#activeto

[portraitmypet]

Getting Your Dog or Cat Ready For Their Portrait

Train Your Pet

If you're going to have your dog or cat professionally photographed, it's important that they feel comfortable and happy in front of the camera. The two most important things to do are:

Train Your Pet

Ask a Professional Pet Trainer for Advice

Tip 1: Get your pet active

To get your pet ready for their portrait, you should get them active. Exercise will help them be more relaxed and comfortable when being photographed.

Dogs: Dogs can be walked, played with in the backyard or taken to a dog park. Cats: Cats can be played with using toys such as feather wands or laser pointers.

Tip 2: Speak with a professional trainer

You may find that a professional trainer is the best place to start. Many dog and cat trainers also specialize in helping animals overcome their fear of the camera, so they are familiar with what it takes to get your pet comfortable enough with the process. You should ask them if they have experience working with dogs and cats specifically, as well as any breed-specific issues you should be aware of (for example, many dogs with short snouts are not comfortable wearing head halters). Additionally, these professionals will be able to provide advice on how best to prepare your pet for their portrait session. Be sure to also ask for references from satisfied customers!

Tip 3: Get comfortable with the camera

It’s important for your pet to be comfortable around the camera before the portrait session. It's a lot easier for them to get used to it if they're familiar with the camera before you bring it out on your photo shoot day.

A good way to get your pet used to the camera is by having them sit in front of it and look at it while you take some photos, then reward them afterward with a treat or something else they like. This will help train them not only that sitting still is fun, but also that looking at the camera won't hurt their eyes!

Cuteness Overload Tips

Cuteness overload is a real thing and can be detrimental to your pet's health, so make sure you're prepared for the moment by keeping treats close by.

Have fun with posing your pet in cute positions. You could ask them to look into the camera, but I prefer letting them express their personality in whatever way they choose.

If you're taking a photo of more than one dog or cat, make sure each animal is getting equal time in front of the camera!

Practice Makes Perfect!

Practice makes perfect! It's a cliché, but it's true. If you want your pet to look at home in front of the camera, you'll need to practice with them before the shoot. Practice is especially important if your pet has never been in front of a camera before.

Here are some tips for getting your dog or cat ready for their portrait:

Practice With Your Pet Before The Photo Shoot

Practice taking photos of your pets when they're relaxed and comfortable around you. Familiarize yourself with how well they hold a pose so that when it comes time for their portrait shoot, they'll be more likely to hold still throughout the session instead of being distracted by something outside or behind the camera lens.

Practice With A Friend Or Family Member

Next time someone visits who has an animal (or even better—a new baby), ask them if they'd mind posing with their pet while you snap away! This gives you lots of opportunities to work on various scenarios—from outdoorsy shots with grass and trees as backdrops, to more intimate portraits featuring only one subject peeking out from behind another person's shoulder as he looks off into space dreamily...you get the picture.* * * * *

Stay calm, train your pet and practice to get the best portrait.

Practice with a camera around your pet

The first step to getting the best portrait of your dog or cat is to get them comfortable with being in front of the camera. The more relaxed your pet, the better the shot will turn out! This can be done by using practice techniques that you can use at home. When taking photos of your pets, you should take many pictures so that you have some great ones to choose from when making a final selection. It’s important to find something special about each image and remember that all dogs are different, so there isn’t one ‘right way’ to photograph every dog out there!

[isfeed]

ActiveTO pilot has increased vehicle travel times on Yonge Street: city data

ActiveTO pilot has increased vehicle travel times on Yonge Street: city data

If you are driving north on Yonge Street, you may have noticed that travelling between Bloor Street and Davisville Avenue is now taking longer. That stretch of road is currently part of the city’s ActiveTO Midtown Complete Street Pilot, and new data released on Friday show how vehicle travel times have slowed since the program began. Source: CP24 ActiveTO pilot has increased vehicle travel times…

[aseparts-kristian]

Hi #bikefans pls try our #PedalExtenders w/wrench to install+4pcs washers to adjust #cycling #cyclingsport  #ebikes #Bicycles #USACycling #bikeservice #exercisebikes #cyclingbenefits #bikenyc #bikeisbest #bikedeals #BYCS #lovecycling #bikelife #ridelife https://www.ebay.com/itm/181927730252

[urbandrifter]

[theredsonia]

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A post shared by Sonia Serba (@theredsonia)

Rollerskating an obstacle course full of people kicking a soccer ball and throwing a frisbee around inside a rink beside a green park. When the dog people brought their off-leash dogs inside the rink, which is right beside an off leash dog park, I decided I’d had enough stress for one sesh and decided to pack it in. Hopefully I can find somewhere around here close by to practice weekly this summer. I’m getting almost decent at it. #quadskates #chickswhoskate #rollerskate #rollergirl #toronto #activeto (at Trinity Bellwoods Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPH8nmYlMhJ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[nunoxaviermoreira]

How temporary is it really? Taken Sept. 16 2020 by A Great Capture https://flic.kr/p/2kXiCQC

[lawrencekerrphotography]

Throwback to Sunday when @alstlouispoet, I and hundreds of people took advantage of the #ActiveTO program that shut down some city streets. "The Roar on the Lakeshore". Perfect weather and open roads. Having Mr @MarinBikes @alstlouispoet pushing me I recorded several new personal bests too. Passed the 25km in an hour mark and working on 30k in an hour now. Have any suggestions on where to ride next? No trails, strictly roads for this rider. Have a picture-perfect day Beautiful People. Remember, document your journey, share it and connect.  (at Streets of Toronto) https://www.instagram.com/p/CC_PCznl3h1/?igshid=ijwd9kbmte79

[ai-epneedlecraft]

Tomorrow will be the first day for Ontario to start re-opening the economy. We’ve done so much #stayhome #quarantinelife to #savelives. My baby boy was forced to wear a mask by his older sister lol but it would be good habit to keep while we practice social distancing through this reopening. It may be hard for your little one to wear a mask. If so, wear a matching face mask to motivate them like myself and my daughter ;) Please see my #monanddaughter #matchingmask from the link.

[victoriastelmacovich]

Are Canadian Streets Ready for a Bike Boom?

The pandemic has sparked a resurgence in biking across Canada. An increase in sales combined with delayed shipments have virtually emptied bike stocks across the country. Are Canadian streets ready for more cyclists?

Natalie Thompson, a Sales Merchandiser for Cyclepath Oakville, states this year’s sales have tripled. Cyclepath is selling out of every type of bike they offer, from high performance to commuter style bicycles. “[Hopefully] people will view commuting differently,” Thompson said regarding long-term changes following the surge in biking, “even if that means biking to work once a week.”

A bright future may be on the horizon. Cycling is not only a healthy form of recreation, but also an environmentally and economically sustainable mode of transportation. It is unclear, however, whether Canadian streets will be able to maintain these trends in a post-pandemic world.

Bikes have gained special traction as a mode of transportation for social distancing. People have been avoiding public areas, including public transportation, in order to prevent spreading the virus. According to data collected by Transit, a 63% reduction in public transit usage persists across Canada.

Efforts to ride beyond the pandemic

Major cities across the country are implementing plans to support the rise in cyclists. The city of Toronto recently launched ActiveTO, a program specifically designed to improve the convenience and safety of active transportation while maintaining social distance.

ActiveTO is pursuing three initiatives. The first is to create “quiet streets,” by reducing non-local traffic and providing more space for pedestrians and cyclists. The second is to close major roads near trails and recreation areas to allow more space for crowds. Finally, the program will expand cycling networks to help people move around the city. Toronto’s Cycling Network Plan will provide more active transportation lanes and bikeways that mirror TTC routes — the largest expansion in Toronto’s history.

In response to ActiveTO, Mayor John Tory states:

Our streets are going to look different in many places in the post-COVID world. We will need more road space for walking. We will need quiet streets. We will need more bike infrastructure. We are going about this in a responsible, common sense way with Toronto Public Health, Transportation Services and local councillors all involved in making common sense, health-focused decisions which broaden out our transportation network.

Preexisting programs are also pushing to increase cycling. The Centre for Active Transportation is a nation-wide project that considers active transportation a vital component for an environmentally and economically sustainable future. The project currently runs six programs that target distinct barriers to cycling, as well as educating and promoting services around cycling and active transportation.

Factors slowing the roll for cyclists

Despite efforts to support cyclists across Canada, it may not be enough to encourage permanent lifestyle changes. Safety on already crowded streets is a primary concern. According to statistics presented by CAA, 7,500 people are seriously injured in biking accidents each year.

Cycling fatalities are also a serious issue. According to a Canadian Vital Statistics report, 890 cyclists died in Canada between 2006 and 2017 — an average of 74 deaths per year. Collisions with motor vehicles made up a staggering 73% of these deaths. Installing proper biking infrastructure could prevent these injuries and fatalities.

The installation of cycling infrastructure, however, is expensive. In Toronto, quiet street routes cost between $14,000–75,000 per kilometre. Busier streets cost between $40,000–50,000 per kilometre. And retrofit bike lanes cost around $180,000 per kilometre, whereas a separate curb biking track — the safest option available — costs as much as $1,000,000 per kilometre.

Even after investing in biking infrastructure, Canadian cyclists often face challenging topographies and poor winter road conditions. A report that outlines proven methods for increasing cycling in Canada claims infrastructure that assists cyclists across difficult geographies, as well as regular winter maintenance on bike lanes are needed to increase and sustain year-round cycling. These are ongoing problems, however, that typically require continuous funding and management to resolve.

Finding solutions that gear towards a cycling centric future could garner a number of health and environmental benefits. Advocates are moving quickly to seize the current opportunities. Whether Canadians will be encouraged to continue cycling in the years to come remains open.

Lessons from the past

The last bike boom was 50 years ago. During the 1960s and 1970s, people became more conscientious of personal health and environmental issues. These decades also saw major innovations in biking, including the advent of mountain bikes and lightweight racers. The social movements towards a healthier lifestyle along with improvements in bike technology resulted in a market flood that forced major backorders on bicycles across the country.

After only a few short years, the biking trends faded. A number of factors contributed to the decline. The main downfall was the failure to convince cyclists that biking is a viable long-term option. This failure was partially due to a lack of infrastructure and advocacy. In the end, the authority of automobiles was stronger than the motivation to bike.

Today, proponents are hopeful that the popularity in biking persists. Industry professionals, including Thompson, recognize the changes that cities are making to promote cycling. If Canada can harness the momentum, cyclists may continue to ride far beyond the pandemic.

Questions to Readers

Did you start cycling during the pandemic?

What is your experience as a cyclist in Canada?

Do you think Canada is effectively supporting cycling? Is there anything that could be done differently?

[ahmedmayoof]

This city is still has my heart❤️🚴🏻‍♂️ #toronto #activeto #biketo (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAkY55iB828/?igshid=q588dpps0xyf

[carhatred]

The problem with Toronto’s ActiveTO program is its popularity. And the problem with the most prominent part of ActiveTO – the reason Toronto City Council is under pressure to kill it – is that it’s been the most popular and successful part of the program.

In the summer of 2020, Toronto on some weekends banished cars from short stretches of a few streets.

The biggest and longest of these routes involved the eastbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard West. Six kilometres of pavement, running from the massed condo towers of Humber Bay Shores to the massed condo towers of Liberty Village, Fort York and Harbourfront, were turned over to bikes and walkers. The result? The city found that “more people use Lake Shore Boulevard West to bike, go for a walk or run when the ActiveTO closures are in place when compared to motor vehicle volumes when closures are not in place.”

On May 16, 2021, for example, the city counted 34,000 cyclists and 5,000 pedestrians in the car-free eastbound lanes. In the business-as-usual westbound lanes, 8,500 cars drove by. (Toronto has not put more recent data online.)

Clearly something has to be done about this; if it keeps going and growing, people might start getting ideas. It might become contagious. It might become – oh dread – permanent.

(...) The CEO of the Blue Jays, Marc Shapiro, last week joined the “dangerous precedent” camp. He sent the city a letter, saying that the program “drastically impacts fans’ ability to access the ballpark on summer weekends,” because for many patrons, “taking public transit is not an option,” and that “out-of-town fans are often not aware of ActiveTO and do not know to allocate extra travel time.” (...) Fun fact: The Blue Jays average home attendance this year is 29,494, up 36 per cent since 2019, the year before ActiveTO. That’s fewer than the 39,000 people who walked and biked on Lake Shore West on the busiest day of May, 2021.

[isfeed]

Integrity investigation into Mayor John Tory's alleged conflict of interest in ActiveTO resumes

Integrity investigation into Mayor John Tory's alleged conflict of interest in ActiveTO resumes

The city’s integrity commissioner has resumed its investigation into Mayor John Tory’s relationship with Rogers, after previously ending the inquiry in August. Source: CP24 Integrity investigation into Mayor John Tory's alleged conflict of interest in ActiveTO resumes

[skateofministry]

Toronto to unlock tennis courts, open up golf courses for the long weekend

Toronto city personnel will get rid of padlocks on tennis courts, open golf courses and take closure indications off entertainment facilities in time for the vacation.

Mayor John Tory in a declaration Thursday thanked Premier Doug Ford for lifting, efficient Saturday, the questionable outside feature closure as part of a brand-new structure to gradually reduce COVID-19 limitations.

Tory, other mayors, public health specialists and Ford’s own clinical consultants have long prompted the premier to reassess the restriction revealed April 16 on outside activities consisting of tennis, golf, skateboard parks and yard bowling.

“City staff are working now to open those amenities for this weekend,” Tory stated, calling the June 2 end of a provincial stay-at-home order, and prepares to end other limitations when particular vaccination targets are satisfied, a testimony to Torontonians.

“The fight against COVID-19 continues along with our immunization efforts, but today we have the kind of clear road map forward we were seeking, so we could get on with safely and cautiously reopening,” Tory stated.

A city press release states: “Work is underway to remove locks and signs from gated and locked amenities such as tennis courts ahead of Saturday.

“Other amenities such as sports fields, sports courts and fitness stations will be reopened through the removal of signs.”

Starting Saturday, the facilities will resume with the requirement for individuals not in the exact same family to stay a minimum of 2 metres apart.

“These amenities include, but are not limited to, golf courses and driving ranges, soccer and other sports fields, tennis and basketball courts and skate parks,” the city states. “Golf courses will be open for use effective Saturday, May 22.”

Also opening: disc golf courses, sports fields consisting of baseball diamonds, BMX and skate parks, picnic tables and shelters, dry pads at outside synthetic rinks.

Under provincial guidelines, no group sports will be allowed. Outdoor events will be enabled with approximately 5 individuals per group. Despite heat projection for the weekend, swimming pools and splash pads will stay closed.

Dr. Naheed Dosani, a Toronto health activist and palliative care doctor, stated “The news that people can gather outside for these sports and in up to groups of five is great news for people who are in need of a way to support their physical health and mental health as it has been a hard, long pandemic.”

But other parts of the resuming strategy appear “arbitrary,” he included.

“The biggest mistake we can make now is not follow the science and end up in a place where people are getting sick because we were too loose with our criteria and opened too much, too early,” Dosani stated.

In a declaration Toronto Public Health invited Ford’s resuming strategy.

“It is important that a reopening strategy applied to our local situation is based on current scientific evidence of increased vaccination rates and a significant decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations,” a TPH declaration stated.

“We look forward to working with our provincial partners to review the plans in greater detail in the coming weeks to determine our local reopening approach.”

Ford appears to have actually hearkened calls from Tory and other GTA-Hamilton location to make any relaxation of the guidelines regionwide, to prevent the previous complicated patchwork of limitations that saw individuals surround hopping to go shopping and eat in restaurants.

Torontonians excited for outdoors workout this weekend will get, in addition to recently opened entertainment centers, some roadways near automobile traffic under the city’s ActiveTO program that provides pedestrians and bicyclists area to securely stroll.

Closed from 6 a.m. Saturday till 9 p.m. Sunday are:

Eastbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard East in between Leslie Street and Woodbine Avenue.

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Eastbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard West in between Windermere Avenue and Stadium Road.

Asked why the lanes aren’t vehicle-free on the vacation Monday, city representative Eric Holmes mentioned “input from the local communities and residents who have indicated that keeping the closures to two days is preferred due to local neighbourhood congestion that can be experienced by the closures, as well as other community impacts.”

High Park will be closed to lorries from Friday at about 11 p.m. till Tuesday at about 7 a.m.

David Rider is the Star’s City Hall bureau chief and a press reporter covering municipal government and local politics. Follow him on Twitter: @dmrider

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from Skate World. Skateboard News, skateboard shop https://ift.tt/3oQ2PoB

[luckygentlemenstarlight]

إغلاق الطريق السريع  Don Valley Parkway طوال عطلة نهاية الأسبوع بسبب صيانته السنوية.سيتم إغلاق DVP في الساعة 11 مساءً يوم الجمعة من Gardiner Expressway إلى الطريق السريع 401. ومن المقرر إعادة فتحه بحلول الساعة 5 صباحًا يوم الاثنين.يؤثر الإغلاق أيضًا على بعض عمليات إغلاق طرق ActiveTO الرئيسية ، بما في ذلك الإغلاق الأسبوعي على طول Lakeshore Boulevard East و Bayview Avenue.وتذكّر المدينة السائقين أيضًا باستئناف إنفاذ إجراءات تصاريح وقوف السيارات في الشارع يوم الجمعة بعد أن تم تعليقها منذ بداية الوباء.الساحة / المصدر CityNews

[thecanadiandotnews]

Long weekend road closures for ActiveTO - The Canadian News

[lawrencekerrphotography]

Today is the last day for the ActiveTo program that provided more space for people to be active while physically distancing in the wake of COVID-19. My riding partner @alstlouispoet, I and hundreds, likely thousands, of people, took to the streets this morning to enjoy it. I have to say it was a great part of my summer riding. I hope the program returns next year. Now that @alstlouispoet has been baptized with some road rash he is officially a cyclist.Let's see how late into Fall we can tough it out. How about you, did you enjoy the roads this Summer? Where was your favourite place to ride? PS - If you are in the market for a bike NOW is a good time to look for deals online. Have a picture-perfect day Beautiful People. Remember, document your journey, share it and connect.  (at Streets of Toronto) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFpglSdli0Z/?igshid=1qdovmbwgbqo0