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TGIF: The Original Freedom Fighters

“Seventy five years ago, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, sailors and airmen left these shores in the cause of freedom. The fate of the world depended on their success. Many of them would never return and the heroism, courage and sacrifice of those who lost their lives will never be forgotten.”

These were the words from the Queen at a commemoration service in Portsmouth, England, on Wednesday remembering D Day. She was joined by Prime minister Justin Trudeau, American President Donald Trump and other world leaders. The dwindling number of Second World War veterans in attendance, most now in their nineties, were honored for their role in the conflict freeing the world of tyranny. Trudeau paid homage to those who fought and died, but also promised to work together to ensure the horrors of that global conflict are never again repeated. The leaders made a joint pledge at the end of the ceremonies recommitting to their shared values because they “support the stability and prosperity of our nations and our people. We will work together as allies and friends to defend those freedoms whenever they are threatened”

Ceremonies continued in Normandy Thursday, including at Juno Beach where the Canadians came ashore. Haunting memories!

Closer to home, we have discovered that the Government is sending bills for the SPECULATION AND VACANCY TAX to seniors who moved into assisted living, then sold their home while vacant. Under these circumstances, the owners are actually exempt from the tax. The problem lies in that sometimes the notice to file has gone to the old address, or the senior doesn’t understand the need to file because he hasn’t done anything wrong. Our seniors need advocates in dealing with this as, in the event they have received an unwarranted bill, the seniors themselves have to be the people who call 1-833-554-2323. It is confusing, so it is wise to have the advocate standing by ensuring all the necessary information is at hand. It is an easy, if somewhat time consuming, process to rectify the situation once speaking with the appropriate government agent.

So… if someone you know, specially a senior, has been sent such a bill, make sure it is not paid without calling the department and checking for an exemption. Thanks to DBM for helping us help others with this odd situation – always learning something new. Let’s value our seniors, specially this week.

Just as our name sounds, we have the privilege of representing all generations and enjoy every moment keeping them covered.

Michelle, Scott, Sheila, Ray, and Shane Generations Real Estate Partners