Canadian Living June 2014

IF THERE WERE A SOUNDTRACK to this issue, it would be Pharrell Williams’ “Happy.” Yes, I still love that song, and I hope I never get sick of it! When he sings, “Sunshine, she’s here, you can take a break,” I immediately want to lighten up my wardrobe, my housekeeping and my menu planning. (For the next three months, every dinner is going on the grill!) Summer makes me ridiculously happy, and I’m so thrilled that our hardworking team of editors, art directors and photographers has captured that joyful spirit throughout these pages. To find true happiness, you need to appreciate the small things—a delicious meal, a funny joke, a meaningful conversation, a beautiful garden. And you need to treat your body as if it deserves to be happy, which means…

for Devin Cuddy, being a talented musician was a birthright. As the son of country-rock legend Jim Cuddy, frontman of Blue Rodeo, he has been surrounded by music his whole life. Born at the same time that Blue Rodeo was recording its debut album, Devin spent much of his early years going to his dad’s shows with his younger brother and sister. By age 12, he was taking piano lessons to learn the basics of music. But that doesn’t mean Devin was born with his dad’s love of song. Sure, he and his siblings enjoyed going to shows, but for many years the highlight was hanging out on the tour bus or playing games at the festivals. It was only later that he realized the people he’d been hanging out with…

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR CHILD NOW TO COMPETE FOR THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE. Just 15 years ago, there were no social media managers, app developers or sustainability experts. Today, these professions are part of our lexicon. Imagine what the job market will look like for the next generation. Well, futurists (yes, that’s also a profession) have seriously considered what’s ahead as part of the Canadian Scholarship Trust’s Inspired Minds Careers 2030 campaign, designed to help parents saving for their children’s education think about future occupational opportunities. “When we thought about the careers of 2030, we asked ourselves, ‘What major forces will change how and where we work over the next two decades?’” says Jayar La Fontaine, foresight strategist with Idea Couture, a Toronto-based strategic innovation firm. “Because Canada’s population is aging,…

It was a sunny afternoon in 1983 and I was lost in a sea of ’80s pastels that spilled onto the lawn at the University of Toronto’s King’s College Circle. It was my first Gay Pride Festival. The Parachute Club’s Lorraine Segato (who hadn’t yet come out as lesbian—perhaps another sign of the times) belted out “Rise Up, Rise Up” from the back of a flatbed truck. It was a smallish event (several thousand folks, unlike today’s parade, which attracts upwards of one million people) and very militant (passionate chants of “gay rights now” filled the air). I don’t think we planned on it, but my friend Denny and I wound up marching in the parade that day. Spurred on by the excitement of what was, for me, a gay rite…

CONNECT WITH YOUR INNER COWBOY OR COWGIRL ON THE WIDE OPEN PRAIRIE. WHAT: La Reata Ranch is a 5,000-acre working farm that hugs the shores of Lake Diefenbaker in the heart of the Saskatchewan prairie. WHEN: Guests can saddle up any time from April to September. WHERE: From Saskatoon, drive two and a half hours southwest to Kyle, SK (population: 437), where locals will gladly point you toward the ranch. WHO: Riding herd over the entire operation is George Gaber, who moved from Germany to become a ranch hand 18 years ago. Guests, who include novice and experienced riders, urbanites, families with children and lone cowboys and cowgirls, ride across the wide open prairie, practice steer roping, play horseshoes, swim, boat and listen to country music from the comfort of a hot tub. WHY: Few…

WATERWORKS To catch a whiff of the latest Issey Miyake fragrance is to experience the first tender shoots of spring. The eau is light and aquatic, like a fragrant lotus pond, and coloured by hyacinth and sambac jasmine. The base—white musk and woods—intensifies the delicate notes. Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey Lotus, 90 mL, $116, thebay.com. SICILIAN SUNRISE A piece of art, this bottle’s floral topper is inspired by marzipan cake decorations, while the black handwritten logo is a recreation of designer Domenico Dolce’s father’s signature. Influenced by his native Sicily, the scent mixes white flowers—amaryllis, water lily and daffodil—with musk, cashmeran and sandalwood. Dolce Dolce & Gabbana, 75 mL, $132, thebay.com. COCKTAIL HOUR The newest offering from Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria line takes inspiration from Brazil’s national cocktail, the caipirinha, which consists of cachaça, sugar and lime. The…