Ontario is rich in natural resources – from the forests and minerals in the north to the fertile farmland in the south. Although some of these resources are exported as raw materials, Ontario has a large manufacturing industry that turns them into products for Canadian and international consumers. For example, trees harvested by the forestry industry are sent to Ontario paper mills, mined ore is sent to provincial smelters and refineries, and agricultural products are sent to Ontario food processing facilities.
In 2018, goods accounted for 23.2 per cent of Ontario’s GDP and 12.4 per cent of that came from manufacturing, according to Ontario’s Ministry of Finance. Manufacturers directly employed more than 770,000 Ontario workers in 2017, according to Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), and supported nearly 25 per cent of all employment in the province when indirect impacts were included.
Ontario manufacturing includes food and beverage processing, machinery, plastic and rubber products, paper products and printing, transportation equipment, and much more.
The top prepared food export category includes products such as bread, biscuits and pastries that are exported to the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Chile and Thailand. Plastic is exported to the United States, Mexico, China, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Germany and others. Ontario’s top machinery export, spark-ignition engines, goes to the United States, Côte d’Ivoire, Belarus, Nigeria, Latvia, Japan, Mexico, Malaysia and Sweden.
Ontario’s largest export is motor vehicles and parts. According to Statistics Canada, the trade amount for motor vehicles and parts in 2019 was C$ 69,678,270,922 trillion. The top motor vehicle export in 2019 was exported to 107 different countries including the United States, China, Mexico, Belgium, Albania, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Poland, Libya and Jordan.
According to the Government of Canada, the automotive manufacturing sector directly employs more than 125,000 people in Canada and is one of Canada’s largest manufacturing sectors. Five motor vehicle companies make light vehicles – cars, vans and trucks – in Canada. While automotive research and development and automotive suppliers can be found all throughout Canada, all eight auto assembly plants are located in Ontario. With eight assembly plants, it’s no surprise that Ontario’s top export is motor vehicles and parts. There are auto assembly plants in Brampton, Windsor, Oakville, Ingersoll, Alliston, Cambridge, Oshawa and Woodstock.
The assembly plant in Alliston opened in 1986 and celebrated building its nine millionth car in January, 2020. The automotive company that owns the plant in Oshawa announced their plans to transform the plant in 2020 into an auto parts manufacturer and research testing facility for autonomous and electric vehicles as well as other innovations.
Because automotive manufacturing is an important part of Ontario’s economy, in the 2019 budget the provincial government outlined a plan to help the automotive industry thrive. The government plans to take advantage of the automotive manufacturing and information and communications technology expertise that already exists in Ontario to turn the province into a global leader of automotive innovation.
The manufacturing industry in Ontario combines two important parts of Ontario’s culture: the search for innovation; and the value of local products. Products that are made in Ontario, or even Canada more generally, are valued by consumers in Ontario because they represent local people, local jobs and the local economy.
As with agriculture, knowing where and how a product was made is important to Ontario consumers. Ontario manufacturers take pride in manufacturing high-quality products, often with local materials. For Ontario consumers, local products mean quality, trustworthiness and provincial pride.
Ontario residents take pride in their bustling cities and in the surrounding natural landscape. These two different sides of the province are combined in the manufacturing industry which takes the resources that the land provides and turns them into products that Ontario can use to continue pushing forward into the future.
Tại tỉnh Ontario, các thành phố đông dân tập trung ở vùng Ngũ Đại Hồ (Great Lakes) và Sông St. Lawrence về phía nam, trong khi những cộng đồng vùng sâu vùng xa thì sống trong các cánh trừng phương bắc thuộc vùng Canadian Shield. Điều này được phản ánh trong những ngành công nghiệp hàng đầu, hỗ trợ nền kinh tế Ontario, bao gồm nông nghiệp, lâm nghiệp, sản xuất, khai thác và dịch vụ. Chính Ngũ Đại Hồ và lưu vực sông St. Lawrence đã giúp cho đất phương nam trở nên màu mỡ, từ đó mà những nông trại được xây dựng, các đô thị được ra đời. Những dân cư tập trung về các vùng đất phì nhiêu, tươi tốt ngày một đông và dần phát triển thành các thành phố này. Nơi đây, thị thành san sát, được nối liền bằng hệ thống đường và cao tốc rộng khắp. Ở phía Bắc, vùng Canadian Shield vốn có nhiều khoáng sản và những khu vực cây cối um tùm, là nơi để săn bắn, câu cá và cắm trại. Nhiều cộng đồng ở Bắc Ontario có lịch sử trong ngành lâm nghiệp hoặc khai thác mỏ. Tại đây, dân cư sống tập trung quanh các lâm trường hoặc mỏ khai thác, vì vậy mà các thành phố ở phía bắc nằm rải rác, với hệ thống giao thông thưa thớt.
Cảnh quan và những nền công nghiệp phát triển từ đó đã ảnh hưởng đến văn hoá của tỉnh. Ontario là sự pha trộn giữa tư duy đổi mới và niềm ưa thích khám phá thiên nhiên đó đây. Tỉnh có những thành phố lớn, hiện đại, đang không ngừng xây dựng và mở rộng, chẳng hạn như Toronto, nơi có một trong những đường cao tốc sầm uất nhất Bắc Mỹ. Đồng thời, tỉnh còn có các cộng đồng sống xa khỏi đất liền như khu người bản địa Webequie, nơi chỉ có thể đến được bằng đường hàng không và đường bộ theo mùa vào mùa đông.
Bởi có nhiều lối sống khác nhau, Ontario được gọi là vùng đất đa dạng bản sắc văn hóa. Cứ mỗi năm người Canada, có hai người đến từ Ontario bởi tỉnh này có dân số hơn 13.5 triệu người, theo Ontario.ca. Trong đó, 2% dân số của tỉnh là người bản địa First Nation, Métis và Inuit. Con số này cũng tương đương với 1/5 tổng dân số người bản địa của cả nước. Tại thủ phủ của Ontario – Toronto, có hơn 100 ngôn ngữ và phương ngữ được sử dụng tại đây. Quy mô và sự đa dạng của thành phố đã tạo ra rất nhiều cơ sở kinh doanh dịch vụ, nhà hàng, nghệ thuật và nhà hát. Đây cũng là nơi tổ chức Liên hoan phim Quốc tế Toronto (TIFF), và Triển lãm Quốc gia Canada (Canadian National Exhibition) – một triển lãm được tổ chức ban đầu nhằm quảng bá nông nghiệp và công nghệ, sau đó được mở rộng sang lĩnh vực nghệ thuật và là nơi giải trí cho các gia đình.
Ngoài văn hóa và nghệ thuật, tỉnh còn có những cảnh quan thiên nhiên tuyệt đẹp. Ngũ Đại Hồ và lưu vực sông St. Lawrence không chỉ đem lại những mảnh đất nông nghiệp màu mỡ cho vùng Niagara mà còn là thắng cảnh thiên nhiên nổi tiếng Thác Niagara. Đất rừng chiếm 66% (70 triệu hecta) của tỉnh, 18% rừng cả nước và 2% rừng thế giới. Các nguồn tài nguyên gỗ được sử dụng để sản xuất vật liệu xây dựng, giấy, đồ nội thất và lót sàn.
Dù đất rừng đóng vai trò quan trọng trong nền kinh tế của tỉnh Ontario, nhưng việc bảo vệ thiên nhiên là quan trọng hơn cả. Hệ thống công viên tỉnh của Ontario chiếm chín triệu hecta, dành riêng cho các công viên và khu bảo tồn. Chúng là những khu rừng bảo tồn rừng già, sông hoang dã và môi trường sống của các loài quý hiếm có nguy cơ tuyệt chủng. Theo ontarioparks.com, có hơn 330 công viên cấp tỉnh và nhiều nơi cung cấp dịch vụ cắm trại, đi bộ đường dài, chèo xuồng và thuyền kayak. Săn bắn và câu cá cũng là những phần không thể thiếu của văn hóa Ontario, đặc biệt là ở Bắc Ontario, nơi rừng cây rậm rạp bao lấy các thành phố, cộng đồng. Tỉnh Ontario giàu bản sắc văn hóa, có nhiều cơ hội kinh tế và cảnh quan thiên nhiên tuyệt đẹp. Vì vậy, dù là đến đây an cư lập nghiệp hay thăm thú, tham quan thì người ta cũng nhận về một thứ gì đó rất riêng cho mình.
Ontario has densely populated cities along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River in the south, and remote communities in the forests of the Canadian Shield in the north. This is reflected in the top industries that support Ontario’s economy: agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, mining and services. The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin make the land in the south fertile, resulting in farms and sprawling cities. These cities grew from settlers clustering in the fertile areas. They are close together and interconnected by an extensive system of roads and highways. In the north, the Canadian Shield is rich in minerals and wooded areas that are coveted for hunting, fishing and camping. Many communities in Northern Ontario have a history in forestry or mining industries. Because many of these communities were built around logging areas or mines, cities in the north are spread out and there are very few roads in between them.
The landscape, and the industries that grew out of it, affects the culture of the province. Ontario is a blend of innovative thinking and outdoor exploration. There are large, modern cities that are constantly building and expanding, such as Toronto, which has one of the busiest highways in North America. At the same time, the province has communities that continue to live off the land such as Webequie First Nation, which is only accessible by air and a winter seasonal road.
Such a range of lifestyles means Ontario cannot be summarized as having a single cultural identity. The province is home to two in five Canadian as its population is more than 13.5 million according to Ontario.ca. Among them, First Nation, Métis and Inuit living in Ontario make up about two per cent of Ontario’s population. This is about one-fifth of the nation’s Indigenous people. There are more than 100 languages and dialects that are spoken in Ontario’s capital, Toronto. The city’s size and diversity have resulted in a plethora of service businesses, restaurants, art, and theatre. It is home to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and the Canadian National Exhibition, which originally promoted agriculture and technology and expanded to art and family entertainment.
In addition to art and culture, the province offers gorgeous natural landscapes. The water of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin gives the Niagara region its fertile farm land, as well as a famous natural landmark, Niagara Falls. Forested land accounts for 66 per cent (70 million hectares) of the province, 18 per cent of the country’s forests and two per cent of the world’s forests. The wood resources are used to produce building materials, paper, furniture, and flooring.
Although forested land plays a vital role in Ontario’s economy, protecting nature is of crucial importance. Ontario’s provincial parks system includes nine million hectares dedicated to parks and protected areas. These preserve old-growth forests, wilderness rivers and habitat for rare and endangered species. According to ontarioparks.com, there are more than 330 provincial parks and many offer camping, hiking, canoeing and kayaking. Hunting and fishing are also important pieces of Ontario’s culture, especially in Northern Ontario where cities and communities are surrounded by wooded areas.
Ontario is a culturally-rich province with economic opportunities and magnificent natural landscapes. Whether people come here to start a new life or simply to visit, there is something for everyone.
Dr. Hieu Cuong Truong is a Vietnamese-Canadian engineer known for designing mint-machines used by the Canadian Royal Mint. As the director of advanced engineering and research at the Royal Canadian Mint, he propelled Canada to the forefront of the global minting industry through numerous innovations.
Born on Sept 23, 1941, in Saigon, Vietnam, Dr. Truong has always had a passion for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. In 1959, at the Jean-Jacques Rousseau School, Saigon, he was awarded a scholarship to study engineering at New York University. There he obtained both his masters (1963) and doctorate (1971) in Chemical Engineering.
Dr. Truong emigrated to Canada after finishing his education. In 1978, he joined the Royal Canadian Mint, where he was responsible for the technical aspects of minting, and then promoted to technical director of the research department. He invented the color-printing technique by using lasers to change the color of bills and coins. Through Dr. Truong’s new inventions in minting techniques, countries around the world adopted his method. In 2013, Governor General David Johnston made Dr. Truong an Officer of the Order of Canada. Through his achievements, the Canadian Royal Mint commemorated a building facility at the Hieu C. Truong Centre for Excellence for Research and Development to inspire the next generation of engineers. In 2014, Truong retired from the Canadian Royal Mint.
What does being a Vietnamese-Canadian mean to you?
I am proud to be a Vietnamese Canadian. It means the world to me to be a Vietnamese Canadian. I was born in Vietnam, and I am proud of my rich Vietnamese heritage. I came to Canada as an immigrant because of the Vietnam War, which inflicted deep and lasting scars in my life and severed the ties that bound my whole family.
I am forever deeply indebted to Canada for accepting me and many other Vietnamese as immigrants, for providing us with a once in a lifetime opportunity to rebuild our lives in freedom, in a democratic country, in a fair and just society where everyone is equal under the law, in a nation where every citizen has a chance to work and advance on their own merit, rather than relying on family connections or party ties. Canada is a safe place to raise a family without having to worry about wars, bombs, and hidden body maiming detonated plastic devices. Canada is a peaceful land which, unfortunately, I never knew in my young age. I dreamed of living in a stable society that promotes equality for all citizens, inclusiveness, and diversity among its members, creating opportunities for everyone to contribute to the country’s growth. This was my dream, and I’m living it in Canada.
I am a proud Vietnamese Canadian by birth, and I am a proud Canadian by unusual world circumstances and by choice.
In your years of academia from being a student to teacher, how has your perspective on engineering changed over the years?
Engineering is a profession that allows an individual engineer to advance professionally, for a team of engineers to develop grandiose projects, and for an engineering company to leverage the practical knowledge of its engineers in various engineering fields to build and create, from an idea, giant undertakings for the benefit of society. Engineers can develop and transform something old and conventional into something new and highly modern, employing cutting-edge technology that advances everyday use. Although the techniques and tools for practicing engineering have changed significantly from the time I visited the university, these principles remain the same today.
In school, we learned many things that seemed not useful, unnecessary, or academic. We learned, and thought, at the time that we learned just for knowledge, for a rounded education, for learning’s sake. But, some of that basic knowledge will reveal itself to be important to solving problems later on, because the knowledge holds the key to solving many problems. But what most university professors failed to do was relate to the students’ theory and reality. The teachers perhaps failed to realize that the relationship between theory and practice was not obvious to the inexperienced students.
The teacher’s task is to pass on to the students the important engineering principles underlying the numerous phenomena causing physical changes, and to explain these ideas with real-life examples. As a student, I had little opportunities to demonstrate the application of engineering in machinery design and industrial operations. Thanks to the internet, there are many ways to connect theory to real-world applications. With professionally made videos, Youtube videos, podcasts, instant messaging, and computers, learning is now less academic and more enriching.
In the last fifty years, manufacturing engineering, based on physical and chemical changes aided by electrical and mechanical devices, has evolved from manual control to automation and robotics. The transformation began gradually in the sixties, but has accelerated at an unprecedented rate in the last ten years due to labor shortages and high labor costs. Today, automation, computers, programmable logic controllers, and all kinds of robots performing complex tasks are controlled by highly developed software, including restaurants.
Without a doubt, intelligent machines and robots are unquestionably replacing humans in manufacturing, while computers are replacing office jobs. Computer Sciences which were exclusively taught at a few elite universities in the late fifties are now offered at every college, under a new identity as IT, or Digital Applications and Coding. Computer Engineering has played a key role in this digital age transformation.
Explain to us how you came up with an invention that is known worldwide.
When I joined the Royal Canadian Mint in 1978, I was in disbelief that the world of making coins, in general, in Canada, was lagging behind other industries in terms of modernization. The whole industry of fabricating coins used old mechanical technology and machinery dated from the Second World War, which ended in 1945. Furthermore, the coin industry was very conservative and protective of its knowledge, which is not surprising given that all mints in the world were owned by the Central Bank or the Department of Finance, and were managed by technocrats and public servants, rather than engineers or business school graduates as they are today.
Upon joining the Royal Canadian Mint, I set a 5-year goal for myself to modernize the Mint’s machinery. I started to bring modern technology to the Mint by replacing old, noisy, and slow equipment with newly designed, faster machines. I applied cutting-edge technology from Bombardier, a leading Canadian manufacturer of jet aircraft, to the world of manufacturing coins.I[1] introduced the concept of precision machining technology to the manufacturing of dies, and machine components used in the fabrication of coins, to increase the speed of coining presses from around 170 coins per minute in 1978 to 850 coins per minute in 2012, a 5 fold increase.
As a chief engineer, I was forced to work past midnight nearly every day from early in the morning to keep the manufacturing machines in the plant running and crank out coins to meet the demand of the Canadian economy. This made me determined to change the engineering and technical aspects of coin manufacturing at the Mint of Canada. I told myself that this schedule of extended working hours was unnecessary, and this method of running a plant had to be modified because it was costly and drained the energy and stamina of all employees.
Back in the nineteen eighties, I had no dream of making the Royal Canadian Mint the best Mint in the world, because there were other bigger, better equipped and more advanced mints in Europe.
As time went by, with the total support of the Executive Management of the Royal Canadian Mint, we made progress in Engineering and Technology. The Mint has made a commitment to produce coins with a high degree of quality and at competitive prices, exceeding expectations of many client countries. Due to our unwavering focus on quality and dedication to on-time delivery, the Royal Canadian Mint rose to the top of the global coin market with a plant operating at high efficiency and great customer satisfaction.
I decided to review the repair log book of the machines to uncover the hidden causes of the problems, because I had to deal with several technical issues every day, which slowed and delayed production and increased manufacturing costs. I traced the issues back to old technology and old methods of fabrication. I thought creatively and unconventionally, or as they say, “outside the box.” That was a risky decision and I encountered strong criticism and opposition from within my own team. By nature, people are afraid of changes. However, there can be no progress if there is no change.
The Royal Canadian Mint developed several revolutionary concepts that completely transformed the procedures of coin manufacturing with the help of the Advanced Research and Development Group, which I founded and also directed. In doing so, the Royal Canadian Mint altered the landscape of coins available to the world.
For circulation coin usage, the Royal Canadian Mint introduced the now renowned, world-patented, and revolutionary technology of Multiply Steel Plating, which is now used for all circulation coins in Canada and in over fifty countries in the world,…
For collectors and numismatics enthusiasts, the Mint introduced holograms, lasers, color changing upon illumination with a UV light, precise gold selective plating, gorgeous color niobium.
For investment purposes in precious metals, the Mint introduced four 9 pure silver coins, four 9 pure gold coins, five 9 pure gold coins, platinum coins, palladium coins, world-patented DNA authentication technology for counterfeiting protection and as a deterrent.
All the above coins were designed to make Canada the first country in the world to have the technology to produce them with distinctive qualities that had never been known to mankind before. Examples of “first in the world coins” include the bimetallic, bicolor, color-printed $2 coin and the .9999 Gold Maple Leaf coin.
By 2000, the Royal Canadian Mint was recognized by its peers as the most advanced, uncontested leader in the coining industry for its unparalleled achievements, well beyond the imagination of experts in the field of minting.
Canada achieves its goal of becoming number one on the global scale, owing to its determination to lead, and its vision the Research and Development Group are necessary to advance and change the world for the better. This last observation served as the foundation for the selection of recipients for the Order of Canada Medal, which I was awarded recently on the 150th anniversary of the Founding of Canada, on July 1, 2017: The first medal to be awarded to a Vietnamese Canadian.
I accepted the Order of Canada Medal, in my mind, on behalf of the entire Vietnamese community, which had made such a significant contribution to creating a better Canada for all Canadians.
This was my gesture to express my appreciation to Canada and to thank Canada for accepting me and all Vietnamese Canadians as immigrants.
Did you feel a great deal of responsibility in representing the Vietnamese community as a leader at the Royal Canadian Mint?
The Royal Canadian Mint has a pleasant and professional work atmosphere. To carry out the Mint’s purpose, each employee does their work to the best of their ability. I do not think the ethnic origin of an employee is noticeable within the Royal Canadian Mint community.
However, outside the Mint, I noticed that many people were astonished that the top Engineering position at the Royal Canadian Mint was held by a Vietnamese Canadian, rather than a Caucasian. It was a huge duty for me to represent not only the Royal Canadian Mint, but also the entire nation of Canada.
However, as soon as we started discussing technical coin solutions from the Royal Canadian Mint’s innovative approaches, Canadian technology behind Canadian coins, and cutting edge methods to solve technical issues, foreign and domestic interlocutors quickly dissipated, and they realized that Canada was, and continues to be, far ahead of other country vendors in resolving customer issues. The interlocutors trusted that the Royal Canadian Mint was the best Mint to handle their coin orders. They also knew that the person in charge of this trust and responsibility was a Vietnamese Canadian. This was my inner satisfaction and pride to represent the Vietnamese Canadian community during those memorable moments.
Having previously served on various Vietnamese organizations, how can youth get involved in the Vietnamese community?
Youth involvement in the Vietnamese community is primordial to the safeguarding of Vietnamese customs, culture, and values among the Vietnamese overseas. Participation will ensure long-term bonding and friendship between the Vietnamese of different generations in the community.
I believe the involvement starts with the elders in the community. Community leaders should make special efforts to create community programs for the young, with older people available to encourage them and join them in their activities.
Leaders should also pay attention to the interests that certain young people may have in participating in elder community activities.
The elders should encourage the young to stay on and join the elders to make the young feel welcome and useful to the elder communitỵ. To make the young feel welcome and useful to the elder community, the seniors should encourage them to stay and join in community activities, so that there is regular contact, not once every few years.
Young people are the future, and elders must take the initiative to engage and invite young people to join the community events, making them feel useful in the community’s life.
Aside from your busy life, what do you like to do in your free time?
In late spring and summer, I like to do gardening, which is time consuming but rewarding. It is so nice to see your own flowers grow and in bloom.
The fall is my social events period of the year, with a lot of planning for groups of guests and friends. This keeps me as busy as in the Spring.
I have more time in the winter which I spent most of the time catching up on my reading of history, health and traveling books.
Ontario là một tỉnh bang giàu tài nguyên thiên nhiên – từ các cánh rừng và khoáng sản ở miền Bắc cho đến những nông trại màu mỡ ở miền Nam. Mặc dù một số tài nguyên này được xuất khẩu dưới dạng nguyên liệu thô thì ngay tại Ontario cũng có một ngành công nghiệp chế tạo để biến chúng thành sản phẩm cho người tiêu dùng ở Canada và quốc tế. Chẳng hạn như cây trồng do ngành lâm nghiệp thu hoạch được sẽ gửi đến các nhà máy giấy hoặc các quặng khai thác đến các nhà máy luyện và tinh chế. Nông sản thì lại được gửi đến các cơ sở chế biến thực phẩm.
Theo Bộ Tài chính tỉnh Ontario, vào năm 2018, hàng hóa chiếm 23,2% GDP của Ontario và 12,4% trong số đó đến từ ngành sản xuất. Hiệp hội Các nhà sản xuất và xuất khẩu Canada (CME) trực tiếp thuê hơn 770.000 công nhân Ontario trong năm 2017 và hỗ trợ gần 25% tổng số lao động trong tỉnh khi tính đến các tác động gián tiếp.
Ngành sản xuất tại tỉnh Ontario bao gồm chế biến thực phẩm và đồ uống, máy móc, các sản phẩm làm từ nhựa và cao su, các sản phẩm giấy và in ấn, thiết bị vận chuyển, cùng nhiều thứ khác.
Danh mục xuất khẩu thực phẩm hàng đầu gồm bánh mì, bánh quy và bánh ngọt. Những sản phẩm này đều được xuất khẩu sang Hoa Kỳ, Anh, Úc, New Zealand, Hàn Quốc, Chile và Thái Lan. Trong khi đó, nhựa thì được xuất sang Hoa Kỳ, Mexico, Trung Quốc, Ấn Độ, Đài Loan, Hồng Kông, Malaysia, Đức cùng các nước khác. Động cơ đánh lửa, một phụ kiện hàng đầu, được đưa sang các nước như Hoa Kỳ, Cote d’Ivoire, Belarus, Nigeria, Latvia, Nhật Bản, Mexico, Malaysia và Thụy Điển.
Hàng xuất khẩu lớn nhất của tỉnh Ontario là xe cơ giới và phụ tùng. Theo Cơ quan Thống kê Canada, khối lượng giao dịch của xe hơi và phụ tùng trong năm 2019 là 69.678.270.922 đô Canada. Trong năm đó, xe ô tô xuất khẩu hàng đầu đã được đưa sang 107 quốc gia khác nhau bao gồm Hoa Kỳ, Trung Quốc, Mexico, Bỉ, Albania, Các Tiểu vương quốc Ả Rập Thống nhất, Đức, Ba Lan, Libya và Jordan.
Theo Chính phủ Canada, lĩnh vực sản xuất ô tô thuê hơn 125.000 nhân công ở Canada và cũng là một trong những ngành sản xuất lớn nhất tại đây. Có năm công ty sản xuất xe hạng nhẹ như xe hơi, xe tải và xe tải ở Canada. Trong khi khắp Canada đều có các nhà cung cấp và nghiên cứu ô tô thì cả tám nhà máy lắp ráp ô tô đều nằm ở Ontario. Vì vậy, không có gì ngạc nhiên khi nói hàng xuất khẩu hàng đầu của Ontario là xe hơi và phụ tùng. Các nhà máy này nằm ở Brampton, Windsor, Oakville, Ingersoll, Alliston, Cambridge, Oshawa và Woodstock.
Nhà máy lắp ráp ở Alliston được mở cửa vào năm 1986. Cho tới tháng 1 năm 2020, nhà máy đã sản xuất chiếc xe hơi thứ chín triệu. Công ty ô tô sở hữu nhà máy ở Oshawa đã công bố kế hoạch chuyển đổi nhà máy này thành một cơ sở sản xuất phụ tùng ô tô và thử nghiệm nghiên cứu cho xe tự lái và xe điện cũng như các đổi mới khác vào năm 2020.
Vì ngành sản xuất ô tô là một phần quan trọng trong nền kinh tế tỉnh bang Ontario, chính quyền tỉnh đã đưa ra kế hoạch giúp ngành công nghiệp này phát triển trong ngân sách 2019. Chính phủ tận dụng chuyên môn về sản xuất ô tô và công nghệ thông tin và truyền thông vốn có ở Ontario để biến tỉnh này thành nơi dẫn đầu toàn cầu về các hoạt động đổi mới.
Ngành công nghiệp chế tạo ở Ontario kết hợp hai phần quan trọng trong văn hóa tỉnh: công cuộc tìm kiếm những đổi mới và giá trị của các sản phẩm địa phương. Các sản phẩm được sản xuất ở Ontario nói riêng, hoặc thậm chí ở Canada nói chung, đều được người tiêu dùng ở Ontario đánh giá cao, vì chúng đại diện cho người dân địa phương, công ăn việc làm ở địa phương và nền kinh tế địa phương.
Cũng như với nông nghiệp, biết được sản phẩm sản xuất ở đâu và như thế nào rất quan trọng đối với người tiêu dùng ở tỉnh Ontario. Các nhà sản xuất tại tỉnh này rất tự hào về các sản phẩm chất lượng cao sử dụng các nguyên liệu tại địa phương của mình. Đối với người tiêu dùng Ontario, sản phẩm địa phương thể hiện chất lượng, sự tin cậy và niềm tự hào của tỉnh.Người dân Ontario luôn tự hào về các thành phố nhộn nhịp nằm giữa phong cảnh thiên nhiên. Hai khía cạnh khác nhau này đã được kết hợp trong ngành công nghiệp chế tạo, tận dụng các nguồn tài nguyên đất đai có sẵn và biến chúng thành các sản phẩm giúp Ontario tiếp tục vươn xa hơn trong tương lai.
In addition to hustle and bustle, Saigon embraces nostalgic cultural and historical values. The Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine (also called the Fito Museum) is located at 41 Hoang Du Khuong Street, Ward 12, District 10. It has existed for nearly two decades, storing ancient medical knowledge from Vietnamese doctors.
The private, 600-square-meter museum was built by the Fito pharmaceutical company in 2003 and it opened in 2007. Its wooden interior is from an old house in Hanoi. Artisans removed the pillars, bricks and stones in order to move it to Saigon and recreate an old-style Vietnamese house. The building consists of seven floors and 18 rooms filled with more than 3,000 rare, traditional medical artifacts. Some are 2,500 years old. All are arranged scientifically in a creative and eye-catching layout. The role of natural medicinal herbs is highlighted as is the saying of Zen Master Tue Tinh, “Southern medicine for southern people.”
Photo: Wooden architecture at the museum. Photo: BLD
Explore 18 unique rooms
Visitors go from the top floor to the ground floor. Each room at the museum has a story.
Room 1: History of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine Here you will find valuable documents about historical events that occured during the development of traditional medicine. There is a huge collection of Han-Nom books; Marvellous Efficacious Vietnamese Medicine, and Practice of the Lazy Master of Hai Thuong by Hai Thuong Lan Ong (28 volumes, 66 books). This is considered an encyclopedia of Vietnamese Traditional Medicine.
Room 2: Traditional Vietnamese Medicine This place honours two famous doctors who made great contributions to the field of traditional Vietnamese medicine. Zen Master Tue Tinh from the 14th century and Hai Thuong Lan Ong (Le Huu Trac) from the 18th century who was the author of a massive encyclopedia on the subject.
Photo 2: Temple of two famous doctors. Photo: BLD
Room 3: Prehistoric Ethnic Medicine Stone and bronze artifacts related to traditional medicine are displayed in this room.
Artifacts from prehistoric times. Photo: BLD
Room 4: Famous Vietnamese Doctors The walls are hung with 15 gilded paintings of famous doctors and authors from the 13th to the 19th centuries.
Golden lacquer painting of famous traditional medicine doctors.
Photo: BLD
Room 5: Cham Tower This is a reproduction of the entrance to Thang Long Temple of Medicine which was built in 1780 in Thang Long, Hanoi. It is built according to the traditional architecture of the Cham people combined with the old Northern house and architectural style of Hue.
Room 6: Relics of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine The paintings, artifacts, and documents in this room introduce visitors to an overview of Oriental medicine in general and the medical history of Vietnam, Korea, and Japan.
Room 7: Traditional Vietnamese Medicinal Plants
Vietnam Bach Gia Y. Photo: VNP
Prominent in this room is a large wooden carving called Vietnam Bach Gia Y. Also known as the Tree of the Generation of Vietnamese Physicians, it highlights the names of 100 famous doctors from the 12th to the 20th century. This is one of the most impressive places in the museum. The wooden painting weighs 500 kilograms, and was completed by artisans working for many months. The painting is of a large tree trunk with sturdy roots, and lists the names of the first physicians who laid the groundwork for traditional medicine. The canopy spreads out, showing the strong development of the medical profession and at the top new shoots can be seen. In addition, in the glass cabinet, there are a number of books on the faculties of traditional medicine, including pharmacology, acupuncture, gynecology, pediatrics, ophthalmology, and nutrition.
Room 8: Vietnamese Medicinal Herbs
This room displays more than 300 samples of plants, animals and minerals used as medicine. There is a collection of pictures called Vietnamese Manuscripts showing nearly 2,000 medicinal plants used to cure people for generations. These include those that have been passed down as long as Chi Bao Don and Minh Mang Thang.
Room 9: Apothecary Tools for Oriental Medicine The displays here are of apothecary tools such as knives and mortars. The knife is a tool that cuts medicine into thin sheets. The mortar crushes dry medicine into powder.
Room 10: Model of a Northern 19th Century Pharmacy Young people like to come here and take pictures. It is a reproduction of a popular Northern pharmacy in the 19th century. The cabinet and counter are wooden, from the 19th century. The medicine cabinet has many drawers labeled with the names of herbs, plus there are scales and an abacus.
Model of Chinese traditional medicine from the 19th century.
Photo VNP
Room 11: Collection of Wine Jars Using liquor is an ancient way to prepare medicine. For generations people have handed down the method of soaking medicines in wine to achieve the highest quality. This method is called Lower Earth. Vietnamese people prefer to use crockery and this room features many types of historic wine jars.
Room 12: Collection of Potions and Medicine Cups Mosaic paintings depicting activities related to traditional medicine can be found here. They cover how to pick medicine, how to check a pulse, how to prepare medicine, and how to prescribe. There is also a collection of teapots and medicine cups with many delicate patterns. The ancients used them not only to make tea, but also to ‘hãm’ (i.e. soak in hot water) medicinal herbs.
Medicine cup and teapot. Photo: BLD
Room 13: Collection of Weighing and Pounding Tools The displays here are of artifacts widely used in 19th century drugstores as well as in the daily life of Vietnamese people. They include pestle and mortar, cân ta, cân tây, cân tiểu ly, wooden stamps for printing drug bills and prescriptions.
Room 14: Collection of Warm Medicinal Colors Here you will find a variety of warmly decorated medicines collected from all provinces and cities of Vietnam.
Room 15: Collection of Medicinal Wine Bottles This is a collection of wine glasses and wine pots of various shapes and materials, dating from the 1st-3rd centuries to the 20th-century.
Room 16: Thai Hospital This is a model of a Thai hospital where Vietnamese kings and royalty were treated in the past.
Room 17: Cinema Room A movie theater that seats 50 allows visitors to watch a documentary about the history of Vietnamese traditional medicine called Experience in the Century of Health Services. It is in five languages; Vietnamese, English, German, Russian and French.
Room 18: Souvenir Stall After touring the museum, visitors can experience the cutting, spreading, and tasting of medicine. They can also see how a medical examination and treatment are done. There is free herbal tea available and medicines, herbal tea, tonic wine, and products such shampoo, and shower gel are for sale.
Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine
Address: 41 Hoang Du Khuong, Ward 12, District 10, Saigon. Entrance ticket (Vietnamese/English voiceover included): • Adults: 120,000 VND • Students, students, children under 1.2m: 60,000 VND. Hours: 8:30 to 17:00 (Tuesday to Sunday).
Combining his love of video editing, producing commercials and photography, Oliver created an extraordinary video about his time in Vietnam, which has been exploding on the world wide web.
During the week, he is a Digital Director at Studio Hangloose, a creative agency in Rome. There, he learned the techniques of video editing while producing commercials for their clients. On the weekends, he becomes a creative photographer, and embarks on various photographic outings. He says that what is great about doing both is that they have many aspects in common, and in a sense, complement each other.
He says that his inspiration had always come from his attraction to Asian countries in general, but he has always found Vietnam one of the most fascinating. Oliver believes that despite Vietnam being one of the most photographed places on earth, it still has many secrets left to discover. He confides that this is what drives his photography: revealing locations and stories are still yet unknown.
When asked about the future, Oliver truthfully says that he has no idea. He hopes that he will work on what he loves, as he does currently. He wants to gather new experiences in new countries which will inspire him to make more videos, like the one he made for Vietnam. It is his plan to make at least 10 new videos in the next 3 years.
Palm Springs, a desert resort just two-hour’s drive from Los Angeles, is drenched in sunshine and star appeal. No wonder it’s so popular with Canadian snowbirds looking to warm up in the winter months.
Whether you are into golf, mid-century architecture, celebrity-watching, festivals or food, Palm Springs is the place to be. In fact, the city made Travel + Leisure magazine’s Best Places to Travel list in 2015.
The history with celebrities goes back to the 1920s when Palm Springs became a hideaway for Hollywood stars whose studios imposed the “Two-Hour Rule” (they had to be within two hours of Los Angeles in case there were film-shoot call-backs). Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Kirk Douglas, the Gabor sisters, Cary Grant Dinah Shore, Bob Hope, and Jack Benny were just a few of the big names that caroused around its turquoise swimming pools during the 1960s.
These days you are more likely to see Drew Barrymore or Miley Cyrus at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club, or Angelina Jolie at the Parker House Hotel. Drive around the Old Las Palmas neighbourhood, you might glimpse Leonardo DiCaprio who owns a home there. Take a Palm Springs Historical Society Walking Tour to really get to know the different neighbourhoods and their famous addresses. pshistoricalsociety.org.
There are many fabulous accommodations available in Palm Springs, but my favorite hotel is the Riviera Palm Springs. Step into the lounge area above the lobby and you’ll be met with glittering black and silver murals of Cher, Phyllis Diller, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. Frank Sinatra liked to do fundraising concerts here while Elvis Presley used the cabaret lounge to try out new material. psriviera.com
There’s more to do than lie around the pool, although that is very pleasant, too. Visit Sunnylands Estate, where Walter Annandale and his wife Leonore used to spend the winters. Walter served as ambassador to the United Kingdom during the Nixon administration and Leonore was chief of protocol during the Reagan administration. Used as a high-level retreat for a variety of “shirt-sleeve summits,” Sunnylands was where President Reagan signed the North American Free Trade Agreement and in 2014 President Obama met informally here with Chinese president Xi Jinping.
Of particular interest is the Asian Artists in Crystal collection with designs by 36 contemporary Far and Near Eastern artists. Commissioned by Steuben Glass in 1954, the collection features designs from 16 countries including Vietnam, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand and Burma. Look closely at the many pieces displayed and you will discover Saigon artist Nguygen-van-Long’s design of a floating village etched on a sparkling piece of crystal. sunnylands.org
If you like the outdoors, join a Desert Adventures jeep tour to see the San Andreas Fault and stand between the two famous plates which one day may separate California from North America. Learn about the area’s original inhabitants, the Cahuilla people, as well as the flora, fauna and local agriculture – the region is famed for its bell peppers, table grapes and dates. red-jeep.com
Another must do is riding the Ariel Tramway. Opened in 1963, the rotating tramway whisks visitors up 8,516 feet, near the top of Mont San Jacinto. Once there, enjoy the cool breeze as you hike numerous trails, go for a guided nature walk, have a picnic or simply gaze down at the beautiful Coachella Valley below. pstramway.com
Want to replenish your vitamin D this winter and experience a star-spangled getaway? Palm Springs is the perfect place to go. For more information, go to visitpalmsprings.com
SIDEBARS
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Jan. 1-11, Palm Springs International Film Festival psfilmfest.org Feb. 11-21, Modernism Week (mid-century design event) modernismweek.com April 15-17, 22-24, Coachella Music Festival coachella.com
FOODIE HOT SPOTS
Dish Creative: Modern American cuisine with cutting edge cocktails, dishcreativecuisine.com Norma’s, The Parker Palm Springs Hotel: High-end American comfort food, theparkerpalmsprings.com The Tropicale Restaurant & Coral Seas Lounge: World cuisine, outdoor patio and great entertainment. thetropicale.com Workshop Kitchen + Bar: Contemporary American cuisine in award-winning setting. workshoppalmsprings.com
Daniel Rutley, Psy.D. is a Clinical Psychotherapist in private practice in Mississauga. He is also the best-selling author of Escaping Emotional Entrapment: Freedom from negative thinking and unhealthy emotions. He specializes in depression, anxiety, anger, habit control and relationship issues. Daniel Rutley can be reached via: www.DanielRutley.com.
Q:
Every December I am more stressed and less happy than at any other time of the year. With so much to do I just don’t enjoy the “Holiday Season.” How can I have more fun and actually enjoy December again?
A:
It’s ironic that the season billed as one of love, peace and harmony – for the vast majority of people – is filled with financial hardship, sadness, depression, frustration, resentment, hostility and endless family conflicts. It seems that the season of “Peace on Earth” is anything but.
The problem is not the season, it is our approach.
People want to blame everyone and everything else for their “humbug” attitude. Whether it is the crowds, commercialism, or irritating relatives, there are a thousand reasons to dislike this holiday season. When added up they do not outweigh the few reasons to really dive into it and enjoy yourself – share and experience love, remember the value of peace and what is truly important in our lives.
Unfortunately, much of what is truly important in our lives is easily forgotten in favor of rather insignificant aspects. Many people fret over what other people will think of them if the house is not spotless, the turkey dinner isn’t presented perfectly, or the holiday cards are not out on time.
Here are some things you can do to enjoy this holiday season.
Attitude
Maintain a positive attitude. Don’t ignore negatives, just look for the positive hiding within them. What you think will largely determine how you feel.
Have a positive expectation of this holiday season. We tend to get not what we want but what we expect. Focus on what you are in complete control of…your attitude!
Regardless of your life circumstance, have the attitude of making this season the best ever…for you. This is your life…make it wonderful. You deserve nothing less.
Take things less seriously. Being light-hearted has never brought on a heart attack.
Behavior
Develop positive self-expression. Smile more. Compliment more. Be gracious and helpful. Slow down and relax.
Most people take great satisfaction in helping others. This is a time of year to be extra attentive, kind, forgiving and caring. Take a few moments to help a stranger or smile at a tired store clerk to help relieve the pressure in his or her world.
The best antidote to stress is to be more childlike and playful. Enjoy the moment. Remember what is important, your experience of life.
Allow extra time for almost everything so you don’t feel rushed.
Stop stressing to get irrelevancies accomplished – excessive cleaning or cooking. Don’t try to make everything perfect. Instead, make the season work for you. Make time for yourself.
Enjoy the little things in life. When was the last time you stood outside during a snowfall trying to catch flakes on your tongue? Or made a snowman or angels?
In any given situation, choose kindness over any other response.
