Okanagan Discovery Guide
  • Blog
  • Reviews
  • Who We Are
  • Get In Touch
  • Blog
  • Reviews
  • Who We Are
  • Get In Touch
THE ULTIMATE OKANAGAN

discovery guide

Health Care in Canada and newly implemented EHT in BC

2/25/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Canada Health Act (CHA) is Canada's federal legislation for publicly-funded health care insurance. The aim of the CHA is to insure that all eligible residents of Canada have access to necessary hospital and physician services, without having to pay for the services.
Insured persons are eligible residents of a province or territory. A resident of a province is defined in the Act as "a person lawfully entitled to  be or remain in Canada who makes his home and is ordinarily present in the province, but does not include a tourist, a transient or a visitor to the province". The CHA definition of insured persons excludes members of the Canadian Forces and persons serving a term of federal imprisonment.  The CHA also excludes  "a resident of a province who has not completed 3 months waiting period, as may be required by the province or territory." The Government of Canada provides coverage to these groups through a separate federal programs.

The administration and delivery of health care services is the responsibility of each province or territory, guided by the provisions of the CHA.
There are four ways to fund health care system that are currently used in Canada:
  1. Premium based (used only in one province- British Columbia). Since January 2019 British Columbia implemented Employer Health Tax to be discussed later in this article. Implication on payroll- cost to employer (EHT+ MSP premium, if premium paid on behalf of employee), taxable benefit to employee if paid by employer. By 2020 British Columbia will completely switch to EHT only (Employer Tax model).
  2. Combination of Employer and Employee Tax (used only in Ontario). Implication on payroll- cost to employee and employer.
  3. Regular Tax Based (used in Alberta, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Yukon). There is no implication on payroll.
  4. Employer Tax or Levy  (used in Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec). Implication on payroll-cost to employer only.

Employer Health Tax BC

Picture
Effective January 1, 2019, the Employer Health Tax (EHT) is in effect in BC. The EHT is a payroll tax, calculated on employment income, including bonuses, commissions, tips paid through employers, employer RRSP contributions and many taxable benefits. Employers whose total annual payroll in BC is less than $500,000 will not pay EHT, and rates for employers with annual payroll greater than $500,000 are dependent on total payroll. For charities and non-profits, EHT does not kick in until total annual BC payroll is $1,500,000.

During transition period of 2019 residents of BC will pay MSP premiums (or employer will pay on their behalf) and employer with annual payroll greater that $500,000 will pay Employer Health Tax. However by 2020 province of BC would completely switch to employer tax model.
​
0 Comments

Vancouver discovery

2/21/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Vancouver is a beautiful city to visit any time of the year. It is always lush green and vibrant!
There are some special facts about Vancouver that I discovered during my last trip: in 2009 Vancouver began working on Greenest City in the world action plan. The mission of this project is to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world by 2020! Currently Vancouver is working on another exciting program: Zero waste by 2040 through reducing, reusing, recycling steps.
This fills me with pride for my province, for my country.  
Picture
My website is about discovering places, getting to see the most attractive places for families on a budget. 
The most significant place representing Vancouver would be a Seawall. What can be better than a long walk along the sea, breathing in a fresh sea air? Vancouver has the world's longest uninterrupted waterfront path. The 28 km Seaside green way is an uninterrupted pathway, including the Stanley Park Seawall, that extends from the Vancouver Convention Center to Spanish Banks Park. Perfect for a walk, cycle, or jog, it is the most popular recreational spot in the city.
The Seawall is divided in to two clearly marked sections - one for walkers and joggers (closest to the water), and one for cyclists and inline skaters (inside path).
Picture
Picture
Second "must visit" place in Vancouver is Stanley Park. Stanley Park is a magnificent green oasis in the midst of the urban landscape of Vancouver.
Stanley Park is the 400-hectare natural West Coast rain-forest. Please visit this park during your visit to Vancouver and enjoy scenic views of water, mountains, sky, and majestic trees along Stanley Park's famous Seawall. Even during the winter months park is alive!
Picture
Picture
Picture
The third "must have experience" would be a place to eat in Vancouver based on your preferences. I couldn't resists a small local ramen restaurant with long line in front of it (line was long during day and night hours). However Vancouver can satisfy cravings for any cuisine of the world, you name it! It literally has everything!
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Last minute shopping Valentines Day

2/11/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Monica Vinader is a British luxury jewelry brand that aims to bridge the gap between fashion and fine accessories with simply beautiful designs using precious and semi-precious gemstones - all hand-set using bespoke cuts.
​

Special promotion from Lenovo: 
Take 50% Off 15" Yoga 720 laptop 80X700CAUS with Intel Core i7, GTX Graphics, 16GB Memory, 256 SSD now just $824.99
Follow the link to receive 50% discount track.flexlinkspro.com/a.ashx?foid=1140646.141048525&foc=1&fot=9999&fos=1  Use code 50OFFYOGA

Picture
0 Comments

Valentine's Day for Him

2/9/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
​PHYLLIS DILLER: "Marry a man your own age; as your beauty fades, so will his eyesight."
It is important to be on the same page about every aspect in life and being the same age is actually makes the process almost seamless. 

What is the perfect scenario for a perfect Valentines Day for him? The best idea is to discuss this question with him and make plans in advance. What if you want to surprise him?
How do you show to your significant other your love and affection? There will be as many answers, as there are people out there. Depends what your boyfriend/husbands prefers. It can be a sophisticated dinner, a relaxing massage, wine/beer making tickets, hockey tickets, useful gadgets. Below are some ideas you may choose to try this Valentines Day.
  • Baking his favorite cinnamon buns. I want to share with you my favorite cinnamon buns recipe, that always makes home smell heavenly. These buns truly bring LOVE!
Picture
INGREDIENTS
For the dough:
  • ¾ cup warm milk (110 degrees F)
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons active yeast (1/4-ounce package yeast)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt;
 For the filling:
  • 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon (I actually double this amount)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

For the cream cheese frosting:
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Add warm milk to the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. You’ll know your yeast has activated if it begins to foam after a few minutes. If it hasn’t, then start over; your milk was either too hot or too cold.
  2. Once yeast begins to foam, add in sugar, egg, egg yolk and butter. Mix until well combined. Next stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon until a dough begins to form.
  3. Place dough hook on mixer and knead dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. Dough should form into a nice ball and be slightly sticky. (If you don’t want to use an electric mixer, you can use your hands to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes on a well-floured surface.)
  4. Transfer dough ball to a well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Allow dough to rise for 1 hour to 1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size.
  5. After dough has doubled in size, transfer dough to a well-floured surface and roll out into a 14x9 inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough, leaving a ¼ inch margin at the far side of the dough.
  6. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands to sprinkle mixture over the buttered dough, then gently rub in into the butter a little. Tightly roll dough up, starting from the 9 inch side and place seam side down making sure to seal the edges of the dough as best you can. Cut into 1 inch sections with a serrated knife or floss. You should get 9 large pieces.
  7. Place cinnamon rolls in a greased 9x9 inch baking pan or round 9 inch cake pan. (I also recommend lining the pan with parchment paper as well, in case any of the filling ends up leaking out.) Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel and let rise again for 30 minutes.
  8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and towel and bake cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. You want to underbake them a little so they stay soft in the middle, that’s why we want them just slightly golden brown. Allow them to cool for a 5 minutes before frosting. Makes 9 cinnamon rolls.
  9. To make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cinnamon rolls and serve immediately.
Picture
  • Gift ideas:
- Genuine leather wallet CA$21.63 with delivery s.click.aliexpress.com/e/cCZAbqyg
- Men watch: waterproof, stainless steel, quartz s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bbK4FVlq
- Genuine leather belt CA$15.06 s.click.aliexpress.com/e/cf9prOp6 or crocodile print CA$19.91
​s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bzuLBbKY
0 Comments

Happy Chinese New Year!

2/4/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
New Lunar Year of a Pig starts February 5, 2019 and therefore tonight is the last night of the year of a Dog.
Thank you, dear Dog for all the lessons. Thank you for your companionship and guidance, it truly was valuable. Thank you, dear friend and see you again in 11 years.
Kisses and hugs!
0 Comments

Valentines Day for Her

2/3/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
“There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved.” – George Sand, Author

Since your grade school days, you’ve likely passed around candy hearts with Valentine’s Day messages, and now that you are older and your Valentine’s card list is smaller, you have more time to fully express yourself.
This day of love is a wonderful opportunity to share Valentine’s Day quotes and messages with all the people you truly care about. Even better, send your Valentine’s Day message with a dozen red roses to show your affection.

Below just a few ideas to show your love, appreciation for girlfriend, wife, sister, mother, grand mother, aunt.

1. Flowers are universal sign of appreciation. The best idea is to order your bouquet from a florist in advance, but if you like spontaneity than Costco, Save on Food florists got you covered.
Local flower company that I can recommend- Carl's Flower Company carlsflowerswestkelowna.com/

Picture
2. Jewelry is a classic gift that will be with your loved one for years to come. The good approach is to notice what metal your lady wears the most and get something matching.
I will be recommending an online store that sells high quality and superior design jewelry.
Monica Vinader is a British luxury jewelry brand that celebrates individuality. Opening up a new category between fashion and fine jewelry, Monica Vinader creates instantly wearable, contemporary pieces to style, stack and personalize with engraving. The shipping is worldwide and usually included in the price of a gift.
www.monicavinader.com/ca/about
Picture
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz, Cartoonist

There are a few gift ideas for yourself, too!
Jeans that instantly transform your lower body (-5 kg brand) from South Korea. I highly recommend these jeans due to their high quality! Free delivery on orders CA$50.
fxo.co/6l8F or these jeans fxo.co/6l8P
Picture
Cute pink T-shirt for Valentines day fxo.co/6l8L
Picture
Chunky heel boots for finish your spring look, they are comfy too: fxo.co/6l8O
Picture
This is the special message for those who is ready to change their life, spice it up, add flavor to existing relationship. This item is so worth getting! It instantly transforms your assets and attracts attention! 
Please, get yourself one of these: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bAITZAPq
Happy Valentines Day!
0 Comments

    Archives

    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

      To receive a notification about new blog postings, please subscribe.

    Subscribe to Newsletter
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.