May 2019

Universal is 70 – Help us celebrate at the Summer Family Event!

As you all know, we are celebrating Universal’s 70th Anniversary and want everyone from near and far to attend this year’s Summer Family Event at Bruce’s Mill in Stouffville on Saturday, June 22nd to mark this occasion.

As mentioned in previous emails, the Events Committee has planned a fun filled afternoon:

Inflatables for the Younger Crowd

Interactive Inflatables for Young & Not So Young

Carnival & Racing Games

Sack Races, Hula Hoops, Tug of War, etc.

Food, Drinks, Ice Cream

Magic Mirror Photo Booth

It is not too late to join the fun – please let Claudia or Phoebe know as soon as possible if you can attend!

Act of Kindness

Contributor: Thomas Potter

With the surge of technology, social media and a 24-hour news cycle, our exposure to traumatic events has increased rapidly.  Along with this has been the increased spread of hate, making random acts of kindness that much needed in today’s world.  A great example about one such random act of kindness involves our Oswaldo Arteaga.

Ecuador on World Map

Recently Oswaldo and his family travelled for vacation to Ecuador, his birth country. Flying from Toronto, they flew for 9 hours and covered over 5,000 km to land in Guayaqui. From there they journeyed into stays in Montanita, Olon, and Puerto Lopez. 

Oswaldo and his son Rafael had a memorable and humbling experience in Olon where they met some local youth who gathered each evening to play beach soccer.  This is his experience in his own words:

“We were given the opportunity to give back and it felt great.  On our first sunset in the Olon beach we saw over 20 teens come out and play beach-soccer.  Their nets were two sandals used to act as goal posts.  The talent these kids had with the ball was outstanding.  Above all, they were just young teens all getting together to play a sport and have fun with it.  My son was shy to ask if he could play with them, but once he did, they welcomed him and invited him to come back the next day.  They played until sunset and stopped their game only after it got dark and the ball was no longer visible.  At that point, they scattered off in different directions to carry on with their lives.  However just like that my son had made new friends.

We wanted to do something before we left so on our last day in town, we found a welder that could make a couple of more suitable nets for their games.  Right as they started their game, we got the nets and surprised them.  We did not expect, nor did we request, the applause or the gestures of gratitude that we received.  Their smiles filled us with such a rewarding feeling of joy and made our stay in this town a lot more memorable.”

Oswaldo’s unplanned act of generosity in helping local youth serves as a perfect reminder to all of us on how small random acts of kindness can make a real impact on the lives of others, while making this a better world to live in.

In speaking with Oswaldo, his passion and love for Ecuador is abundantly clear.  When choosing a holiday destination to visit, this beautiful and exotic country with mountains, jungles, beaches is certainly a consideration (https://ecuador.travel/en/).

Plus, resident Ecuadorian travel expert, Oswaldo, has advised he’d be very happy to share his experiences and his favourite parts of the country.

Educational Achievements

“Knowledge is what can separate you from the pack.
It can take you as high as you want to go if you put it into action.”

The employees of Universal Logistics regularly receive industry training that is paid for by the company.  We are proud to recognize the achievement and success of our latest course and program graduates, who have earned these designations.

2019 CSCB Designate Day

(From left to right) Stephen Hatton, Veena Ramesh, Andrew Doick, Lukas Hamann, Ivy Woo, Carol West – CSCB President & Mark Glionna

CIFFA Certification Program

Gary Jin (Ocean Services) – Completed second portion of CIFFA Certificate Program – Essentials of Freight Forwarding with Honours		Pardis Molaei (Ocean Services) – Completed second portion of CIFFA Certificate Program – Essentials of Freight Forwarding

Something’s Brewing

What goes in the blue bin?

Are you doing some form of recycling?  Properly sorting your waste into the right bins can reduce the waste going to landfill and save the environment.

The recycling symbol is something we might look for to decide whether the item is recyclable.  However the recycling symbol or the term “recyclable” does not mean it will be accepted by the local recycling program.  Improper recycling can cause contamination and the whole batch can end up being sent to the landfill as garbage.

How well do you know how to recycle?  Pick the 3 that are considered Recyclable Items in the City of Toronto.

Click on the question above, submit your answer to Phoebe, and you’re eligible to win! 

Submission deadline
May 24, 2019 (Friday) noon

Prize
$25 Tim Hortons or Starbucks gift card for the winner
(If more than one person gets the right answer, we will pick the name out of a hat)

5 Tips to Help You Stay Hydrated!

Contributor: Crystal Thongmanivong

Experts say that drinking 64-96 ounces of water a day will keep you hydrated.  That is about 8-12 8-ounce glasses of water.

1. Make it a habit to drink a full glass of water first thing in the morning and before bed.  A glass of water in the morning will also help kick-start your metabolism for the day!
2. Carry a reusable water bottle with you during the day and at night.  Not only will this remind you to drink water but it will also prevent you from buying sugary drinks when you have your own water supply!
3. Eat more foods with high water content.  Liquid in your food counts toward your daily total.  Some fruits and vegetables are more than 90% water, such as melons, grapefruit, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage, celery, spinach, tomatoes and more.  Low-sodium soups, popsicles and gelatins are also high in water.
4. Infuse your water if you do not like drinking plain water.  Try adding some berries, lime, lemon, or orange slices to your water.
5. Track your intake.  If you have trouble remembering to drink water, drink on a schedule.  For example, drink water when you have breakfast, lunch, and dinner or drink a small glass of water at the beginning of each hour and mark it down so you know exactly how many glasses you are drinking!

Click here to join the 30-Day Water Challenge to help you get started!   

Awesome things to do in Toronto this summer

Finally summer is almost upon us and wondering how to spend those warm sunny days?  Toronto has plenty to do, no matter what your interests are.  The city is filled with festivals, events and activities, well worth your time.  Whether you’re a local Torontonian or doing the tourist thing and visiting, here are 5 awesome things to do in Toronto this summer.

Hit up a food or street festival
If there’s any time in Toronto to feast, it’s summer and food festivals are a great way to try new foods from all over the world.  Bring your appetite to the Toronto Ribfest (June 28-July 1, 2019), Pizza Fest (July 19-21, 2019), Taste of the Middle East (July 27, 2019), Toronto Food Truck Festival (August 2-5, 2019), Beer, Bourbon & BBQ (August 9-11, 2019) and Vegandale Food and Drink Festival (August 10, 2019).

Street festivals are fantastic opportunities to get to know a neighbourhood and interact with the local community.  Some of this year’s street festivals include Dundas West Fest (June 7-8, 2019), Taste of Lawrence (July 5-7, 2019), Salsa on St. Clair (July 6-7, 2019), Big on Bloor (July 20, 2019) and Taste of the Danforth (August 9-11, 2019).

Head to the beach
Toronto is blessed with a number of fine stretches of sand perfect for plopping down with a blanket and a good beach read.  Sneak off to the Toronto Islands to enjoy Ward’s Island Beach or Hanlan’s Point, or check out Cherry Beach or Kew-Balmy Beach in the east end and Sunnyside Beach in the west end.

Cool off with a frozen treat
Summer is the perfect time to indulge in a frozen treat and Toronto has some great options for cooling down with something sweet.  Paletas, Mexican ice pops, are available in more and more venues in Toronto including Wrestlers at various locations and at Café Con Leche in the Junction Triangle.  Not to mention, Thai ice cream rolls from Arctic Bites, churro ice cream cones from Pancho’s Bakery and straight up ice cream cones from Dutch Dreams. 

Make your way to a music festival
Summer is definitely a music festival season and there are lots of music fests to suit everyone’s musical tastes, including TD Toronto Jazz Festival (June 21-30, 2019), Dreams Festival (June 29-30, 2019), Beaches International Jazz Festival (July 5-28, 2019) and VELD Music Festival (August 3-4, 2019).

Hang out at Harbourfront
Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre is a great place to spend a few sunny, summer days.  The waterfront location can’t be beat, plus there are always festivals and events going on for people of all ages.  Whether you’re interested in food-focused events, music, cultural activities or art – you’ll find something worthwhile to see and do here.

Phishing e-mails, pronounced like fishing, is an attempt to trick (scam) you into disclosing personal sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, online bank and credit card details or have you either click on a link or open a document that will install malicious code on your PC.  We have anti-virus on our PCs and Pathway scans all emails before sending them.  However, cyber criminals are always finding new ways to bypass the anti-spam software and sometimes succeed so we should always be on the alert for suspicious email.

Here are a few things to watch out for and better help protect yourself against the dangers of phishing e-mails.

The email asks you to confirm personal information:
Even if the email is from a company you do business with, do not click on links or send in any information.  If you think the email could be genuine, contact the organization directly with a new email or by phone.  If you have to, type in the link address yourself instead of clicking on a link.

The web and email addresses do not look genuine:
If you are suspicious, look carefully at the email address or web address.  They may appear to be genuine but will contain small differences from the actual email, such as someone@universallogistics.ca.nb instead of someone@universallogistics.ca.

The email is poorly written:
If the email is from a business like a bank but the English used is poor, it’s likely spam.

There is a suspicious attachment:
Alarm bells should be ringing if you receive an email from a company out of the blue that contains an attachment, especially if it relates to something that you do not normally receive.

The message is designed to make you panic:
Emails that say your email is compromised or they have your passwords, are counting on you to panic and do what they ask.  Deleting the email is the best action.

Proceed with caution:
If you are unsure of an email, just forward the email to tickets@universallogistics.ca and we will let you know if it’s safe.