An Astronaut's wife tells all

http://www.chatelaine.com/living/real-life-stories/helene-hadfield-on-what-its-like-being-married-to-astronaut-chris-hadfield/?DFIX
Chris Hadfield is the Astronaut we all love and very little was said of the woman behind the man. There is one. Her name is Helene Hadfield and she and Chris were childhood sweethearts. She speaks to Chatelaine about what it is like being the wife of an astronaut and an attractive one at that. Very interesting.

Minister Peter McKay has found his Match

In defence of our Defence Minister, Hon. Peter MacKay, I would say he has chosen well. Clearly he  made several attempts but was not afraid to let go and move on until the fit was right. Now paired with a former Miss world runner up it would not be surprising if there are some little pitter patters around Parliament Hill soon. According to a 2005 report McKay puts a high price of family and would even trade being a prime minister of the country for a family.
   You cannot blame a man for wanting the best for himself and I hope that Ms Nazanin Afshin-Jam would work out and stick around for the long haul.
   It is a good show of diversity in Canada. Former NDP Leader Jack Layton had paired nicely with an immigrant woman and now our Defence Minister has also paired with a powerful woman who is not only fantastically beautiful but a social activist and has earned her right to be taken seriously and not as just an eye candy or accessory for the Minister.  Ms Afshin-Jam is the founder of Stop Child Executions, a group dedicated to ending capital punishment of children in Iran and was also a Board member of Canada Race Relations.
   I hope this twinning of the two cultures would open the way for peace dialogue between Iranian government and Canada and form a powerful political liaison to  benefit Canada.
Congratulations to Mr. McKay for finally finding his bride. I wish him all the happiness in the world and lots of children.

Feds cracking down on immigration involving marriage | Canada | News | Winnipeg Sun

Some folks will do anything to get a Canadian or American visa. In spite of some of the difficulties facing newcomers in settlment and integration, Canada and the US are still seen as a land of opportunities.
Change is coming. The government is taking steps to curb this practice as well as to deal with other fraudulent claims by some to get into Canada. It has been a long practice of forced marriage, or arranged marriage to get a person a landed immigrant visa and when that has been accomplished the marriage dissolves. Usually there is a fee for such arrangements. Well that would not be so easily done now.

Feds cracking down on immigration involving marriage Canada News Winnipeg Sun

It's Valentines and Love is in the air but keep your head steady girls when it comes to marriage. Is a Prenup Necessary?
Why propose a prenup?
This controversial contract isn’t just for wealthy lovebirds any more. Women who are working more and marrying later need to protect their assets, too
By Sarah Scott
So you're in love? Getting married! I'm so happy for you, and you know I only wish you the best. But just as a light aside, have you considered a prenup?Not that you're planning for divorce before the wedding day. Just think of it as insurance. You insure your house, and it's not like you want it to be struck by fire. It's just a precaution.

Before you strike me off the wedding list, hear me out. The other day I asked my lawyer, Sharon Bond, about the issue, and she says that the perception around prenups has changed. They used to protect the wealthy from the people who think the quickest way to make money is to marry it. Now they've trickled down to the rest of us: women who've saved enough money to buy a house, accumulated a pension or built a business. Sharon says that people like us should have some legal security or we might be in for a very nasty surprise if the marriage tanks, as nearly four out of 10 marriages do – especially women marrying later, who face more risk than first-timers. "I'm astounded in this day and age that people are going into marriage two or three without a prenup," Sharon told me. "There must be a lot of people out there who still believe in happily ever after."

Like you, I'm an optimist, but the moment you marry, the family home is divided 50-50; essentially you're handing over half the value of your life savings. We all hope it's forever, but what if something goes wrong?

The law is slightly different in each province, but here's how a divorce settlement works in Ontario: You list all assets and their value both on your wedding day and on the day you separated. What you bring into the marriage, apart from the family home, is yours. But you have to share the increase in the value of those assets with your soon-to-be-former husband. So if your business flourishes during the marriage, you'll owe him half of the increased value of your business. Or, say your husband's stockbroker does a great job inflating the value of his retirement fund; you'll get half of that increase. You might have to divide your inheritances. Even your beloved family cottage could be split 50-50 if you and your husband use it on a regular basis.

In British Columbia, you might even have to split the stuff you acquired before you married, if your family uses it. A judge can alter the 50-50 rule if your marriage lasts less than five years, or if one of you racks up huge debts. But without a prenup, you could be in a position of sharing just about everything you have with him – the furniture, Air Miles points, the house, the CDs.