What If "IT" Happened Today?

4 Tips To Storing Water For Emergencies Emergencies can happen at anytime, anywhere, in Canada and the US. From the 2003 hurricane disaster when Hurricane Juan struck Nova Scotia and in 2005 when the devastating Atlantic Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, to the Slave Lake Alberta fire that occurred in 2011 and the Western United States wildfires of this summer that forced massive evacuations, natural and man-made disasters can cause hardships to North American residents. For these reasons, you need to be prepared with an emergency kit and store water in case you cannot use the water in your..  - Read More

Growing your own vegetables is a fulfilling hobby, and a nice way to save some money too.  Even a couple of small plants can provide a lot of food over the course of a season, and fresh, home-grown food tastes great. You can start a vegetable garden at any time of the year.  The foods you grow will differ depending on the season, but with a little planning it’s possible to enjoy the fruits of your labour year-round. Choosing What to Grow If you’ve never grown your own fruit and vegetables before, then you should start small and simple.  Choose..  - Read More

Yesterday I posted an article on Facebook about Russia banning all imports of genetically modified corn, citing concerns from a recent study by French researchers showing rats grew massive cancer tumors when fed a lifetime of Monsanto's genetically modified corn. You can read the article here.  So, how do you know what produce is grown with genetically modified seeds, what is grown conventionally and what is organic? Listed below are the basics on how to read your food labels in the produce section of your grocer. If there are only four numbers in the PLU, this means that the produce was grown..  - Read More

How many hands would go up if you asked any audience the question: Do you have an emergency kit or would you be self-sustained for at least 72 hours during an emergency? Not many, if the audience members were truthful. At a recent roundtable discussion I posed the following question to a group of officials: “Why are folks indifferent about disaster preparedness?” It was a lively discussion, and I got several answers: “People don’t pay attention until a disaster hits. They don’t think it’s going to happen to them. It’s like telling people to put a smoke detector in their..  - Read More

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous, odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that can cause illness and death if inhaled. Carbon monoxide is harmful when breathed because it replaces the oxygen in the blood and deprives your major organs such as heart and brain of oxygen.  Large amounts of this gas can overcome a person in minutes.  During and after a disaster power outages may occur. Many people use alternative sources of fuel or electricity for heating, cooling or cooking.  This can cause carbon monoxide to build up in your home, garage or other shelter where you are staying. What are the..  - Read More

Everyone has been through a power outage.  Depending on how long the power outage lasts will depend on how you should handle your food in the refrigerator and freezer.  It is imperative that you have some knowledge of food safety after a power outage in order to avoid foodborne illnesses.  Appearances or odor are not reliable methods for testing food safety and tasting the food is a dangerous way to test food. When faced with a power outage, do not open your freezer or refrigerator any more than necessary.  A temperature gage installed in your freezer and refrigerator prior to..  - Read More