in a statement.
But he said "the affluent consumer remains needs-based, resourceful and research-oriented."
"They will exercise discretion. They will pursue authenticity and extraordinary quality. They will engage in the art of the deal and the discount with relish. And, they will operate as families in need, not want," Taylor said.
The Survey of Affluence and Wealth in America polled 1,458 families with a discretionary income of more than $100,000 -- representing the wealthiest 10 percent in the United States who account for about 50 percent of all consumer spending.
It found that 15 percent of those families plan to spend more in 2011, up a quarter from 2010 and almost double from 2008, while the number cutting spending was nearly halved from last year to 9 percent and down two-thirds from 2008.
Taylor said that while 70 percent of affluent Americans still believed the country is in recession, they are less anxious -- concern over job loss has fallen 50 percent from 2010 and worries about the potential failure of their company are down to 11 percent from 28 percent.
"In the end, the increase in spending we foresee is not a return to the wanderlust of the past, but rather, an expression of sensible, resourceful, self-confident consumers expanding their portfolio of needs," he said.
"The nearly $4 trillion in their money market funds gives these consumers the power to purchase with cash. Their value equation reflects the price of recession: mature judgment," Taylor said.
A 2010 stock market rally, which pushed up the Dow Jones Industrial Average 11 percent, has also helped woo consumers.
Consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of U.S. economic activity, grew at a brisk 4 percent pace in the final three months of last year. But U.S. retail sales posted their smallest gain in nine months in March, as auto sales plunged and consumers felt the sting of higher gas prices.
The online wealth survey was conducted from January 31 to February 14 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Life is full of surprises. Especially when you're open (and take the time) to receive them. This week, on a whirlwind trip through Santa Barbara and Montecito, I detoured off Interstate 101 to visit the Four Seasons Biltmore - off the grand dames of the South Coast of California.
Within a few minutes of stepping out of my car in front of the Biltmore, and casting my eyes on the waves crashing on the shore, I was greeted by a smiling sun-kissed gentleman dangling a SLR from his freckled grip. The man was Hal Boucher - Society Photographer and The Biltmore's Historian.
"I'm 85" says Hal, "and I've been doing this for over 50 years". What followed was Hal's personal insight and history of being the photographer of choice for visiting celebrities and politicians to Santa Barbara. "I shot John & Jackie's honeymoon at the San Ysidro Ranch in 1953". A badge of honor Hal carries with him every day.
Our conversation turned to the present ownership of the Biltmore and San Ysidro - both owned by 'Beanie Baby' creator Ty Warner. Turning from the ocean and looking back at the well-cared for Biltmore, Hal said and I agreed - "If you've got the money, I can't imagine owning anything better". Truly, a man in love with his job.
Jack LaLanne, the fitness guru who inspired television viewers to trim down, eat well and pump iron for decades before diet and exercise became a national obsession, died Sunday. He was 96.
LaLanne died of respiratory failure due to pneumonia Sunday afternoon at his home in Morro Bay on California's central coast, his longtime agent Rick Hersh said.
LaLanne ate healthy and exercised every day of his life up until the end, Hersh said.
"I have not only lost my husband and a great American icon, but the best friend and most loving partner anyone could ever hope for," Elaine LaLanne, LaLanne's wife of 51 years and a frequent partner in his television appearances, said in a written statement.
He maintained a youthful physique and joked in 2006 that "I can't afford to die. It would wreck my image."
Former "Price is Right" host Bob Barker credited LaLanne's encouragement with helping him to start exercising often.
"He never lost enthusiasm for life and physical fitness," the 87-year-old Barker told The Associated Press on Sunday. "I saw him in about 2007 and he still looked remarkably good. He still looked like the same enthusiastic guy that he always was."
LaLanne (pronounced lah-LAYN') credited a sudden interest in fitness with transforming his life as a teen, and he worked tirelessly over the next eight decades to transform others' lives, too.
"The only way you can hurt the body is not use it," LaLanne said. "Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late."
His workout show was a television staple from the 1950s to the '70s. LaLanne and his dog Happy encouraged kids to wake their mothers and drag them in front of the television set. He developed exercises that used no special equipment, just a chair and a towel.
He also founded a chain of fitness studios that bore his name and in recent years touted the value of raw fruit and vegetables as he helped market a machine called Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer.
When he turned 43 in 1957, he performed more than 1,000 push-ups in 23 minutes on the "You Asked For It" television show. At 60, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco – handcuffed, shackled and towing a boat. Ten years later, he performed a similar feat in Long Beach harbor.
"I never think of my age, never," LaLanne said in 1990. "I could be 20 or 100. I never think about it, I'm just me. Look at Bob Hope, George Burns. They're more productive than they've ever been in their whole lives right now."
Fellow bodybuilder and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger credited LaLanne with taking exercise out of the gymnasium and into living rooms.
"He laid the groundwork for others to have exercise programs, and now it has bloomed from that black and white program into a very colorful enterprise," Schwarzenegger said in 1990.
In 1936 in his native Oakland, LaLanne opened a health studio that included weight-training for women and athletes. Those were revolutionary notions at the time, because of the theory that weight training made an athlete slow and "muscle bound" and made a woman look masculine.
"You have to understand that it was absolutely forbidden in those days for athletes to use weights," he once said. "It just wasn't done. We had athletes who used to sneak into the studio to work out.
"It was the same with women. Back then, women weren't supposed to use weights. I guess I was a pioneer," LaLanne said.
The son of poor French immigrants, he was born in 1914 and grew up to become a sugar addict, he said.
The turning point occurred one night when he heard a lecture by pioneering nutritionist Paul Bragg, who advocated the benefits of brown rice, whole wheat and a vegetarian diet.
"He got me so enthused," LaLanne said. "After the lecture I went to his dressing room and spent an hour and a half with him. He said, 'Jack, you're a walking garbage can.'"
Soon after, LaLanne constructed a makeshift gym in his back yard. "I had all these firemen and police working out there and I kind of used them as guinea pigs," he said.
He said his own daily routine usually consisted of two hours of weightlifting and an hour in the swimming pool.
"It's a lifestyle, it's something you do the rest of your life," LaLanne said. "How long are you going to keep breathing? How long do you keep eating? You just do it."
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Dan and Jon, and a daughter, Yvonne.
Body Beautiful Canada has been a leading supplier of specialty spa equipment to clients and spa owners for over 15 years.
One of Body Beautiful Canada's signature treatments is the detoxification inch loss treatment: Universal Contour Wrap.
The Universal Contour Wrap is a detoxification inch loss treatment, with two unbelievable guarantees. If you do not lose 6” in their first treatment, the treatment is FREE. Secondly, you are guaranteed to retain that 6” loss for 30 days, or you will be re-wrapped again for FREE, provided your weight has remained constant.
The Universal Contour Wrap treatment takes about two hours to achieve incredible results, it been a sure-fire winner with everyone. Celebrities like Paula Abdul, Paris Hilton, and Jean Smart are lining up along with everyday clients to experience these results. Whether walking the red carpet or simply enjoying a romantic meal with your loved one, you’ll feel your absolute best!
True to its origin from the Sanskrit word for ‘beautiful’, Sundara Inn & Spa is a destination spa nestled in a fragrant 26-acre pine forest in the heart of Wisconsin. Created with a respect for the environment and guided by the principles of Feng Shui, Sundara offers an unexpectedly sophisticated sanctuary from stress and a place to reconnect in the Midwest.
The spa incorporates the finest organic products from around the world, while Sundara’s signature collection draws on ingredients indigenous to the area. There are 14 treatment rooms, with two ‘Spa Together’ rooms allowing for side-by-side spa treatments. Guests may select from a full menu of massages, body treatments and facials. A full-service salon provides spa-like hair and nail treatments. Guests of Sundara may enjoy all the facility has to offer: indoor bathhouse with Purifying Bath Ritual, Relaxation Lounge overlooking the grounds, outdoor infinity pool heated year-round, and fitness facility. All-day spa cuisine is available.
The Sundara's signature treatment is the Sundara Sandstone Polish Body Treatment - an invigorating treatment using Sundara’s own Sandstone Body Polish as an exfoliating agent. The sand in the product was discovered at the spa’s excavation site and its source is an ancient Cambrian-era sandstone. You are treated to a Vichy shower, then the Sundara Signature Hydrating Mist and Signature Nourishing Body Milk, leaving your skin renewed, healthy and glowing.
The International SPA Association wrapped up its 20th Annual Conference and Expo in Washington, DC after four exciting days of education, insightful keynote speakers and the latest products and services in the spa industry.
“Spa professionals came out to celebrate our 20th anniversary, reminiscing about ISPA’s past and setting the vision for the future of the industry,” said ISPA President Lynne McNees. “We far exceeded last year’s attendance and we’re looking forward to the next 20 years of providing valuable networking events, and cutting-edge education and resources.”
The Expo floor featured more than 200 booths, representing 163 companies, and more than 50 new products. The ISPA Foundation Live and Silent Auction raised more than $70,000 to benefit the educational initiatives of the Foundation.
Attendees from 41 countries chose from 25 Professional Development Sessions on topics including marketing, menu engineering, human resources, profitability, integrative medicine and more.
The daily General Sessions featured insightful guest speakers including Award-winning filmmaker Eric Saperston alongside multi-platinum recording artist Edwin McCain. Saperston captivated the audience with the help of McCain’s music by sharing how he set out to find meaning in his life through the advice of others. By interviewing top executives, ex-presidents and movie stars Saperston funded the documentary film The Journey by selling “sexy kind grilled cheese sandwiches made with love for $1.”
One of CNN’s Top 10 Heroes of 2009, Doc Hendley moved the audience with the encouragement that even average individuals can make a difference. Hendley, a former bartender, began the organization Wine to Water after being inspired by the 1.1 billion people who don’t have access to clean drinking water. He explained, “Water is no longer a passion for me, it is the burden of my life.”
Management guru Marcus Buckingham helped attendees realize their strengths. Buckingham explained that most people spend time trying to improve their weaknesses rather than focusing on what they do best, “Only 14 percent of your day is spent doing something you’re really good at.”
The closing session included a lively discussion from a Visionary Panel moderated by Peter Yesawich and made up of Precor’s Paul Byrne, HelmsBriscoe’s Roger Helms and Women for Hire expert Tory Johnson. The panel discussed the future of the industry by offering insights from their respective areas of expertise. Topics ranging from time poverty, managing different generations and comfort vs. convenience were all covered.
The Association honored the founder of Rancho La Puerta and The Golden Door, Deborah Szekely, with the ISPA Visionary Award; Doc Hendley, founder of Wine to Water, received the ISPA Alex Szekely Humanitarian Award; and John and Karen Korpi, two spa professionals who helped found the association, received the ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award.
Incoming ISPA Chairman Deborah Waldvogel, Director of Spa Development & Operations at Sedona Resorts, set the pace for next year by pledging to focus on continually evaluating ISPA’s resources and services, forming alliances to strengthen global outreach and influence the future of preventative health care. Waldvogel said, “One of the most important parts of our evolution over the next two decades will be continuing to strengthen the educational aspect of the spa experience.”
For more on the 2010 ISPA Conference and Expo, visit the Conference Web site.
The 2011 ISPA Conference and Expo will be held at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, November 7-10, 2011.
If you are one of the thousands of travelers fed-up with the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) search and search some more policy at U.S. airports - you're not alone. Oscar the Grouch has issued his own warning to TSA officials thinking about frisking his can.
No word if Oscar is planning to boycott travel on Wednesday Nov 23.
A brief, but interesting interview with Nikesh Arora. Google’s Vice President of Europe, Middle East and Africa. Nikesh is responsible for Google’s business across 25 offices in EMEA and is managing, scaling and building a team of over 2000 people. He is developing and deploying Google's products and marketing strategies in these markets and is working with advertisers to help them target and engage with consumers on the internet.
Set against the Santa Catalina Mountains in the High Sonoran Desert, Tucson's Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa has been offering wellness programs to people from around the world since 1996. Today guests came to Miraval individually or with family and friends to relax, refresh, and learn to live and feel better. There are no strict regiments. Instead, choice is the guiding principle, with a wide range of programs and experiences designed to create overall well-being and help guests become more aware of themselves and their surroundings. Miraval's success is driven from a philosophy that life is more meaningful and enjoyable when physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual components are in balance.
Award-winning Vintage Hotels and the spa-travel website Spas of America are giving away one of three spa escapes to Southern Ontario’s Vintage Hotels. An interactive contest has been launched at www.spasofamerica.com/contests/love-to-spa.
Entering is simple and easy, plus everyone who enters receives a special invitation from Vintage Hotels and Spas of America. Spas of America president Craig Oliver says, “This is one of our most exciting contests, where entrants are encouraged to discover each unique Vintage spa experience, complete an entry, and finally, to share their favourite spa experience. Selected responses will be shared on Spas of America’s Facebook page. www.facebook.com/SpasofAmerica.
Vintage Hotels Vice President of Sales & Marketing April Brunet says, “Three prizes are eligible to be one won. The Grand Prize includes two nights’ accommodation in a deluxe guestroom with fireplace; a three-course dinner for two; breakfast for two each morning; two 50-min. Spa treatments per person; and two Vintage Hotels bathrobes. The first runner up prize includes: a 50-min. Couple's Massage in a Private Spa Suite and a three-course lunch for two. And finally, the 2nd runner up prize is an 85-min. Couple's Deluxe Pedicure in Self-Massage Chairs served with Wine and Cheese.”
Prizes can be taken at any one of Vintage Hotels’ spas - 100 Fountain Spa, Pillar and Post, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario; Millcroft Spa, Centre for Well-Being, Alton, Ontario; and Secret Garden Spa, Prince of Wales Hotel, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
Entering is simple and easy, and everyone who enters receive a special invitation from Vintage Hotels & Spas of America. Contest closes December 20, 2010. Enter online at: www.spasofamerica.com/contests/love-to-spa.
Happy Birthday to the The Oaks at Ojai, a destination health spa once known as the original fat farm of the late 1970's. Today, The Oaks at Oaji is a delightful, stress-free place that still focuses on healthy weight loss and wellness along with a wide array of relaxing spa treatments.
A visit to The Oaks is more than a spa vacation - it's a life affirming experience. The Oaks is mostly women that get a chance to leave the designer sweats at home; this is a place where you can let your hair down and take in all the positive, nurturing elements of a healthy lifestyle...
Everyone deserves a little Pala Time. And here’s your chance to win some.
With the Pala Time Giveaway you can experience all the fun, relaxation and rejuvenation of Southern California’s Four Diamond Award Winning Pala Casino Spa & Resort. Set against the tranquil backdrop of the Palomar Mountains, Pala lies just one hour north of San Diego.
Enter to win one of three Grand Prizes that include a one-night (Thursday-Sunday) stay, a romantic dinner for two at Mama’s Cucina Italiana and treatment for two at Pala’s world-class Spa. Contest closes August 31st, enter today.
One of my personal favorite spa experiences is the Scandinavian Spa... coupled with lots of time.
Situated just north of the Winter Olympic village of Whistler, B.C. wrapped in a forest on the edge of Lost Lake and Spruce Grove parks, this unique spa overlooks incredible mountain vistas and valleys. Invigorate and cleanse your body and mind in the hot baths and refreshing waterfalls, melt away with a relaxing massage, and breathe in the invigorating fresh-mountain air.
Whether you choose to favor the steam bath or sauna, or partake in the full traditional Scandinavian experience of warming-cooling-relaxation, you are sure to feel the endless benefits of nature’s healing properties. Cleanse your skin, improve your physical condition and rediscover your health with the help of our Finnish wood-burning sauna, eucalyptus steam bath and hot baths, thermal and Nordic waterfalls, solariums and relaxation areas with outdoor fireplace. The ultimate relaxation is enjoyed when baths are coupled with a warm and soothing massage. Plan to stay with us for at least 2-3 hours to fully benefit from the experience.
The Restoration Retreat for Two at Grail Springs • Sunday shuttle to and from Toronto International Airport • 7~nights accommodation • vegetarian-based pH balance meal plan • optional: choose to integrate 5 days of juice fasting during your stay to fast track your detox/weight loss objectives • guest room amenities: robe & slippers, Austrian moor and Himalayan bath salts • complimentary WIFI Enter today
The first virtual trade show for professionals in the global Spa & Wellness Market opens May 26, live and interactive on the Internet, the show runs for 90 days.
Hosted by Healing Arts Guide, Spa Hospitality Expo takes the most successful elements of traditional events and brings these elements into a virtual world. Attendees at a very high level have registered to enjoy free education, product demos, event networking, presentations and prizesMore then forty of the best suppliers are exhibiting in two virtual trade show floors. Attendees will be able to chat live with executives from each company, source new products, receive free education and discounts on first orders from most brands.
Jeffrey Hollander, Founder & CEO of Seventh Generation will deliver the Key Note address on May 27. The topic of his presentation: The Responsibility Revolution, How The Next Generation Of Businesses Will Win. “We are excited to have Jeffrey deliver the Key Note address for the first virtual exposition in the Wellness Market”, said Jed Horowitz, founder of Healing Arts. “Responsible capitalism is a topic we have covered extensively since our inception six years ago.”
“Advanced digital delivery of content is an imperative for the Spa & Wellness market,” said Mr. Horowitz. “SHE gives brands exposure and reach at a fraction of the cost of traditional shows, eliminates travel and creates linked integrated solutions for suppliers. We are delivering a new low cost high reach program for our sponsors and connecting them with buyers around the globe in a new dynamic platform.”
Often called the “Prettiest Town in Canada,” Niagara on the Lake, Ontario is famous for it’s history, charm and stunning gardens. Beautiful baskets hang from historic lamp posts and seasonal flowers dot the landscape in this turn of the century town. Niagara on the Lake’s floral charm is carried through the Prince of Wales Hotel, where uniquely coloured roses can be seen and smelled at every turn.
The Prince of Wales Hotel is the jewel of the Vintage Hotels group, located in the heart of Niagara on the Lake, just steps from the Shaw Festival Theatre. With a strong British influence carried throughout the property from spa treatments to traditional afternoon tea, the four diamond Prince of Wales Hotel is a regal oasis.
With only four treatment rooms, the Secret Garden Spa is small in size, yet big in comfort. An inviting fireplace, tropical aquarium and intimate conversation areas create a relaxing space to await the start of a treatment. My treatment was early on a rainy Sunday morning, so a warm herbal tea from the offering table and cozy fireplace were welcome.
On this visit to the Secret Garden Spa, I enjoyed the Pineapple-Colada Tea Wrap. Speacialtea Treatments at the Secret Garden Spa incorporate red, green and white teas. Its the perfect blend of traditional tea and indulgent spa treatment. Beginning with an invigorating scrub to slough off dry winter skin, my entire body was wrapped in a delicious smelling cocktail of pineapple and rooibos tea. While I relaxed into the soothing warmth of the wrap, complete with heated blankets, my therapist performed a pressure point scalp massage. This treatment was completed with a hydrating and anti-oxidant coconut massage cr̬me. What a perfect way to start my day! I was left with silky smooth skin. The only thing missing was a mini-facial Рmy face definitely felt a little neglected. The mini facial would have been the perfect compliment to the wrap.
The Head to Toe Tea Taster, combines three of the Secret Garden Spa’s “Specialtea” treatments. These tea-infused treatments include the Silk Road Tea Facial, the Green Tea and Sugar Cane Pedicure and the Pineapple-Colada Tea Wrap. Definitely the thing for this tea-totaler to try on the next visit!
Guests of the Secret Garden Spa may also use the sauna, steam, whirlpool and indoor pool. Lush robes and slippers are provided on arrival for guest use as well. I love the touch of slippers, rather than traditional spa sandals. This little touch definitely makes you feel more at home.
