Please visit: www.calgaryfolkfest.com for more information & be sure to book your tickets early for 2012! 

See you there!

Check out the Highland Piper proudly showing off its Canadian colours!

For more information about the Stephens Back Pack Society, please visit: http://www.stephensbackpacks.com

Please visit their blog for the full article.  http://miguelissimo.wordpress.com/2011/07/10/an-exemplary-move/

An exemplary move

In April this year (2011) Kate and I moved our residence from Calgary, Canada, to Cellardyke, Scotland. Our budget for the move was limited, and, although we decided not to move any big pieces of furniture, we have quite a big collection of books. Moving is something that we dreaded since we knew we had to do it in January. So… how do you go about it?

Well, we started by looking on-line for moving companies. This is one of those sectors on the internet where most of what you find is aggregated sites that ask you to fill forms, and supposedly, they will send your way a number of quotes. Generally useless because most of the time you get nothing back, but sometimes even dangerous, because we got at least one quote (from Euro Transport International) that we later found by doing a quick search on-line was basically a scam (check this out for scary stories on how a move can become a nightmare).

Finally, we thought that it would be a lot safer to go local, and it paid off. Before anyone says anything, this post is just the result of grateful clients to a wonderfully executed service, and we have absolutely no conflict of interest here. The service from Highland Movers which operate as STARLINE OVERSEAS MOVING for international relocations was wonderful, friendly, courteous, timely, and dead-on on the estimation. We chose to do groupage to make it cheaper, but it still took shorter than expected. Every box arrived in perfect state, dry, and the movers back here were also friendly and very quick. In other words, if you are in western Canada, and need to move abroad, you should call these guys. Thanks Robin!!

So you have an idea, we moved about 195 cubic feet (equivalent to approx 80 banker’s boxes), and before insurance, the total price came below 4000 $CAN. It took about two months to arrive, and it could have been less if the local movers had trusted Kate that “a 40 foot truck will not fit through our narrow street”. After the initial payment there came no extra charges, not even from customs (at least so far).

Anyways, I thought I would put this out in the interwebs: if you are moving, please, check your mover with the BBB, do not trust anyone that does not want to do a visual inspection of your stuff, and choose local if you can. Also, if they are not very responsive on e-mail through the whole process, that’s probably a bad sign (I count at least 20 e-mails sent by our moving manager in the last few months).

Please see the latest press release issued by CFIA on February 14, 2011.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) are moving forward to remove the current exemption for wood packaging being shipped between the two countries, as outlined in the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No. 15. This action is necessary to prevent the introduction of new forest pests, as well as slow the spread of forest pests already established in North America.

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/newcom/2011/20110214e.shtml

Implementation of the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (2009) for Wood Packaging Material Moving Between Canada and the United States

OTTAWA, February 14, 2011 : The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) are moving forward to remove the current exemption for wood packaging being shipped between the two countries, as outlined in the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No. 15. This action is necessary to prevent the introduction of new forest pests, as well as slow the spread of forest pests already established in North America.

This standard requires wood packaging to be heat-treated or fumigated with methyl bromide. Wood packaging moving between Canada and the continental United States has been exempted from this requirement because it was thought that existing pest-specific regulatory controls were providing sufficient protection.

With a number of invasive species being introduced into the two countries, the CFIA and the USDA-APHIS have jointly agreed to begin enforcing the international standard.

Canada and the United States are working together on implementation of the standard, including a phased-in approach based on consultation processes in each country.

After implementation, shipments with wood packaging material found to be non-compliant will not be permitted to enter the country of destination. If live pests are detected, the importer may also be required to treat the shipment to prevent pest escape, before having it returned to the country of origin.

Canada adopted ISPM No. 15 in 2004, to prevent invasive species from outside North America being introduced into Canada.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has instituted two export certification programs, the Canadian Wood Packaging Certification Program (CWPCP), and the Canadian Heat Treatment Wood Products Certification Program (CHTWPCP) to certify Canadian wood packaging producers, Canadian wood packaging treatment facilities, and Facilities registered under the CHTWPCP, to produce ISPM No. 15 compliant wood packaging material.

Approved producers and treatment facilities will mark their products with an ISPM No. 15 compliant approved wood packaging certification stamp.

The CFIA approved wood packaging certification stamp can only be applied by a facility registered under one of these two programmes.

What does this mean for international transportation of Household Goods & Personal Effects?

Proper overseas packing, wrapping and preparation of your household goods is one of the most important steps to ensuring a successful move.  Due to the nature of these goods it is necessary for us to provide custom crating when required.  These crates both protect and secure the goods while in transit.  Wood provides the strength necessary and the use of timber wood cuts costs and adds further strength.  We also require dunnage material within sea containers to build bulkhead, decks and blocking.   Our crating and dunnage is a combination of manufactured wood products and timber making it necessary for us to be part of the Canadian Wood Packaging Certification Program.

When looking for international expertise it is imperative that your mover complies with these government regulations.  Starline Overseas Moving is one of two professional moving companies in Alberta that meet the specialized requirements for this program. 

For more information on the implementation of ISPM No. in Canada, please visit www.inspection.gc.ca

        
The Government of Canada is committed to protecting our forests by preventing the introduction and spread of invasive plant pests, which can seriously harm Canada’s environment, forests and plant resources.

For information:

Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Media relations: 613-773-6600

By an eHow Contributor:

It is difficult to entrust your possessions to movers you’ve never met, and it’s often difficult to find movers who seem to care about your sentimental valuables. When you find a crew who is especially careful with your household items, make sure you tip them properly to show your appreciation.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1.     Offer your movers coffee or cold drinks, snacks and plenty of water while they’re at your home or office. If the move takes most of the day, ordering pizza or sandwiches for lunch is a great way to motivate them and show additional appreciation for their services.

2.  Tip one or two movers $25 to $50 each, depending on the time required, the number of boxes and the number of stairs involved. Give them cash at the end of the move, thanking them for being considerate with your things.

3. Give the supervisor and crew members each a cash tip of $20 to $25 if there is a large moving crew, making sure you have enough cash to cover everyone. Avoid giving the entire tip to the boss so you don’t give him the opportunity to stiff the crew and keep the cash for himself. If you received exceptional service from the move supervisor, however, give him an additional $10 to $20 before he leaves.

4.  Keep in mind that tipping is not required, and is done only when you are satisfied with the moving job and the movers’ customer service skills. It is not required to tip rude people who drop your favorite keepsake or carelessly gouge your dining room table.

5.  Call the moving company’s supervisor if the crew provides exceptionally bad or exceptionally good service. You aren’t expected to tip for service you’re not happy with.

Read more: How to Tip Movers | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2214704_tip-movers.html#ixzz1BQZhD89r

Trying to accomplish the same thing during an unplanned blizzard or extended cold snap can be especially grueling for everyone unfortunate enough to be challenged by the circumstances.  

The ice, snow, freezing temperatures and slick surfaces that accompany Ol’ Man Winter when he blows into town usually present some unique – and frequently unexpected – financial and logistical hurdles for those involved in any type of local or long distance relocation.

That’s one of the primary reasons so many people plan to move during the warmer summer months.  Frequently, however, many families are forced by necessity try to take advantage of holiday school breaks to accomplish their move. 

Understanding how the moving process changes during colder months won’t solve the problem but may help alleviate some of the frustration. Here’ a short list of things you should consider if planning your relocation during the winter.

The customer is responsible for the safe access and egress of the moving crew and the vehicle being used to transport their goods. Essentially this means that all roadways, walkways, stairs and equipment being used to accomplish the relocation must be allowed to operate unencumbered.

This applies whether you’re using family, friends or a hired crew to accomplish the move or paying professional movers to complete the job. Not only must the roadways and parking area be cleared of ice and snow, but so must the pathway between your residence and the vehicle.

Many courts have found negligent homeowners responsible when they haven’t taken the proper precautions or implented the nessaary safeguards to protect workers from ‘slip-and-fall’ type accidents.

Delays in pick up and/or delivery caused by adverse winter conditions are considered ‘Acts of God’ and are usually NOT subject to delay or inconvenience reimbursement by professional movers or relocation service providers.

Foot traffic will soil and possibly damage some flooring surfaces. Wet, muddy shoes and boots exposed to harsh chemical deicers can quickly ruin unprotected floors and carpets. Make sure some type of adequate floor protection is applied before starting. Clean any areas that become dirty as soon as possible.

It takes longer to move during the winter. It is much more difficult for workers to wrap, roll, lift, carry or transport household furniture items when they’re bundled in winter garb or operating in hazardous winter conditions. Extreme cold requires more energy which means laborers may need more frequent breaks to retain their stamina.

And don’t forget that you don’t have as much natural daylight to accomplish the task of loading and unloading.  This can affect worker performance, particularly if you’ve already had the utilities shut off. 
Make sure to thoroughly dry everything that’s been exposed to moisture. This is especially important if the items will be stored for an extended period of time. Otherwise unexpected (and potentially unhealthy) mold and mildew can eventually contaminate all household goods in the immediate vicinity.

It can cost more to move during the winter. Especially if you’re paying for a local move by the hour. Not only can equipment rental, travel and labor charges increase because of the longer amount of time required, but the expense of snow and ice removal can quickly add unexpected costs to your relocation budget.

What’s the best part about movin’ during the winter? You don’t sweat as much … and you get to enjoy a hot toddy in your new home when the job is done!

Don’t:

Sometimes, because of the stress you may be under, your behavior can become inappropriate and these simple points may be the difference between an easy or a difficult removal.

From “Australian removers association“