BMO Bank of Montreal released 5 year-end tax tips and strategies for Canadian small business owners that can pay dividends come tax time.

“While 2011 may be a year remembered most for its economic challenges, many s mall business owners we talk to are cautiously optimistic and confident about their ability to finish 2011 on solid ground,” said Cathy Pin, Vice President, Commercial Banking, BMO Bank of Montreal. “Before the holiday rush, now is the time to do a quick financial check-up with a small business specialist and your accountant to consider some straightforward tips and strategies to help minimize the amount of 2011 income tax payable,” added Ms. Pin.

For small business owners in Canada (most commonly a sole proprietorship or partnership), there are a number of year-end strategies that can be applied to reduce the amount of income tax payable, including: 

1. Do a ‘Financial Check-Up’: A small business specialist, accountant, and investment advisor can help owners make sure they have a clear understanding of their current financial situation. These professionals can also help develop or adjust existing plans based on new needs or changing circumstances.

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You have enough going on this holiday season to have to put anything else on your plate—so why do you keep putting more stuff on your plate, literally? It’s so easy to get stressed out and overwhelmed this time of year. The holidays are supposed to be all about cheer, and giving, and love.

Let me make this easy on you. You know that you should be eating healthy, and you know that healthy eating will make you feel better. You just don’t know how to do it, especially at this time of year when there aren’t a lot of healthy options to choose from.

Well, here are 10 simple food substitutions that you can make this Holiday season to help you feel better about the food you are eating and the way you are treating your body. After all, why wait until January 1 to start your annual “get healthy” kick?

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On the first day, pay tax-deductible or tax-creditable expenses for 2011. A variety of expenses can only be claimed as deductions in a tax return if the amounts are paid by the end of the calendar year. If some amounts would otherwise be paid early in 2012, consider paying them by the end of this year, to get the benefit of the tax deduction or credit in 2011 returns. Children’s arts programs are a newly eligible expenditure for 2011.

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You have just a few more weeks to enjoy your Honeysuckle. Tangerine is moving in. Pantone has declared that the colour of the year 2012 is Tangerine Tango. PANTONE® 17-1463 Tangerine Tango, to be specific, a “vivacious” and “enticing” reddish orange that’s “reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset.” Last year’s PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle is so 2011.

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

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Early in November, 21-year-old Terry McCall was driving his truck Northbound on Route 28 in Cheswick, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh. Without warning, McCall lost control of his vehicle, striking a guiderail and flipping for a distance of some 150 feet.

Authorities quickly responded to the scene as the pickup burst into flames. Amazingly, McCall and another occupant of the vehicle were pulled free and taken to the hospital without major injuries. 

Considering the extremely dangerous nature of vehicle rollovers, it is nothing short of a miracle that all parties in that Pennsylvania crash escaped with their lives. Structural improvements to modern vehicles, like increased roof strength, have helped make some automobiles safer in rollover crashes. Even so, the type of accident recently seen on Route 28 is still disproportionally responsible for severe injuries and deaths.

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Consider these gorgeous brass hoop earrings, made with recycled glass and sustainably sourced brass, ethically produced in Africa based on traditional designs.

Gorgeous earrings from Made designed by Sarah Andreasen cost about $30.

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Experts recommend you observe how your potential pet sitter interacts with your pet before you commit to leaving it.

While most pet care providers are trustworthy and provide great services, there are also those that pet owners should avoid. Petsitting.com offers the following tips when searching for pet boarders, doggy daycare, pet sitting services and more:

1. Make sure the provider’s paperwork is in order. The first thing pet owners must do when evaluating potential companies is verify proper licensing, insurance and bonding. This will help ensure that you are dealing with an established company with a sound reputation. Read more

Tridel’s 10 York Street condo is inspired by the Northern Lights, says architect Rudy Wallman

Tridel plans to build one of Toronto’s tallest buildings, a 75-story condo tower at 10 York Street. downtown. The building will be the first development undertaken in partnership with the city of Toronto’s Build Toronto program. Build Toronto is an independent and self-funding real estate and development corporation created by David Miller to maximize the value of city-owned real estate.

Tridel president Leo DelZotto called the site a “truly exceptional” parcel of land, promised that his company will create a “spectacular” condominium on it.

The 75-storey condominium, designed by Rudy Wallman, of Wallman Architects, will offer a sleek, contemporary and elegant tower, while fulfilling Tridel’s commitment to developing environmentally sustainable, high performance buildings. 

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A typical Thanksgiving feast like this could pack more calories (4,500) than 8 Big Macs.

If you are celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, chances are it will be fatty gravy, buttery potatoes, marshmallow yams, and then pie, pie, pie. That adds up to about 4,500 calories for the average Thanksgiving dinner, according to the non-profit Calorie Control Council. Eating eight Big Macs® would give you fewer calories.

GlobalFit’s 10,000-step challenge makes a good start. To completely burn off the year’s biggest meal, though, you would need to take more than 90,000 steps. Consider the calories—and the steps required to burn them off—in these traditional favorites:

• Roasted turkey (6 oz, dark and white, untrimmed): 450 calories = 9,000 steps
• Homemade stuffing (1 cup): 400 calories = 8,000 steps
• Cranberry sauce (1/2 cup): 200 calories = 4,000 steps
• Mashed potatoes (1 cup): 350 calories = 7,000 steps
• Giblet gravy (1/2 cup): 150 calories = 3,000 steps
• Pecan pie slice: 650 calories = 13,000 steps

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