NovaScotia posts

The learning doesn't have to stop during March Break. Museums and resource centres across Canada have plenty on the go for kids during March Break, including many activities that will teach them about art and culture. Here are five museums in Canada that offer great activities for kids during this month's prolonged recess for school:

%Gallery-149590%

1. Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto - With loads of programs, the AGO keeps kids entertained from March 12-16. Activities include a hands-on learning centre, a series of "Tin Tin" episodes to watch, a room where kids can build their own "sculpture garden" using soft plush pieces and family-friendly tours of the galleries.
2. Diefenbunker, Ottawa - If your kid has dreams of being James Bond - or Austin Powers - then the Diefenbunker Spy Camp is for him, or her. Kids will learn the art of espionage, which some parents may not be too keen about, but it's all in good fun. The Diefenbunker, so-named because it was a secret Cold War facility created during John Diefenbaker's administration, features lots of history as well as this unique experience. Kids will create a disguise for going undercover, make and break codes, and configure spy gadgets, among other things. The week-long camp ($225 per child) runs from March 12-16 and is for ages 7-12.
3. Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax - Sculpture, mixed-media and traditional painting are among the skills kids can learn from professional artists at this gallery. Classes run from March 10-18 with full-day ($250) and half-day ($125) sessions available.
4. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal - This fantastic museum has a 2-for-1 admission special during March Break to the special exhibit called "Feininger the Great Carnival," in which the work of Lyonel Feininger is explored. But what makes the Montreal Musem of Fine Arts special is its devotion to Canadian art, as best illustrated in the newly opened Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion of Quebec and Canadian Art. For older kids, the museum offers a cultural insight into Canada that they may appreciate if they're keen on art or the nation's history.
5. TheMuseum, Kitchener, Ont. - Hockey, art and skill development are all rolled into one fun package in this museum an hour southwest of Toronto. "Arena" features art work that comments on the national pastime as well as celebrates it. There are fun interactive displays and excellent art, including hockey masks from Wanda Koop that resemble tribal paintings and Graeme Patterson's mesmerizing stop-animation film featuring Darryl Sittler's famed 10-Point Game. The Canada-Russia Summit Series documentary will transfix parents. It runs continuously on the museum's top floor. With this being the 40^th anniversary of the Summit Series, the memories are even more poignant for some. "Arena" runs until May 6 at TheMuseum.

According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, the current pension plan for Nova Scotia's MLAs is far too generous, and the non-profit lobby group wants to see the plan scrapped.

In a study released Tuesday, the group says that two dozen MLAs stand to collect more than $23 million in retirement, if they all live to age 75. Many are set to earn million-dollar lifetime pension benefits. The report further states that for every dollar MLAs contribute to the plan, taxpayers contribute $22.

The group recommends that the provincial government completely abandon its current pension system and replace it with a defined contribution plan in which taxpayers contribute $1 for each dollar MLAs contribute. This would make the plan more in-line with many private sector plans, where employers often match employees' contributions dollar for dollar.

Kevin Lacey, the director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation for Atlantic Canada, also suggests that MLAs lose their pension if convicted of a crime related to their time in office. He was specifically referring to the five former Nova Scotia MLAs who are being investigated by police for spending infractions.