Dash cams for cold weathers and snowy winters


When it comes to cold climates, the most vulnerable element of the dash cam is the battery. Batteries don't get along with extreme temperatures, neither extremely low nor extremely high. A solution to this problem is to use a capacitor (instead of a battery), which is immune to the cold or heat.

Another aspect to consider is that during the winters, the days become shorter and shorter while the nights are correspondingly longer.  Furthermore, visibility conditions are often poor during the winter even during the day. A dash cam with night vision support is the way to go to work-around these issues.

I live in Toronto, Canada and I ended up buying  a DDPai mini2 dashcam. It is equipped with a built-in supercapacitor and it features night vision as well. In addition, I bought a separate 128 GB MicroSD card with Class 10 rating that is not included with the camera and it is required to store the footage.

I am happy so far with the camera and I definitely recommend it. 

If you have a dash cam and live in a cold place as well, do you mind telling us about it? What kind of camera did you get? Is it working properly? Any other tips that we should consider when buying a dash cam for a cold climate? I would definitely appreciate if you leave us a comment below and give this article thumbs-up by clicking the Google Plus (G+) button at the beginning of this post.

Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Windsor (Ambassador Bridge) Review

Our party of 7 stayed at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Windsor (Ambassador Bridge) for one night (Saturday, May 7th, 2016). We just needed a place to spend the night after visiting Point Pelee National Park early that day. Check out our adventure in Point Pelee by clicking the link above.

We were 3 couples: 6 adults and one kid; so, we occupied 3 rooms.

We all agreed that the place was fairly decent. It was clean, quiet and the service was great.

We checked-in late in the afternoon and went directly to the swimming pool after dropping our belongings in the rooms.  (Ah, we got a WIFI pass-code when doing the checking: the connection speed was good enough)
Room at Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Windsor (Ambassador Bridge)

Our room at Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites before we mess it up
The pool was clean and nobody else was there. It belonged to us for the next hour and a half. Clean towels are provided in the pool.
Swimming pool at Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Windsor (Ambassador Bridge)
Swimming pool at Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Windsor (Ambassador Bridge)
There is a hot-tub in the pool area; which we enjoyed of course.

From there we went to the rooms to have a shower. The rooms looked kinda old, but they were clean and well organized. 

I have two complains only:
  • The hair dryer in my room was out-of-order. The hair dryers in the rooms of my other trip comrades were ok (I asked them). I could have called reception to get it replaced, but my wife insisted to keep her hair a little moist.
  • The air conditioning was working properly, but at some point during the night it started to make very annoying noises. I think the pipes got frozen somehow and because of that the device started to malfunction. I had to turn it off and use it in fan-mode for the rest of the night.
We had dinner and some drinks at Grill 55. This restaurant/bar is next to the lobby of the hotel. The food here was great. Pretty much everyone in hour group ordered something different and everybody liked it. I must say we were very hungry, but still, the quality of the food and the service was excellent.

Parking is conveniently located directly in front of the main entrance of the hotel. You can see a Tim Hortons directly from the parking lot; where we had breakfast in the morning.

As I said, we just stayed one night: we checked in late in the afternoon and left early the next morning. We had no chance to check the other amenities of the motel.

Overall our stay was positive and I would not mind to stay at this place once more.

We picked this hotel because we wanted to do some sightseeing around Windsor and the location was fairly close to the Windsor waterfront. We liked Windsor, and we will share our experiences in another post.

If this information was useful; share it with the Google Plus (G+) button at the beginning of this post. Thanks.

A weekend away from Toronto - Point Pelee

Point Pelee is the southernmost point of mainland Canada. It is a peninsula filled with trees and lots of wild life.

It is very famous for the diversity of migratory birds that show up in the park in spring (April 29th, 2016 -> May 18th, 2016). This is known as the Festival of Birds and it was our main motivation in visiting this place.
Birds - Point Pelee
Birds - Point Pelee
Birds also make their stop at Point Pelee in autumn. They take a break there before continuing the migration south in search of a warmer climate. I haven’t visited Point Pelee in autumn, but I am tempted. The Carolinian Forest dressed up in the fall colors must be gorgeous. I will probably visit it this year again and if so, I’ll share my experiences in this blog.

Point Pelee is a 4 hours’ drive from Toronto, but believe me, it is totally worthy. So, my wife and I (plus a bunch of other friends) left Toronto around 7am in the morning on Saturday May 7th, 2016. We took the 401 West stopping just once in one of the various OnRoute along the highway. 

In the highway we drove by the Batman in the Batmobile :-) See the video below. This was an unexpected plus to our road trip :-)


We also encountered one of the biggest wind farms in Canada between Tilbury and Ridgetown. It is called South Kent Wind Farm and belongs to the municipality of Chatham-Kent. The wind turbines seem to have no end as you drive along the 401. Unfortunately, we did not take pics of those :-(

We arrived at the park around 11:15am.

One quick note here: once inside the park we could not find places to have lunch. They have some stores in which you can get snacks, but nothing heavy. You can only get potato chips, ice cream, pops and things like that. Nonetheless, just one block before the entrance of the park, there is a place where you can have burgers, wraps, hot dogs, fish and chips, soft drinks. It is not a fancy place, but it gets the job done.

We paid the fee at the entrance, $19 bucks per family (up to 7 people in the same car). You can also pay individually. The pass to the park is valid for the whole day, so keep the receipt in case you want to have lunch outside of the park. With the receipt at hand, you will be able to get back into the park.

After paying the fee, we just drove into the park…

You are able to hear the singing of the birds all around. Now, if you really want to see them up-close, you should get yourself a pair of binoculars. I was the only one in our group of 7 carrying binoculars. Because of that I was the only one able to see a pair of deer in the distance and I was able to see the birds hidden in the far away foliage. I recommend 8x40 long range pursuit binoculars.

But hey, if you don’t have binoculars, that’s fine. All of us were able to see the birds, turtles (lots of them), and fishes (less than a meter away from where we were standing).
Bird in the Marsh - Point Pelee
Bird in the Marsh - Point Pelee
Frog - Point Pelee
Frog - Point Pelee
Turtles - Point Pelee
Turtles - Point Pelee
We were also able to see wild turkeys (twice), which are not migratory birds. They were really sneaky, camouflaging very well in the bushes. They are kinda big and thanks to that we were able to spot them.

There are several things you can do at Point Pelee: hiking, bicycling, bird watching, canoeing/kayaking, geocaching, swimming (at designated beaches), picnicking (picnic tables and grills onsite). For more details click here.

There are two places that you mustn’t miss: the Marsh Boardwalk and Point Pelee's Tip. 

Marsh Boardwalk

It provides a 1km long boardwalk over the marsh. It also has an observation tower and telescopes. From there you can get a sense of what Point Pelee really is.
Marsh Boardwalk - Observation tower - Point Pelee
Marsh Boardwalk - Observation tower - Point Pelee

Marsh Boardwalk - Geese - Point Pelee
Marsh Boardwalk - Geese - Point Pelee

Point Pelee's Tip 

This is the most southern point of mainland Canada and it was the place in which we all got wet with an unexpected shower/rain :-)
Point Pelee's Tip
Point Pelee's Tip
We left Point Pelee around 6pm with a lovely feeling in our hearts. We enjoyed nature at its best and we were satisfied. This is a place really worth seeing.

We did not come back to Toronto that day. Instead we drove to Windsor and stayed at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Windsor (Ambassador Bridge) (the previous link will take you to my review of the hotel).

It took us an hour to get to Windsor. We stayed overnight and the next day we toured a little bit around Windsor. I’ll write soon about our exploration of this town...
If you liked this post (trip) as much as we did; then share it with the Google Plus (G+) button at the beginning of the article. Thanks!

Canadian Citizenship Exam - Yukon Territory - Questions and Answers

The questions and answers below are specific to Yukon Territory. For more generic ones Canada-wise visit the flowing article: Canadian Citizenship Exam - Questions and Answers.

If this was helpful, share it with the Google Plus (G+) button above. Thanks.

What is the name of the Premier of Yukon Territory?
Premier Darrell Pasloski.
Which political party is in power in Yukon Territory?
Yukon Party.
What is the name of the Commissioner of Yukon Territory?
Honourable Doug Phillips.
What is the capital city of Yukon Territory?
Whitehorse.

Canadian Citizenship Exam - Territory of Nunavut - Questions and Answers

The questions and answers below are specific to the Territory of Nunavut. For more generic ones Canada-wise visit the flowing article: Canadian Citizenship Exam - Questions and Answers.

If this was helpful, share it with the Google Plus (G+) button above. Thanks.

What is the name of the Premier of Nunavut?
Premier Peter Taptuna.
Which political party is in power in Nunavut?
Governed by consensus.
What is the name of the Commissioner of Nunavut?
Honourable Edna Ekhivalak Elias.
What is the capital city of Nunavut?
Iqaluit.

Canadian Citizenship Exam - Northwest Territories - Questions and Answers

The questions and answers below are specific to the Northwest Territories. For more generic ones Canada-wise visit the flowing article: Canadian Citizenship Exam - Questions and Answers.

If this was helpful, share it with the Google Plus (G+) button above. Thanks.

What is the name of the Premier of the Northwest Territories?
Premier Bob McLeod.
Which political party is in power in the Northwest Territories?
Governed by consensus.
What is the name of the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories?
Honourable George L. Tuccaro.
What is the capital city of the Northwest Territories?
Yellowknife.

Canadian Citizenship Exam - Province of Saskatchewan - Questions and Answers

The questions and answers below are specific to the Province of Saskatchewan. For more generic ones Canada-wise visit the flowing article: Canadian Citizenship Exam - Questions and Answers.

If this was helpful, share it with the Google Plus (G+) button above. Thanks.

What is the name of the Premier of Saskatchewan?
Premier Brad Wall.
Which political party is in power in Saskatchewan?
Saskatchewan Party.
What is the name of the Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan?
Honourable Vaughn Solomon Schofield.
What is the capital city of Saskatchewan?
Regina.
Which three natural resources are important to Saskatchewan's economy today?
Farming, mining and natural gas.

Canadian Citizenship Exam - Province of Quebec - Questions and Answers

The questions and answers below are specific to the Province of Quebec. For more generic ones Canada-wise visit the flowing article: Canadian Citizenship Exam - Questions and Answers.

If this was helpful, share it with the Google Plus (G+) button above. Thanks.

What is the name of the Premier of Quebec?
Premier Philippe Couillard.
Which political party is in power in Quebec?
Liberal.
What is the name of the Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec?
Honourable J. Michel Doyon.
What is the capital city of Quebec?
Quebec City.
Which three natural resources are important to Quebec's economy today?
Pulp and paper, forestry and hydro-electric power.

Canadian Citizenship Exam - Province of Prince Edward Island - Questions and Answers

The questions and answers below are specific to the Province of Prince Edward Island. For more generic ones Canada-wise visit the flowing article: Canadian Citizenship Exam - Questions and Answers.

If this was helpful, share it with the Google Plus (G+) button above. Thanks.

What is the name of the Premier of Prince Edward Island?
Premier Wade MacLauchlan.
Which political party is in power in Prince Edward Island?
Liberals.
What is the name of the Lieutenant-Governor of Prince Edward Island?
Honourable H. Frank Lewis.
What is the capital city of Prince Edward Island?
Charlottetown.
Which three natural resources are important to Prince Edward Island's economy today?
Agriculture, tourism and fisheries.

Canadian Citizenship Exam - Province of Nova Scotia - Questions and Answers

The questions and answers below are specific to the Province of Nova Scotia. For more generic ones Canada-wise visit the flowing article: Canadian Citizenship Exam - Questions and Answers.

If this was helpful, share it with the Google Plus (G+) button above. Thanks.

What is the name of the Premier of Nova Scotia?
Premier Stephen McNeil.
Which political party is in power in Nova Scotia?
Liberal.
What is the name of the Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia?
Honourable John James Grant.
What is the capital city of Nova Scotia?
Halifax.
Which three natural resources are important to Nova Scotia's economy today?
Coal mining, forestry and agriculture.

Canadian Citizenship Exam - Province of Newfoundland and Labrador - Questions and Answers

The questions and answers below are specific to the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. For more generic ones Canada-wise visit the flowing article: Canadian Citizenship Exam - Questions and Answers.

If this was helpful, share it with the Google Plus (G+) button above. Thanks.

What is the name of the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador?
Premier Paul Davis.
Which political party is in power in Newfoundland and Labrador?
Progressive Conservative.
What is the name of the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador?
Honourable Frank F. Fagan.
What is the capital city of Newfoundland and Labrador?
St. John's.
Which three natural resources are important to Newfoundland and Labrador's economy today?
Fisheries, oil and gas extraction.

Canadian Citizenship Exam - Province of New Brunswick - Questions and Answers

The questions and answers below are specific to the Province of New Brunswick. For more generic ones Canada-wise visit the flowing article: Canadian Citizenship Exam - Questions and Answers.

If this was helpful, share it with the Google Plus (G+) button above. Thanks.

What is the name of the Premier of New Brunswick?
Premier Brian Gallant.
Which political party is in power in New Brunswick?
Liberals.
What is the name of the Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick?
Honourable Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau.
What is the capital city of New Brunswick?
Fredericton.
Which three natural resources are important to New Brunswick's economy today?
Forestry, agriculture and mining.

Canadian Citizenship Exam - Province of Ontario - Questions and Answers

The questions and answers below are specific to the Province of Ontario. For more generic ones Canada-wise visit the flowing article: Canadian Citizenship Exam - Questions and Answers.

I also put together a separate article named “How much do you know about your Government (Ontario)?” I advise you to read it before going to the Canadian Citizenship Exam. Just follow the link in the line above.

If this was helpful, share it with the Google Plus (G+) button above. Thanks.

What is the name of the Premier of Ontario?
Premier Kathleen Wynne.
Which political party is in power in Ontario?
Liberal Party.
What is the name of the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario?
Elizabeth Dowdeswell.
What is the capital city of Ontario?
Toronto.
Which three natural resources are important to Ontario's economy today?
Mining, tourism, automobile manufacturing.

Canadian Citizenship Exam - Province of Manitoba - Questions and Answers

The questions and answers below are specific to the Province of Manitoba. For more generic ones Canada-wise visit the flowing article: Canadian Citizenship Exam - Questions and Answers.

If this was helpful, share it with the Google Plus (G+) button above. Thanks.

What is the name of the Premier of Manitoba?
Premier Greg Selinger.
Which political party is in power in Manitoba?
New Democrats.
What is the name of the Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba?
Honourable Janice Filmon.
What is the capital city of Manitoba?
Winnipeg.
Which three natural resources are important to Manitoba's economy today?
Agriculture, mining and hydro-electric power generation.

Canadian Citizenship Exam - British Columbia - Questions and Answers

The questions and answers below are specific to the Province of British Columbia. For more generic ones Canada-wise visit the flowing article: Canadian Citizenship Exam - Questions and Answers.

If this was helpful, share it with the Google Plus (G+) button above. Thanks.

What is the name of the Premier of British Columbia?
Premier Christy Clark.
Which political party is in power in British Columbia?
Liberal Party.
What is the name of the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia?
Judith Guichon.
What is the capital city of British Columbia?
Victoria.
Which three natural resources are important to British Columbia's economy today?
Forests, fish and water.

Canadian Citizenship Exam - Province of Alberta - Questions and Answers

The questions and answers below are specific to the Province of Alberta. For more generic ones Canada-wise visit the flowing article: Canadian Citizenship Exam - Questions and Answers.

If this was helpful, share it with the Google Plus (G+) button above. Thanks.

What is the name of the Premier of Alberta?
Premier Rachel Notley.
Which political party is in power in Alberta?
New Democratic Party.
What is the name of the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta?
Lois Mitchell.
What is the capital city of Alberta?
Edmonton.
Which three natural resources are important to Alberta's economy today?
Oil, agriculture and forestry.

Letter of Invitation for a Canadian temporary resident visa

My wife and I have invited our parents who live in Cuba to visit us in Toronto, Canada.

One of the supporting documents of the Application for Temporary Resident Visa is the Letter of Invitation.

The Letter of Invitation is written and signed by a person residing in Canada as a permanent resident or Canadian citizen, and it basically extends an invitation for the person abroad to visit him/her in Canada.

There is no formal template for this letter of invitation, but I wanted to share the one my wife and I used before to invite our parents. It has worked for us; hopefully it will help others.

Notice that this is just a template and you will need to adjust it to your particular case. Also, keep in mind that I am not a lawyer or an immigration specialist. This post should not be taken as advice on the matter. If you use the info here, you do it at your own risk.  

Finally, if this article was useful, I would kindly ask you to share it by clicking the Google Plus (G+) button at the beginning of this post.


Toronto, May 6th, 2016

Immigration Department 

Embassy of Canada in Havana 

Subject: Letter of Invitation

To Whom It May Concern: 

I, Cristopher Columbus, Canadian Citizen with Passport No. XXXXXXXX and residence at ____________________, Toronto, ON, Canada; wish to invite my father Mr. Dominic Columbus to visit me for a period of 3 months staying at my home.

My father is a Cuban citizen with ID. No. YYYYYYYYYYY and Passport No. ZZZZZZZ; with permanent residence at ___________________, Havana City, Cuba.

I hereby guarantee and assume all costs that may be incurred by my father’s visit such as plane tickets, travel insurance, accommodation, maintenance, and any other costs, so that he will be of no burden to the government of Canada.

I’m employed (full time) as Naval Engineer at Voyage Inc. since April 15th, 2008. 

My wife, Filipa Moniz Perestrelo, is also employed full time as Sales Representative at Best Boats Inc. since February 31st, 2011.

We have the financial means to take care of my father during his visit to Canada; the corresponding documents will be enclosed with the application. 

There are no intentions for my father to stay permanently in Canada.

If you have any concerns regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me at +1 (647) 000-0000 or by email at cristopher.columbus@email.com.


Sincerely yours,

________________________
Cristopher Columbus