Category: Travel

The Canada Ski Teams are ready to take on the world in the 2021/22 season and today Alpine Canada Alpin is pleased to announce the athletes who have met published nomination criteria. As the world prepares for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics and another great World Cup season ahead, this group of proud Canadians are ready to reach for their peak and inspire Canadians to thrive in winter along side them. The teams will spend the spring and summer months training in preparation for next season. The Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team and Canadian Ski Cross Team are based out of the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific in Whistler, BC while the Canadian Alpine Ski Team relies heavily on the Canadian Sport Institute in Calgary with athletes training in their home provinces over the summer. The Canada Ski Teams will be formally introduced in the fall.Athlete nominations are based on meeting published nomination criteria which are available at AlpineCanada.org.Canadian Alpine Ski TeamMen’s Team Lead: Mark Tilston         Women’s Team Lead: Manuel Gamper Ali Nullmeyer (Georgian Peaks Ski Club, Aug. 21, 1998) Amelia Smart (Panorama Ski Club, Aug. 1, 1998) Asher Jordan (Whistler Mountain Ski Club, Nov. 23, 1999)Britt Richardson (Calgary Alpine Racing Club, May 25, 2003) Broderick Thompson (Whistler Mountain Ski Club, April 19, 1994) Brodie Seger (Whistler Mountain Ski Club, Dec. 28, 1995) Cameron Alexander (Whistler Mountain Ski Club, May 31, 1997) Cassidy Gray (Team Panorama Ski Club, Jan. 25, 2001) Erik Read (Banff Alpine Racers, May 31, 1991) Erin Mielzynski (Georgian Peaks Ski Club, May 25, 1990) James Crawford (Whistler Mountain Ski Club/Georgian Peaks Ski Club, May 3, 1997) Jeffrey Read (Banff Alpine Racers, Oct. 1, 1997) Kyle Alexander (Whistler Mountain Ski Club, March 17, 1999) Laurence St-Germain (Club de Ski Mt-Sainte-Anne, May 30, 1994) Liam Wallace (Sunshine Alpine Racers, Sept. 3, 1999) Marie-Michèle Gagnon (Mont Orignal, April 25, 1989) Riley Seger (Whistler Mountain Ski Club, April 21, 1997) Roni Remme (Alpine Ski Club, Feb. 14, 1996) Sam Mulligan (Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club, Feb. 20, 1997)Trevor Philp (Banff Alpine Racers, May 1, 1992)Valerie Grenier (Club de Ski Mont-Tremblant, Oct. 30, 1996) Release courtesy of Alpine Canada.

Source: Canada Ski Team announces 2021-22 team nominations

LONDON — Some of the biggest names in the music industry have called on the U.K. government to change the way musicians get paid when their songs are streamed online over platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.The Rolling Stones and Tom Jones are among 75 artists who have added their names to a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, urging him to change the law regarding the royalties paid from streaming.Other new signatories include Pet Shop Boys, Yoko Ono, Van Morrison, Barry Gibb, Emeli Sandé and Jarvis Cocker. The total number of signatures now stands at 227.

Source: The Rolling Stones, Tom Jones urge UK to change streaming laws

Editor’s Note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure.With all due respect to mountain people, there’s simply nothing in this world like a beautiful beach. Whether your personal beach style is rustic and remote or well-equipped and lively, our curated list offers a peek into some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Source: 25 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World | Travel + Leisure

Major economies are aiming to discourage multinationals from shifting profits – and tax revenues – to low-tax countries regardless of where their sales are made.Increasingly, income from intangible sources such as drug patents, software and royalties on intellectual property has migrated to these jurisdictions, allowing companies to avoid paying higher taxes in their traditional home countries.The G7 accord feeds into a much broader, existing effort. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has been coordinating tax negotiations among 140 countries for years on rules for taxing cross-border digital services and curbing tax-base erosion, including a global corporate minimum tax.The G7 hopes to reach a final agreement at the July gathering of the expanded G20 finance ministers group, it added. If a broad consensus is reached, it will be extremely hard for any low-tax country to try and block an agreement.

Source: G7 nations reach historic deal to tax multinational corporations | Business and Economy News | Al Jazeera

https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/447vSV1jxbZdJFGiNsvh6F

Last Monday, Chicago-based software firm Basecamp issued a statement that said it was making a number of changes, including a ban on political discussions on its company Basecamp account.”Today’s social and political waters are especially choppy. Sensitivities are at 11, and every discussion remotely related to politics, advocacy, or society at large quickly spins away from pleasant,” the company said. “You shouldn’t have to wonder if staying out of it means you’re complicit, or wading into it means you’re a target.”The changes were touted as a “new etiquette regarding societal politics” by company co-founder and CTO David Heinemeier Hansson. They did not prevent employees from having such conversations in a personal capacity.But the internal reception to the more inclusive guidelines was not overly welcome, with reports coming in that a third of the company’s employee base had walked out, accepting severance packages.Heinemeier Hansson had offered the buyout packages as a “no questions asked” option for those not willing to accept the changes.”We offered everyone at Basecamp an option of a severance package worth up to six months salary for those who’ve been with the company over three years, and three months salary for those at the company less than that,” he explained. “No hard feelings, no questions asked. For those who cannot see a future at Basecamp under this new direction, we’ll help them in every which way we can to land somewhere else.”

Source: Reports say one-third of Basecamp employees exit in the wake of new company etiquette | ZDNet

Industry-led and UN-convened Net Zero Banking Alliance also announced today, co-launched by the UNEP Finance Initiative and the Financial Services Taskforce of the Sustainable Markets Initiative• The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), chaired by Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance, brings together over 160 firms (together responsible for assets in excess of $70 trillion1) from the leading net zero initiatives  across the financial system to accelerate the transition to net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest.• All GFANZ member alliances must be accredited by the UN Race to Zero campaign. They must use science-based guidelines to reach net zero emissions, cover all emission scopes, include 2030 interim target setting, and commit to transparent reporting and accounting in line with the UN Race to Zero criteria.• 43 banks from 23 countries (with assets of $28.5 trillion) form the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) today – which joins GFANZ – with its members committing to align operational and attributable emissions from their portfolios with pathways to net-zero by 2050 or sooner.• The Net-Zero Banking Alliance is convened by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative and co-launched by the Prince of Wales’ Sustainable Markets Initiative Financial Services Taskforce (FSTF).21 April 2021 – Today, on the eve of President Biden’s Head of State Climate Summit, Mark Carney (the UK Prime Minister’s Finance Advisor for COP26 and UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance) – in partnership with the UNFCCC Climate Action Champions and the UN Race to Zero campaign, and the COP26 Presidency – join the Honorable John Kerry, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and the Honorable Janet Yellen, US Treasury Secretary to launch a global alliance that brings together existing and new net zero finance initiatives into one sector-wide strategic forum: The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero(GFANZ).GFANZ will work to mobilise the trillions of dollars necessary to build a global zero emissions economy and deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement. GFANZ will provide a forum for strategic coordination among the leadership of finance institutions from across the finance sector to accelerate the transition to a net zero economy. All initiatives in GFANZ require signatories to set science-aligned interim and long-term goals to reach net zero no later than 2050 in line with Race to Zero’s criteria. These goals are supplemented by member-determined short-term targets and action plans.The industry-led Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and co-launched by the Financial Services Taskforce (FSTF) of the Prince of Wales’ Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), is the newest net zero alliance. NZBA brings together an initial cohort of 43 of the world’s leading banks with a focus on delivering the banking sector’s ambition to align its climate commitments with the Paris Agreement goals with collaboration, rigour, and transparency.

Source: New Financial Alliance for Net Zero Emissions Launches | UNFCCC

When it comes to mountainside activities, Colorado has always been spoiled for choice. But in addition to skiing, biking, and hiking the various peaks that dot the state, one iconic way to experience these mountains actually requires little by way of physical exertion: riding the The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway in Manitou Springs.First installed in 1891 by Simmons Beautyrest mattress inventor Zalmon Simmons, who found the experience of getting up the mountain on mule-back entirely uncivilized, this historic attraction that climbs to 14,115 feet (the highest railway in the country) was shuttered in 2017 following an infrastructure evaluation. At first, it wasn’t clear whether its current owners would bring it back to life or permanently close the train. But with its unique legacy—the highest cog railway in the world, and views that inspired the song “America The Beautiful”—the decision to invest in its renovation and modernization was a no-brainer. So in May 2021, after $100 million and three years, The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway is back, and it’s truly better than ever.A hundred million dollars can get you a lot of things—including jokes from the conductor that he’s now the oldest part of the train—because every inch of the experience, including the depot and the upcoming visitor center in the summit, was rebuilt, upgraded, or changed. The main depot retains its original 19th-century mining town aesthetic with a fresh coat of bright blue paint, but a second train platform, an overhead walkway, and remodeled bathrooms and gift shop are now part of the depot, too.

Source: The Pikes Peak Cog Railway Has Officially Reopened | Condé Nast Traveler

Editor’s Note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure.In recent years, more seniors have been considering retirement abroad, and quite a few have actually made the move. In fact, the Social Security Administration lists more than 700,000 Americans receiving their monthly payments in various foreign countries. Retirees cite a number of reasons for spending their leisure years overseas.Cost of living is a factor for many, but not all. A few popular retirement destinations in Europe have living expenses comparable to the U.S., but weather, ambience, culture, and environment are other influential components. With recent access to DNA testing and increased interest in learning about family roots, some retirees are intrigued by experiencing the culture of their ancestors. Others may have enjoyed vacations in Europe and want to spend more time there. And while many retirees head for tropical islands, budget-friendly countries, and nearby destinations, Europe has been attracting its fair share in recent decades.Each country has different rules on visas and residency qualifications, but in general, most require evidence of a minimum income level and private health coverage. Many have restrictions on retirees having jobs or owning property, while others have provisions for both. Americans living abroad must still file a federal tax return, and some countries have treaties that prevent double taxation on retirees’ income. Keep in mind medicare does not pay for health care abroad, and some European countries allow legal residents to participate in national health programs. With so many considerations, it’s advisable to obtain professional advice on taxes as well as research health care, visa and residency requirements, rental costs, infrastructure, and language. The U.S. State Department is an excellent resource for anyone considering retirement abroad. To help, we’ve looked into some of the more popular European retirement destinations, but keep in mind that laws, politics, and financial requirements can change, so lots of research, planning, and extended visits will help with selecting a retirement home.

Source: 9 of the Best Places to Retire in Europe | Travel + Leisure