Greetings! This is the final bulletin for those attending the ISO Conference from April 20 - 22, 2012 in person, with up-to-date weather and other pertinent information, plus a recap of previously-posted items.

WEATHER

The weather is expected to be intermittently rainy and cool for much of the conference weekend, with temperatures ranging from 2°C/36°F to 13°C/56°F, but there should be some sunny, blue skies. You should allow for the evenings being chilly, and the days being quite temperate. A medium-weight jacket should mostly be sufficient. Please keep an eye on the forecast for changes.           

Current, Two Day & Fifteen Day Forecast:

http://www.timeanddate.com/weather/canada/toronto

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/caon0696?ref=topnav_weather_savedcity

Detailed Two Week Forecast:

http://www.timeanddate.com/weather/canada/toronto/ext

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/fourteenday/caon0696

Past Week:

http://www.timeanddate.com/weather/canada/toronto/historic

AREA MAP

Downtown Toronto (including conference locations):

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=205123194091200925702.0004b00056661129b9196&msa=0

AIRPORT TRANSIT

Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ):

1) Taxi or Airport Limousine - $50 to $70 one-way.

2) Airport Shuttle Bus - $23.95 one-way, $39.95 return.

http://www.torontoairportexpress.com/

3) TTC Airport Rocket Bus/Subway  (Adult single $3).

Take Airport Rocket Bus to Kipling Station, then subway eastbound to Bloor Station, change southbound to College Station, walk south one block to Delta Chelsea Hotel.

http://www3.ttc.ca/Riding_the_TTC/Airport_service.jsp

http://www.ttc.ca/

4) GO Transit Bus/TTC Subway (Adult single $5 + $3 = $8 or Return $10 + $6 = $16).

Take GO Transit Bus to York Mills Station, then subway southbound to College Station, walk south one block to Delta Chelsea Hotel.

http://www3.ttc.ca/Riding_the_TTC/Airport_service.jsp

http://www.gotransit.com/publicroot/en/fares/farecalculator.aspx?New=#frcity

http://www.ttc.ca/

Note: 3 & 4 are cheaper options but take longer, involve changes & are difficult with luggage.

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ):

Take Ferry (free) from Airport to Toronto Mainland (Bathurst & Queen's Quay West).

Then EITHER 1) Shuttle Bus (free) to Royal York Hotel, cross to Union Subway Station, and take TTC Subway from Union Station to College Station, walk south one block to Delta Chelsea Hotel.

(Adult single $3).

http://www.ttc.ca/

OR 2) Taxi or Airport Limousine to Delta Chelsea Hotel ($10 to $15 ride approximately).

PRE-CONFERENCE MEETINGS

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012

The 519 Church Street Community Centre

519 Church Street, Toronto

(Subway Station: Wellesley)

Literature Development, Room 303 - 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

(Contact John F. to attend)

Archives Working Group, Room 304 - 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

(Contact Sid W. to attend)

http://www.the519.org/contact

EXCHANGE RATES

The US dollar has strengthened against the Canadian dollar in the past few months,  and the two currencies are now roughly at par, with fluctuations. The current rate of exchange is approximately US $1.001 to CDN $1.00. Allowing for commissions, you should expect to receive slightly less in Canadian currency than the same figure in US dollars. When spending, the currencies and amounts can generally be regarded as equal.

RECAP OF PREVIOUS INFORMATION

RESTAURANTS:

http://www.scanneronline.org/2012/02/toronto-2012-iso-conference-countdown-restaurants-map-toronto-2012-iso-conference-countdown-restaura.html

HOTEL & GENERAL INFORMATION:

http://www.scanneronline.org/2012/01/toronto-2012-iso-conference-registration.html

http://www.scanneronline.org/2011/07/iso-annual-conference---toronto-april-20---22-2012.html

RENDEZVOUS INFORMATION

For those who are attending the self-pay meal before the conference on Friday evening, please join us at Trattoria Mercatto in the Eaton Centre at 4:45 p.m. promptly.

For those who will be joining us at the start of the conference proper, please be in the Baker Room on the Second Floor of the South Tower of the Delta Chelsea Hotel (take the Blue Elevators) for a prompt start at 6:00 p.m. sharp.

We look forward to meeting you all this Friday!

Yours in recovery,

Kevin - SCA Toronto

ISO Host Committee

Greetings to all who are attending the upcoming ISO Conference!

COUNTDOWN:

The countdown is on! April 20, 2012 is the date!

http://www.timeanddate.com/counters/customcounter.html?msg=Toronto+2012+ISO+Annual+Conference+&month=4&day=20&year=2012&hour=18&min=0&sec=0&p0=250

Please remember the deadlines:

Registration forms to be returned by Wednesday, March 14, 2012.

http://www.timeanddate.com/counters/customcounter.html?msg=Registration+Form+Deadline&month=3&day=14&year=2012&hour=23&min=59&sec=59&p0=250

Hotel room reservations to be made by Wednesday, March 21, 2012.

http://www.timeanddate.com/counters/customcounter.html?msg=Hotel+Room+Reservation+Deadline&month=03&day=21&year=2012&hour=17&min=0&sec=0&p0=250

RESTAURANTS:

Friday, April 20, 2012, 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. - Trattoria Mercatto, Eaton Centre, 220 Yonge Street, Toronto (Self-pay):

http://trattoriamercatto.ca/

As we will be pressed for time on the Friday evening, please take a few moments to review the menu before the day, to speed up the ordering process and help us keep on schedule for the 6:00 p.m. start-time of the conference proper. Click on "Food" at top right of the Home Page, then "Cibo Menu" at bottom left of the next page. Please note the menu may change somewhat in March. On arrival, ask for the ISO Group. We have reserved the Harvest Table on the ground floor at the back.

Saturday, April 21, 2012, 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. - Market Garden Restaurant, Delta Chelsea Hotel, 33 Gerrard Street West, Toronto (Hosted/complimentary):

http://www.deltahotels.com/en/hotels/ontario/delta-chelsea/restaurants-and-dining/market-garden/

Lunch vouchers will be provided by ISO.

Saturday, April 21, 2012, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Pi Tom's Thai Cuisine, 6A Alexander Street, Toronto (Hosted/complimentary):

http://www.pi-tom.com/index.php

Fixed menu dinner will be provided by SCA Toronto.

Sunday, April 22, 2012, 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. - Le Commensal, 39 Elm Street, Toronto (Self-pay):

http://www.commensal.ca/

Groups receive a 30% discount on Sundays at this buffet-style restaurant. Specify that you are with the ISO Group when paying to receive the discount.

Breakfasts, beverages and snacks will be catered to the Baker Room during the conference.

AREA MAP:

Downtown Toronto (including conference locations):             

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=205123194091200925702.0004b00056661129b9196&msa=0

You can click on the various entries and locations for additional details and street view pictures. In some cases, you may have to scroll around, as the image or address is approximate.

REMOTE PARTICIPATION:

For anyone who is unable to attend the ISO conference in person this year, remote participation is once again possible via the Calliflower Conference Call system we have been using for the past few years. Details for participating remotely and Calliflower invitations will be sent out by ISO before the conference.

http://vimeo.com/32397612 J

IN-PERSON ATTENDEES:

Your co-operation in returning conference registration forms and making hotel reservations by the due dates will be appreciated. We have to commit to food orders which become non-refundable once made, and the hotel is only holding rooms for us at the special rate until the cut-off deadline!

Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible in Toronto!

Yours in recovery,

Kevin - SCA Toronto

ISO Host Committee

Greetings all,

A registration form for the 2012 SCA ISO Conference, April 20 - 22, 2012 has been sent out by email to the ISO List separately. If you are attending the conference, please complete and return the registration form as soon as possible, and by no later than Wednesday, March 14, 2012.

All main ISO Conference meetings will take place in the "Baker Room" at the Delta Chelsea Hotel, 33 Gerrard Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1Z4, Canada. Telephone 1-800-243-5732 or (416) 595-1975.

Please note that room reservations must be made by calling the hotel by telephone at the above numbers and quoting the group name "SCA Conference" and/or group code "GLDSCA." Special rate room reservations cannot be made online.

If needed, subway stations serving the Delta Chelsea Hotel are either College (walk south on Yonge Street one block to Gerrard Street) or Dundas (walk north on Yonge Street one block to Gerrard Street).

The meeting room booked for literature development committee or other use from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, April 20, 2012 is Room 303 on the 3^rd Floor at the 519 Church Street Community Centre, 519 Church Street, Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 2C9. The meeting room is equipped with wireless internet access. There is a café on the ground floor of the community centre serving food, snacks and beverages if needed, or there are a number of other restaurants and coffee shops nearby.

http://www.the519.org/

http://www.the519.org/programsservices/fabarnakrestaurantandcatering

There will be optional self-pay meals at nearby restaurants on Friday April 20, 2012 from 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. before the conference, and on Sunday, April 22, 2012 from 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. after the conference, for those who wish to attend. Firm times and details of restaurant locations will follow.

The SCA Toronto ISO Host Committee will provide a catered dinner on Saturday, April 21, 2012  at 7:00 p.m.  This dinner is free for delegates who complete and return the registration form by March 14, 2012. There will be a charge of approximately $20 for guests of delegates. There will be an SCA meeting at a nearby meeting room immediately after the dinner, commencing at approximately 8:30 p.m.

We plan to have some recovery activities on Sunday, April 22, 2012  from approximately 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.  following the adjournment of the conference, depending on demand. These activities may include SCA long-share meetings, workshops, and other forms of fellowship and socializing.  Please indicate whether you plan to stay for these activities.

A few other items to note:

The guest rooms at the Delta Chelsea Hotel have wired internet connection, not wireless. The ethernet cable required to connect is provided in all guest rooms. Unfortunately, guests will not be able to use devices such as the iPad or iPhone to connect with the internet in their guestroom with the access provided by the hotel. The hotel's lobby and meeting space floors are, however, equipped with wireless internet, and that is provided at no charge for guest use. This includes the Baker Room, business centre, restaurant and bar areas. There are no time restrictions on use. If you need more details, or have queries about using specific devices at the hotel, please check with the reservations staff when booking your room.

As advised previously, the standard internet connection fee in guestrooms has been waived for SCA ISO conference attendees. This is normally $13.95 plus taxes per night. However, the hotel advises that when the internet is used in rooms, a standard screen will appear and guests will still be prompted to accept the standard charge. The hotel unfortunately has no way to remove the standard charge screen when internet charges are waived. Although you will need to accept the charges to use the internet, the reservations information has been set up so that no internet charges should appear on final bills.

For anyone who requires wireless internet access at all times, there is a 6 square kilometre continuous wireless hotspot service in the downtown Toronto core (including coverage for iPhones and iPads), for which short term registration and fees are available:

http://www.onezone.ca/

All ISO conference locations, including meeting rooms and restaurants, are within the One Zone wireless network area.

Where telephone calls are concerned, delegates may want to consider purchasing a telephone calling card/prepaid phone card in order to save on long distance and roaming charges from guestrooms or cell phones. Different types of card are available from local convenience stores and the hotel's gift shop, and at least some of them should work for cell phones. Please check with the hotel and your individual service provider for details about telephone charges.    

If you plan to attend the conference and are reading this on the SCAnner, but are not yet signed up on the ISO List for some reason, or you know of someone this applies to, please forward us an appropriate email address, and we will send out the ISO conference registration form and information directly.

Please contact us by email at scatoronto@hotmail.com with any questions or special requests.

Yours in recovery,

Kevin - SCA Toronto

ISO Host Committee

We are now in the final few months before the ISO Annual Conference on April 20 - 22, 2012. If you are attending, please remember that to qualify for the discounted rate, hotel bookings need to be made by the deadline of March 21, 2012 at the latest.

For details about the conference, please see previous email announcements and SCAnner postings on July 24, 2011 and September 5, 2011:

http://www.scanneronline.org/2011/07/iso-annual-conference---toronto-april-20---22-2012.html

http://www.scanneronline.org/2011/09/toronto-2012-iso-conference-information.html

Please let us know by email at scatoronto@hotmail.com when you have made your reservations. Please also let us know if you plan to attend either or both of the optional self-pay meals on Friday evening, April 20, 2012 immediately before the conference, or Sunday lunchtime, April 22, 2012 immediately after the conference so we have an idea of the numbers. We anticipate that a self-pay meal will cost somewhere in the region of $20 to $25 per head.

We have booked a room at a local community centre within walking distance of the Delta Chelsea Hotel which will be available for Literature Development Committee purposes from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday April 20, 2012 if needed. The room seats 8 people around a table comfortably, and has a capacity of up to 12 people in total. This can be used for working on any new literature that is in the pipeline, or translations, or indeed the redesign of existing literature that has been raised as a possibility in the past. If not needed for literature, the room can be used for general purposes, such as perhaps work on the planned remodeling of the ISO website, or similar projects. If you are interested in using the room, please coordinate with us by email before the day.

The Delta Chelsea hotel has also confirmed that we have the use of the meeting room we have hired at the hotel on Sunday April 22, 2012 until 5:00 p.m. if needed. This means we can use the same room for a meeting after the official ending of the conference at no extra charge if we wish.

For those travelling to Toronto from New York or Chicago who may be interested, we have been advised by a member that Porter Airlines currently has a 50% sale on base fares for tickets for travel before April 30, 2012. Bookings must be made by midnight on January 6, 2012. Travel by April 30, 2012. Use Promo Code BOX50. For details, please see Porter Airlines' website:

https://www.flyporter.com/Flight/Tickets?culture=en-CA

We are providing this information as a courtesy only, not as a recommendation or endorsement. Travel arrangements are entirely up to individuals to decide on.

We have been having an exceptionally mild winter so far, so if this continues we may have some unexpectedly good weather at conference time in the spring. A bulletin on the actual weather conditions will follow towards the date.

Happy New Year to all!

Yours in recovery,

Kevin - SCA Toronto

ISO Host Committee