Do you iron anymore?

A lot of people have figured out that their irons do not spark joy and have tossed them to the curb.

Not only are consumers eschewing owning the former household staple, but there are more and more kids who are growing up having never seen an iron at home.

With today’s fashion trends and the ease of laundry services for some, its slow dive into irrelevance makes sense, though.

A lot of clothing is now made with wrinkle-resistant fabric, so that if you fold or hang it once it comes out of the dryer, you should be footloose and fancy-free, at least in that area.

And if somehow, they still are a little less smooth than you’d like when it comes time to wear them, most dryers these days come with a wrinkle-free setting: After a couple minutes of that, you should be good to go.

Some of use anti-wrinkle sprays, the less clunky steamer, and other convenient options, there is really no good reason for bringing ironing back, unless you really like the screech of an ironing board unfolding

Ageism in Canada

 We have a new Minister of Seniors at the Federal level in Canada, and she has been busy sending out information about programs and services to seniors. It is a good idea to stay informed about programs and the organizations I belong to are sending out a lot of information. The latest is a study on Ageism in Canada so if you are interested here is the information

Greetings,

We are pleased to inform you that the Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Ministers Responsible for Seniors Forum has launched a consultation on ageism. We are looking to better understand and address the negative impacts of ageism towards older adults in Canada.

This public consultation focuses on how older adults experience ageism, and potential solutions to address it. 

How to participate:

We invite you to take part in this consultation by completing the questionnaire and sharing your story on our website by September 30, 2022. 

We are interested in your personal experiences, how you or someone you know has been affected by ageism, if there were any supports or programs that helped in the situation and anything that could have been done to prevent it.

This consultation will be followed by community-led group discussions, roundtables (by invitation only), as well as engagement discussions with members of First Nations, Métis and Inuit groups in the fall of 2022.

Your feedback will be summarized in a What We Heard Report. This will help to inform the development of a Policy Options Report, which will propose approaches, initiatives, and strategies to address ageism in Canada.

Visit our website for more information and share this email within your network. Please like and share on social media to help spread the word about this important consultation.

We are also pleased to let you know that the Forum has recently released two reports on Ageism, which you are invited to read at your convenience:

·  An Examination of the Social and Economic Impacts of Ageism

·  A Case Study on Ageism During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Thank you in advance for your support.

 

Finding dates in person

I found this surprising and you might not have realized it if you’re already partnered, but a large portion of heterosexual couples have found their person on an app, according to a 2019 study from Stanford.

According to sociologist Michael Rosenfeld, 39% of heterosexual couples found their significant other online, growing from 22% in 2009.

Beyond the fact that it’s a multi-billion-dollar industry with an effective marketing reach, the initial stigma of meeting someone online has worn off, and people are trusting the technology behind the sites a lot more, says the study.

Another study, this one conducted by Pew Research Group, broke down the difference between different age groups, with 48% of people aged 18-29 saying that they had used a dating app to find someone, with the percentage decreasing the older the demographic.

The study also noted that LGBTQ+ people had higher instances of using apps than people who identified as straight, who are roughly half as likely to use an app.

Consider dating another area of life that technology is streamlining, but there is still hope for those that want to connect in person. Technology is a good starting point for some and for others, it is easier to connect with someone through personal contact. Whatever works best for the individual because if we are alone, we want to connect with that someone special.

Happy Labour Day

Labour Day has been marked as a statutory public holiday in Canada on the first Monday in September since 1894.

It originated in the first workers’ rallies of the Victorian era. Historically, workers marked the day with various activities. These included parades, speeches, games, amateur competitions and picnics. The holiday promoted working-class solidarity and belonging during a time of rapid industrialization. Since the Second World War, fewer and fewer people have participated in Labour Day activities. Nevertheless, it remains a statutory holiday. Many Canadians now devote the Labour Day holiday to leisure activity and family time. Labour Day is supposed to be a heartfelt celebration of workers and their families.

Today we take paid holidays, safe workplaces, medical care, unemployment insurance, fair hours, union wages and 'the weekend' for granted. But how many of these advances would have happened if it were not for the long-forgotten heroes who fought so hard to make unions, and Labour Day, a reality in the first place?

Labour Day began in Canada on April 15, 1872, a mere five years after Confederation. On that historic day the Toronto Trades Assembly, the original central labour body in Canada, organized the country's first significant 'workers demonstration.'

At the time trade unions were still illegal, and authorities still tried to repress them, even though laws against "criminal conspiracy" to disrupt trade unions had already been abolished in Britain.

Despite the obstacles, the assembly had emerged as an important force in Toronto. It spoke out on behalf of working people, encouraged union organization and acted as a watchdog when workers were exploited. Occasionally, it also mediated disputes between employers and employees.

By the time the landmark parade was organized in 1872, the assembly had a membership of 27 unions, representing woodworkers, builders, carriage makers and metal workers, plus an assortment of other trades ranging from bakers to cigar makers.

One of the prime reasons for organizing the demonstration was to demand the release of 24 leaders of the Toronto Typographical Union (TTU), who had been imprisoned for the "crime" of striking to gain a nine-hour working day.

Held on Thanksgiving Day, which was then observed in the spring, the parade featured throngs of workers and a crowd estimated at 10,000 Torontonians who applauded as the unionists marched proudly through the streets, accompanied by four bands. In speeches that followed, trade union leaders demanded freedom for the TTU prisoners and better conditions for all workers.

It was a defining moment in Canadian labour history, opening the door to the formation of the broader Canadian labour movement over the next decade and sowing the roots of what is now an annual workers' holiday around the world.

The Toronto parade inspired leaders in Ottawa to stage a similar event. A few months later, on September 3, 1872, seven unions in the nation's capital organized a parade more than a mile long, headed by an artillery band and flanked by city firemen.

The Ottawa parade passed the home of Sir John A. MacDonald, the prime minister. He was hoisted into a carriage and taken to City Hall where, by torchlight, he made a ringing promise to sweep away "such barbarous laws" as those invoked to imprison the TTU workers in Toronto.

In 1873 the Toronto Trades Assembly called a national convention and set up the first national central organization, the Canadian Labour Union (CLU), which in 1886 became the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada (TLC), which was one of the forerunners of the present Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), now the major national labour organization in Canada.

Initially, Labour Day was celebrated in the spring but that did not last long. After it was declared a legal holiday by the Parliament of Canada on July 23, 1894, the celebration was moved to the early fall, where it has remained ever since.

Here is a link to a song about the Union Maid by Pete Seeger, to end the post on a high note.