Picture by Getty Images (3)By the halfway point of the 24km course it was already clear that she was going to retain her title. Zijlaard-van Moorsel's split time was 23 seconds ahead of anyone else and she showed no signs of letting up. By the time she crossed the line for a time of 31 minutes 11.53 seconds she was 24 seconds clear of the USA’s Dede Demet-Barry.
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</a>The win gave Zijlaard-van Moorsel her fourth gold medal
which made her the most successful female cyclist in Olympic history
A few days later she added a bronze in the 3,000m individual pursuit
a race in which all three medallists broke the world record
<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.morrisburgleader.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/obit-diny-van-moorsel.jpg?ssl=1"></a>Peacefully at the Dundas Manor on Monday
Diny Van Moorsel (nee Vanderheyden) formerly of Mariatown
 Beloved wife of the late Harry Van Moorsel
 Loving mother of MaryAnne Verhoeven (John) of Glen Becker
Dianne Lapier (David) of Williamsburg and Lori-Anne Van Moorsel of Morrisburg
Betsie Biemans (late Jan) and Marietje Knaapen (late Mathieu) all of the Netherlands
Oma will be sadly missed by her grandchildren: Karin MacPherson (John)
Jessica Morrow (Adam) and Liam Morrow (Kennedi) and great-grandchildren: Will
Predeceased by her brothers Gerard (Henrica)
Diny will be fondly remembered by her good friend Miep Jansen
Mary Van Moorsel and Nolda Byvelds along with many nieces &amp; nephews
Friends may call at the Marsden and McLaughlin Funeral Home
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St
 Donations to Dundas Manor Nursing Home or Winchester Hospital would be gratefully acknowledged by the family
 If you are making your donation online or by cheque directly to the charity
please include the following note with your gift “please notify the family”
Online condolences may be made at marsdenmclaughlin.com
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The further removed we are from the COVID-19 pandemic, the easier it is to note that, if you squint, some good came out of it. 
 Article contentGreg Van Moorsel is one of those individuals who can point to the coronavirus scare that swept the world for getting him back into shape, or specifically, cycling. 
And today he can call himself a provincial champion. 
The 30-year-old Mitchell man said he, like the rest of us, couldn’t do much during the pandemic, and it was driving him antsy. While helping run the family business, H. Van Moorsel Insulation, he realized he had gained weight so decided to return to something he really enjoyed as a kid growing up on Highway 23 just south of Bornholm — mountain biking. 
“I honestly needed to leave the house . . .  and I saw my bike there, and I said I can’t do anything, I can’t go have fun. I can’t go to my friends’ houses,” he said during a recent interview. “I don’t even care if I can’t go to a mountain bike trail or if they’re even open, I just know how to get to a couple of trails in the bush, so I grabbed my bike and I just went.” 
He recalled that his first mountain bike race was as a nine-year-old. Along with dirt biking and cross-country running while a student at Mitchell District high school, he competed in other various sports until about 2013 when he graduated. 
Almost a decade later, during the tail end of COVID-19 in 2022, he started racing again, essentially starting from scratch and building his body back into form. 
In August, Van Moorsel finished first in the Ontario Cycling mountain bike provincial championships’ 19-to-34 expert men category, besting all others around the rugged 30-kilometre four-lap track at Kelso Conservation Area in Milton in one hour and 17 minutes. 
One month earlier in Kentville, N.S., Van Moorsel finished second in the same age category at the Canadian mountain bike championships, completing the four-lap course in one hour and nine minutes, averaging 17 to 18 minutes per lap. It was his third time at nationals, but first since COVID and first time on the podium. 
He was confident heading into provincials after that result, but noted the national champion, who ended up third in Milton, was also from Ontario. 
“My dad (Brent) essentially always liked anything with wheels,” he said with a grin while explaining his origin story.  
They would ride around Wildwood Conservation Area in St. Marys and, although too young to race, Van Moorsel got the itch almost immediately. 
“I just loved riding my bike when I was a kid. Both my parents said I was off training wheels at three years old,” he said. “I’m shocked it’s not more popular because, at 10 years old, all kids want to do is ride a bike. It’s too bad because it is such a good sport for you. I know baseball and soccer are the main sports that kids play, but there are more sports out there than the main ones. 
“If you lose a hockey game, you can say your goalie sucked or the defence could have played better. In mountain biking, it’s you and you alone, so if you have a bad race, there’s nobody to blame but yourself.” 
Despite all the competitions throughout the years, the provincial title on Aug. 11 was his first-ever mountain bike victory. 
Van Moorsel describes his racing style as “punchy” since he likes the shorter 30-second climbs, but he also feels he excels at the technical downhills. He began the year routinely finishing in ninth place and then, he said jokingly, “I got really good at finishing fourth” — three times in a row, in fact, or just off the podium. 
With extensive training along Line 32, Boler Mountain or Wildwood — he’s on one of his three types of bikes five or six days a week, plus gym workouts in Stratford — he grew confident he could improve, and the recent results have shown it. 
“My goal was to win. I knew this year I had a good chance to at least podium at a couple races,” he said. “I had beaten other guys that were racing and then finally, at provincials, I just put everything together and came out with a win.” 
Weeks after that victory, his reaction while describing it speaks volumes at how much it means to him. 
“I was feeling better getting close to the end of the race. . . .  I was putting in these little surges and, every time I’d surge, I’d gap the guy in second by three or four seconds. He’d work hard to catch me again, then I’d repeat it all again just to try and test him to see if he would stick with me or not,” he said. 
“As soon as we got in the last single-track section, I just put the hammer down. I didn’t even look back until I was about 50 metres from the finish line, and I realized I had a big enough gap then.” 
“I could barely breathe . . .  but at the same time, I couldn’t stop smiling.” 
Hard work has paid off, and it’s only motivated him to continue to train, improve and repeat. He’s essentially at the top of the amateur level as an independent rider, although he does interact regularly with a coach. When he turns 35, he’ll move up to the masters category, and said an immediate goal is to compete at a world championship in that group. 
Van Moorsel will celebrate his first wedding anniversary this month with his wife, Maddi, who he commends for her support and patience. 
“She’s been great with it, saying it takes up too much of my time sometimes but she sees how happy I am when I’m on my bike,” he said. “Even if I go for a training ride in London and I come home, she says I’m a completely different person. . . . I’m so much happier.” 
In November, Van Moorsel will compete in the provincial championships in cyclocross, a blend of road cycling, mountain biking and steeplechase. In total, he says he’ll take just five days off before he needs to get ready for the next season. 
“I just love the competition aspect of it,” he said, acknowledging there’s no prize money, just medallions and a lot of pride on the line every time he competes.  
“It started out as a hobby but kind of took over my life . . .  so it’s a lifestyle.” 
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Volume 3 - 2020 | <a class="ArticleLayoutHeader__info__doi" href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2020.00028">https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2020.00028</a>
This article is part of the Research Topic1st Symposium on Cryptocurrency Analysis (SOCCA 2018)<a class="Link Link--linkType Link--maincolor Link--medium Link--icon Link--chevronRight Link--right" aria-label="View all articles" href="https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/9592//articles" target="_self" data-event="customLink-linkType-a_viewAllArticles">View all articles</a>
Both in the design and deployment of blockchain solutions many performance-impacting configuration choices need to be made
a framework and software tool to build and simulate discrete-event dynamic systems models for blockchain systems
BlockSim is designed to support the analysis of a large variety of blockchains and blockchain deployments as well as a wide set of analysis questions
which contains the main model constructs common across various blockchain systems organized in three abstraction layers (network
The Base Model is usable for a wide variety of blockchain systems and can be extended easily to include system or deployment particulars
The BlockSim software tool provides a simulator that implements the Base Model in Python
and the application of BlockSim to Bitcoin
We validate BlockSim simulation results by comparison with performance results from actual systems and from other studies in the literature
We close the paper by a BlockSim simulation study of the impact of uncle blocks rewards on mining decentralization
for a variety of blockchain configurations
In the design as well as the deployment of blockchain solutions, many architectural, configuration and parameterization questions need to be considered. Since it is usually not feasible or practical to answer these questions using experimentation or trial-and-error, model-based simulation is required as an alternative. In this paper, we propose a discrete-event simulation framework called BlockSim (<a href="#B6">Alharby and Van Moorsel, 2019</a>) to explore the effects of configuration
parameterization and design decisions on the behavior of blockchain systems
BlockSim aims to provide simulation constructs that are intuitive
hide unnecessary detail and can be easily manipulated to be applied to a large set of blockchains design and deployment questions (related to performance
Generality: we want to be able to use BlockSim for a large set of blockchain systems
Extensibility: BlockSim should be easy to manipulate by a designer or analyst to study different types and aspects of blockchain systems
Simplicity: the above two objectives should be met while making BlockSim easy to use
both for simulation studies and for extending it
This paper expands on the short introduction of the BlockSim framework in <a href="#B6">Alharby and Van Moorsel (2019)</a>
and discusses all facets of the tool design
At the core of BlockSim is a Base Model, which contains model constructs at three abstraction layers: the network layer, the consensus layer and the incentives layer (<a href="#B25">Van Moorsel et al., 2018</a>)
The network layer captures the blockchain&#x00027;s nodes and the underlying peer-to-peer protocol to exchange data between nodes
The consensus layer captures the algorithms and rules adopted to reach an agreement about the current state of the blockchain ledger
The incentives layer captures the economic incentive mechanisms adopted by a blockchain to issue and distribute rewards among the participating nodes
The Base Model contains a number of functional blocks common across blockchains
that can be extended and configured as suited for the system and study of interest
These are then implemented through a number of Python modules
etc.) that implement the simulation engine
The public nature of permissionless blockchains provides for particularly powerful opportunities to validate the simulator
We validate the BlockSim simulation results by comparing against theoretical results (invariants such as block rate)
against data from the existing public blockchain systems such as Ethereum and Bitcoin and against results from the literature
The BlockSim simulation results are within a statistically acceptable margin of the real-life or published results
We also demonstrate the use of BlockSim for a simulation study that considers stale rate
for a range of possible blockchain configurations (not all existing in real-life systems)
Using BlockSim we can demonstrate that uncle inclusion (such as in Ethereum) is beneficial for mining decentralization
Section 2 discusses an overview of blockchain and its underlying layers
it discusses an overview of modeling and simulation
Section 3 discusses the core Base Model of BlockSim including the design objectives behind it
Section 4 presents the implementation of the Base Model
Section 5 presents the application of BlockSim to Bitcoin
Ethereum and other consensus protocols as case studies
Section 6 discusses the validation of BlockSim against actual systems and studies from the literature
Sections 7 and 8 show a BlockSim simulation study as well as the evaluation of BlockSim against the design objectives
with an aim to keep track of all transactions that ever occurred in the blockchain network
This ledger is replicated and distributed among the network&#x00027;s nodes
to provide an immutable log of all transactions
and to make the transactions transparent (i.e.
visible) to anyone inspecting or using the blockchain
Any participating node in a permissionless blockchain can generate a transaction and broadcast it in the network
Each node has a pool to keep pending incoming transactions (transactions that need to be executed)
To generate and attach a new block to the blockchain ledger
a subset of the nodes (called miners) select several pending transactions from their pools
execute them and then create a new block containing those transactions
How and when blocks are generated depends on the consensus protocol adopted by the blockchain system (see section 2.2.2)
Once a miner has successfully created a block
it will then broadcast it to other nodes in the network
each node validates the block&#x00027;s correctness and appends it to its ledger
If the majority of the nodes attach the block to their ledger and start building on top of it
the block will be confirmed and considered as part of the blockchain ledger
The miner of that block can then collect a reward for the block as well as the fees associated with its transactions as compensation for their efforts
Blockchain systems can naturally be divided in three layers, the network, consensus and incentives layer, as depicted in <a href="#F1">Figure 1</a>
We will utilize these layers to structure the BlockSim simulator and therefore here provide a system explanation in layers as well
The network layer captures the network&#x00027;s nodes and the underlying network protocol to distribute information between nodes
The incentives layer captures the economic mechanisms adopted by a blockchain to issue and distribute rewards among the participating nodes
The network layer in blockchain systems contains the nodes in the network
their geographical and relative locations and the connectivity among them
It defines which information is to be propagated as well as the mechanism to propagate such information
The main constitute in the network layer is a node
A node can be an ordinary user who wants to create and submit a transaction to be executed and included in the ledger or a special node
who maintains and expands the ledger by appending new blocks
A node has a unique identifier and maintains its balance
The transactions pool keeps the pending transactions received from other nodes in the network
Nodes communicate the following information to each other
it cryptographically signs it and propagates it to its peers to have it confirmed and recorded in the blockchain ledger
it notifies its peers so they can validate it and append it to their copies of the ledger
As information propagation mechanism for blockchains several protocols have been proposed, including relay networks and advertisement-based protocols (<a href="#B15">Gervais et al., 2016</a>). In the advertisement-based protocol used in most blockchains (<a href="#B15">Gervais et al., 2016</a>)
the node sends a notification to its peers about the new data (e.g.
If the recipient node responds by requesting the data
the node will not send it as the recipient node has already had the data
The consensus layer in blockchain systems defines the algorithms and rules for reaching an agreement about the blockchain&#x00027;s state among the network&#x00027;s nodes
Such rules specify which node is eligible for generating and appending the next block to the blockchain ledger
how often blocks are generated as well as how to resolve potential conflicts that may occur when nodes have multiple
nodes are only rewarded for their efforts if they follow the rules and maintain the ledger honestly (see section 2.2.3)
we discuss the PoW algorithm here as it is the most common algorithm for permissionless blockchains
the computing power invested by a miner determines how frequent that miner will generate and append blocks to the blockchain ledger
the miner has to repeatedly try nonces (random numbers) until the hash of the nonce combined with the block information will be within a certain threshold (referred to as the block difficulty)
The only way to find the nonce is by trial-and-error
the more likely that miner will find the nonce
This process is a competitive task since all miners in the network are competing against each other to find the desirable hash value of the next block
Note that the block difficulty can be dynamically adjusted to control how often blocks are generated
In most blockchain systems rewards are associated with generating blocks and completing transactions
there are subtle differences in what is rewarded
Ethereum issues a reward for stale (or uncle) blocks
even if they do not make it into the blockchain when conflicts are resolved
through appending a new block to the ledger)
while the transaction fee is calculated as a variable amount of cryptocurrencies
depending on effort as well as the prize a transaction submitter is willing to pay
Simulation can be classified into two categories, namely, discrete-event simulation and continuous-event simulation (<a href="#B17">Haverkort, 1998</a>). Human-made systems such as digital computer and information systems are most suitable represented as discrete-event simulation, as the systems change state at discrete moments in time (<a href="#B14">Fishman, 2001</a>)
BlockSim utilizes the discrete-event simulation approach to design and implement the simulator
There are two approaches to develop simulation tools, namely, general-purpose programming languages (e.g., C&#x0002B;&#x0002B;, Java, or Python) and special-purpose simulation languages (e.g., Arena and GPSS) (<a href="#B19">Leemis and Park, 2006</a>). The former is more flexible and familiar, while the latter provides several built-in features (e.g., statistics, event scheduler, and animation) that reduce the time required to build models. As stated in <a href="#B19">Leemis and Park (2006)</a>
there is a debate and conflict about which method is preferable
Also worth noting are simulation frameworks that enable developing simulation models using general-purpose languages
OMNeT&#x0002B;&#x0002B; and SimPy for developing models in C&#x0002B;&#x0002B; and Python
we opt for Python as a general-purpose language
We do not use its simulation framework SimPy because it follows a process-oriented paradigm
which differs from the approach we take in BlockSim
it will be useful to consider integrating features provided by SimPy with our simulator in a future version
we introduce the Base Model underlying BlockSim
which is designed to model any kind of blockchain system
with application specific extensions as needed
We first define the design principles and goals for BlockSim: generality
we discuss the design layer by layer: Network Layer
Within each layer we identify the key functional units (entities) and the actions or activities it executes
We design a Base Model to fulfill the main design goals for BlockSim
&#x02022; Generality: we want to be able to use BlockSim for a large set of blockchain systems
&#x02022; Extensibility: BlockSim should be easily manipulated by a designer or analyst to study different aspects of blockchain systems
&#x02022; Simplicity: the above two objectives should be met while making BlockSim easy to use
The art of designing a tool such as BlockSim is to find a useful trade-off between generality and extensibility on the one hand
and simplicity to achieve these two objectives on the other hand
The Base Model is critical in achieving this goal
aiming to find the optimal trade-off among the above three objectives for the domain of blockchain systems
The Base Model identifies the key building blocks (e.g., blocks, transactions, nodes, and incentives) common across all blockchains BlockSim is meant for, see <a href="#F2">Figure 2</a>
The Base Model dictates how general the model class is that is supported by BlockSim
and particularly how easy it is to build new models
The Base Model will be translated in software modules and therefore also determines if BlockSim can be extended easily
to provide more detailed models of certain processes that take place in blockchains
This layer defines two entities Node and the underlying Broadcast protocol, as depicted in <a href="#F2">Figure 2</a>
The Node entity is responsible for updating the system state variables (e.g.
the blockchain ledger and the transactions pool)
The Broadcast protocol specifies how information entities (e.g.
Blocks and Transactions) are propagated in the network
Both Blockchain ledger and Transactions pool entities are part of the Node entity (see <a href="#F2">Figure 2</a>)
every node maintains and continuously updates these entities
We model nodes as objects that have different attributes such as unique ID
The transactions pool and the local ledger are modeled as array lists that can be extended when new transactions and blocks are received
These attributes are common across the different implementation of blockchains
be possible to extend this by including more additional attributes
The propagation of information entities depends on the Broadcast protocol entity
which can be modeled in detail by accounting for the network configurations
the geographical distribution of the nodes and the connectivity among the nodes
or it can be modeled in an abstraction level by only considering a time delay for propagating information among the nodes
The reason for abstracting the broadcast protocol is to make our simulator as simple as possible by hiding unnecessary details
This will alleviate the user of the simulator from configuring many parameters related to the network configurations such as the broadcast protocol
the geographical distribution of the nodes and the number of connections per node
Having the propagation delay as the only configurable parameter will improve both the efficiency and the usability aspects of the simulator
This layer aims at establishing the rules that nodes can follow to reach an agreement about the blockchain&#x00027;s state. This layer includes four entities, namely, Transaction, Block, Transactions pool, and Blockchain ledger, as depicted in <a href="#F2">Figure 2</a>
The Blockchain ledger entity depends on the Block entity
and the Block entity depends on the Transaction entity
the blockchain ledger is composed of blocks and blocks are composed of transactions
The Transactions pool depends on the Transaction entity
as every transaction created is fed into the transactions pool
The Node entity maintains these four entities
Within the consensus layer, there are several activities or actions to be executed by the entities. The creation of blocks and transactions is an example of such activities. The flow of these activities is depicted in <a href="#F3">Figure 3</a>
Workflow for the consensus activities within the Base Model of BlockSim
Transactions are one of the building blocks (entities) common across all blockchain systems
It plays a significant role in updating the blockchain&#x00027;s state
The arrival of a new transaction in the network results in updating the transactions pool by inserting that transaction
We model transactions in two different ways
The full technique helps to track each transaction in the system (e.g.
when a transaction has been created and included in a valid block)
This technique models transactions as in any blockchain system
studying the latency of individual transactions in blockchain systems
this type of modeling consumes an enormous amount of computing resources and time during the simulation since each transaction has to be tracked
the light technique does not track each transaction
It is useful when studying the throughput of blockchain systems without caring about the confirmation time of transactions within the system
we model transactions as objects that have several attributes or fields such as transaction ID
contents as well as the submitter and the recipient of the transaction
These attributes are almost common across all blockchains
and that some systems have more additional attributes (e.g.
Ethereum has also gas-related attributes such as Gas Limit)
Full modeling Technique: In this technique as we discussed in section 3.2, we model an individual transactions pool for each node by assigning an array list for each node as a way to abstract the pool. Each transaction created by a node is propagated to all other nodes in the network. Upon receiving the transaction, the recipient node appends it to their pool. Thus, we model transactions in three different activities labeled from 1 to 3, as depicted in <a href="#F3">Figure 3</a>
&#x02022; Creating transactions: This involves generating transactions by the participating nodes
The number of transactions to be created per unit of time can be controlled and configured
&#x02022; Propagating transactions: This requires the creator of the transaction to propagate it to other participating nodes
This is to notify other nodes about the newly created transactions
&#x02022; Appending transactions: This requires the recipient of the transaction to append it to their transactions pool
Light modeling Technique: In this technique
we only model a single transactions pool to be shared among all nodes in the network
The intention behind this technique is to provide an alternative and simplified way to model transactions by omitting the propagation process as well as the needs for nodes to update their pools continuously (see section 3.3.2)
the light technique is more efficient and faster during the simulation
this technique cannot be used to draw conclusions about the latency of transactions as transactions are not tracked
it is useful to get indicators about the throughput in blockchain systems
we create a set of transactions (N) and then append it to the shared pool before the mining process
so miners can access the pool to select several transactions to include in their forthcoming block
Once a miner has successfully generated a block
the pool is reset and then filled up with a fresh set of transactions to be included in the next block
Both techniques could be implemented and then the user would be given a choice to select which method to adopt based on their own needs
there is no need for choosing the full technique since it makes the simulator runs for a very long time
Blocks are another essential building block (entity) of any blockchain system
The arrival of a new block results in an update in the transactions pool and blockchain ledger
The pool is updated by removing all transactions included in the block
while the ledger is updated by appending the newly created block
We model blocks as objects that have several attributes
The block ID is a unique identifier for the block
The block depth indicates the index of the block in the node&#x00027;s blockchain
The miner ID refers to the node that created the block
Each block can accept a list of transactions as its content
These attributes are common across blockchains
We model blocks in the consensus layer as Block Generation and Block Reception, see <a href="#F3">Figure 3</a>
Block generation specifies when blocks are generated as well as which node is eligible for appending the next blocks
It covers all the common actions required by a miner to create and attach a block to the blockchain ledger
The actions embrace executing the block&#x00027;s transactions
constructing and appending the block to the local blockchain and propagating the block to other nodes in the network
Block reception specifies how the network&#x00027;s nodes update their blockchain ledgers upon receiving new blocks
It covers the common activities taken by a node when receiving a newly generated block
the recipient node will perform three actions
which are updating local blockchain if necessary
appending the block to the local blockchain and updating the transactions pool
The consensus algorithm is responsible for selecting a miner to build the next block
The methodology used to choose a miner varies among blockchains
depending on the adopted consensus protocol
miners are selected based on solving a mathematical task
Once a miner is chosen to construct and append a new block to the ledger
the miner would undertake the following actions
these actions are common across all blockchain systems
and that some specific systems may include other activities (e.g.
including uncle blocks in a future block as in Ethereum)
&#x02022; Executing and adding transactions to the block: This requires the miner to select several pending transactions to be executed and included in the next block
miners first sort those pending transactions based on their associated fees
miners select the best transaction according to their ranking criteria
execute it if and only if there is a space in the block
The transaction will then be recorded in the block
miners will select the next transaction and continue until the block is full or there is no pending transaction
&#x02022; Constructing and appending the block to the local blockchain: After preparing the block content (e.g.
the miner would construct the block after which the block will be appended to the miner&#x00027;s local blockchain
&#x02022; Propagating the block to other nodes: This is to propagate the block to other nodes in the network
This is to notify the network&#x00027;s nodes about the newly generated block
The block is considered valid if it was constructed correctly and all embedded transactions were correctly executed
the block must point to the last block in the ledger (the block&#x00027;s depth should be higher than that of the last block)
If the depth of the received block is not higher than that of the last block
the node will perform the following actions
&#x02022; Updating local blockchain: This requires the recipient node to update its local blockchain
This is because sometimes the received block is built on different preceding blocks (a different chain branch) compared to the ones the recipient node has or because it is built on missing blocks
the node has to update all the preceding blocks (and fetch all missing blocks if any) according to the ones the received block is following
&#x02022; Appending the block to local blockchain: This is to append the received block to the local copy of the blockchain
&#x02022; Updating transactions pool: This requires the recipient node to update its transactions pool
This is to remove all the transactions that have already been executed in the received block from the node&#x00027;s pool
Transactions pool and blockchain ledger are also important building blocks (entities) since they represent the state of blockchain systems
The transactions pool is updated upon the arrival of a new transaction or block
while the blockchain ledger is only updated once a block has arrived
Nodes are responsible for updating both the pool and the ledger
as every node in the blockchain network maintains a local copy of them (see section 3.2)
The incentives layer is responsible for designing the underlying incentive model by defining the rewarded elements (e.g., blocks and transactions) as well as distributing the rewards among the participating miners. This layer has the reward entity, which depends on the Block entity (see <a href="#F2">Figure 2</a>)
the rewards are only given to the miners upon appending new blocks to the ledger
The calculation and the distribution of such rewards are considered as actions
We model the basic incentive model used by most blockchain systems such as Bitcoin
Our model provides a reward for generating a valid block (block reward) and a reward for all transactions included in a block (transaction fee)
The block reward is modeled as a fixed amount of cryptocurrency that can be configured and changed by the end-user
The transaction fee is calculated as the multiplication of its size and its prize
where the prize is the amount of money the submitter of the transaction is willing to pay per unit of size
The size and the prize for transactions can also be configured as fixed or variable (random) values
it is possible to extend the current model to include different rewards (e.g.
rewards for uncle blocks) or change the way how the fee for transactions is calculated
We model the distribution of rewards by increasing the balance of each miner after having a valid block attached to the ledger
We present the implementation of the BlockSim simulator using Python 3.6.4<a id="note1a"></a><a class="footnoteanchor" href="#note1">1</a>. The main modules are given in <a href="#F4">Figure 4</a>
The Simulator Module implements the core engine of the simulator
The main topic of discussion in that section is the granularity at which events are handled
since it heavily impacts the performance of the simulator
This simulation engine module is complemented by the Configuration Module
which provides the user with ways to configure the simulation model and experiments
Section 4.3 explains the implementation of the Base Model
subdivided according to the main layers: Network Module
the main Simulation Module contains four classes
We start with explaining our design choices for the event scheduling
We provide event scheduling at two abstraction levels
the first one considers blocks as the event &#x0201C;unit,&#x0201D; the second considers transactions as the event &#x0201C;unit.&#x0201D; We explain the block-level events
The class Event defines the structure of events in our simulator
In the case of a block-level event it has four attributes: type
The attribute type indicates how to handle the event
in particular whether the event at hand is to create a new block or to receive an existing block
The nodeID and time attributes specify the node that handles the event and the time at which the event takes place
The block attribute contains the necessary information for the block to be handled
Scheduler class is responsible for scheduling future events and record them in the Queue
Queue is an array list that maintains all future events
and it is continuously updated during the simulation by either inserting new events or removing existing ones
once a block is created through a block creation event
the Scheduler class schedules block reception events for other nodes to receive the block
it schedules a new block creation event by selecting a miner to propose and generate a new block on top of the last one
The function of the Main and Statistics classes is as one would expect
It prepares the setup and then triggers the Scheduler class to schedule some initial events
The setup includes the creation of transactions as well as the creation of the first (genesis) block
an empty block that will be attached to the local blockchain for all the nodes in the network
it keeps going through all the events and executes them one by one until the Queue is empty or the pre-specified simulation time is reached
Statistics maintains the results and calculates the statistics of the final output of the simulation
including block statistics (number of blocks included in the ledger and percentage of discarded blocks)
This module serves as the main user interface, in which users can select from the available models as well as configuring various parameters related to the participating nodes, blocks, transactions, consensus, incentives and the simulation setups. <a href="#T1">Table 1</a> summarizes the input parameters to be configured before running the simulator
the volume of transactions to be created per second and other parameters
our simulator allows disabling transactions if they are not of interest
This can be done by only setting the parameter hasTrans to be &#x0201C;False,&#x0201D; without modifying the code of the simulator
it allows selecting a suitable technique (either full or light) for modeling transactions
this would be reflected in this module to allow the user of the simulator to choose the desired protocol
We discuss the implementation of simulation classes that represent the Base Model of section 3 using the same three layers as before
Network Module: We implement the network module in two different classes
Node class defines the structure of nodes in our simulator
We implement each node as an object in which each node is given a unique ID and a balance
we assign two array lists to model the local blockchain and the transactions pool
It is worth noting that each node maintains a transactions&#x00027; pool only if the full transaction technique is applied
a common pool will be shared by all the nodes
Network class implements the network latency for propagating both blocks and transactions between the nodes
we implement the latency as a time delay that can be configured by the user of the simulator in the configuration module
it could be possible to extend this class to implement a particular broadcast protocol
Consensus Module: We implement the consensus module in different classes
Transaction class defines the structure of transactions in our simulator
We implement each transaction as an object that has seven attributes
The end-user can set the size and fee of transactions in the configuration module as fixed values or random values drawn from general distributions
This class also implements both full and light techniques for modeling transactions
Block class defines the structure of blocks in our simulator
We implement each block as an object that has seven attributes
This class also implements the processes required by the nodes to generate and receive blocks
Consensus class implements the consensus algorithm as well as the fork resolution rule
It also implements the process of selecting leaders
to generate and append new blocks to the ledger
This class is structured to be easy to implement any consensus protocol of interest
to implement PoW algorithm with the longest-chain rule to resolve potential forks as the case in Bitcoin and Ethereum
Incentives Module: This module is responsible for setting the rewarded elements as well as calculating the rewards
it distributes the rewards among the participating nodes by increasing the balance of each node after calculating the rewards
possible to extend this module by adding more rewarded elements or changing the way the awards are calculated if required
block rewards) can be configured and changed in the configuration module
BlockSim is designed to be used for any type of blockchain
and to demonstrate this we apply the Base Model of BlockSim to simulate Bitcoin as well as Ethereum
We also discuss how to extend the BlockSim implementation of the Base Model to support any consensus algorithm of interest
To simulate Bitcoin we introduce the following modifications and extensions to the core implementation of BlockSim discussed in section 4
Network Layer: For Bitcoin we abstract the underlying broadcast protocol by modeling the propagation of transactions and blocks as a time delay
To parameterize the model one can use DSN Bitcoin Monitoring to obtain the propagation delay of information
The Node module is extended with an attribute for a node&#x00027;s hash power
which we add to the configuration module for the user to set as an input parameter
To distinguish between regular nodes and miners
we can assign zero as the hash power for regular nodes to indicate that the node cannot build blocks (only create and propagate transactions)
Consensus Layer: Bitcoin uses PoW with the longest-chain rule to resolve the forks
in PoW miners compete against each other to be allowed to create the next block
combine it with info from the new block and generate a hash
the block can be added to the blockchain and forwarded to other nodes
That means miners execute what amounts to a Bernouilli trial and since the number of trials is high
the Bernouilli trials process converges to its continuous-time counterpart
the time between successes is exponentially distributed
one can set the block difficulty through the Binterval parameter
which is the time interval (in seconds) between two consecutive blocks
Bitcoin uses the longest chain to reach a global view of the blockchain ledger by resolving the forks
Incentives Layer: The incentives in Bitcoin for generating blocks and executing transactions is the same as that of the Base Model
all rewards will be distributed to miners at the end of each simulation run
the Incentives module can be modified to distribute rewards in run-time
The miner of a block that is finalized and is part of the longest chain receives the block reward and the fees for all transactions included in that block
The rewards can be set in the configuration module
Ethereum is very similar to Bitcoin but introduces a few additional elements associated with the handling of uncle blocks as well as attributes required for incentives associated with smart contracts
Network and Consensus Layers: Ethereum allows attaching uncle blocks to a valid block and rewards miners for this
we extend the Bitcoin Node module with an unclechain attribute
The unclechain for a node is modeled as an array list storing all chains with uncle blocks that occur during the simulation run
Ethereum allows miners to include a maximum of 2 uncle blocks within the last seven block generations (e.g.
an uncle block with a depth 10 can be referenced in a block with a depth less than or equal to 17)
We include this logic in the configuration module and allow configuring the maximum number of uncle blocks per block
the number of generations in which an uncle block can be included as well as disabling uncle inclusion mechanism if it is not of interest
we extend the Node module when receiving a block
the block is appended to the recipient&#x00027;s unclechain as an uncle block to be referenced in a future block
when receiving and appending a valid block to the local blockchain ledger
by removing all the uncle blocks that have already been included in the received block
Ethereum also introduces rewards for uncle blocks. The uncle reward is distributed between the miner who generated the uncle and the miner who included it in his block, as follows (<a href="#B27">Wood, 2014</a>)
The miner who generated the uncle gets a variable reward depending on when the uncle has been referenced in a main block
The sooner the uncle is referenced in a block
Guncle is the number of generations in which the uncle can be included
Dblock is the depth of the block and Rblock is the block reward
The miner who included the uncle in his block will get a fixed reward
which is calculated as 132 &#x0002A; Rblock
All this is implemented in the incentives module
but the amount of rewards can be set in the configuration module
Thus far we have mainly considered PoW as consensus protocol, but there are many other, including Proof of Stake (PoS), Proof of Authority, or message-based consensus algorithms such as Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance and its many variants (<a href="#B8">Angelis et al., 2018</a>)
we modify the consensus class by changing how miners are being selected to generate the next blocks
and fork resolution) and modules (simulation
as long as the output metrics can be truthfully simulated with events scheduled at the granularity of blocks
BlockSim can be extended in a natural matter
The time consumed by the consensus algorithm would then be represented by a delay
if one wants to analyze the impact of specific message sequences on the performance of PBFT style consensus protocols
one would study such consensus protocols through simulation tools that operate at message-level and not mix different levels of abstractions and time granularity
A nice feature of the blockchain design is that it offers invariants (such as the block creation interval) and plenty of publicly available data to validate the results of any simulator
First we compare BlockSim with existing blockchain systems (section 6.1)
then we compare with various peer-reviewed studies (section 6.2)
We compare the results from BlockSim with the most popular public blockchains
These provide certain &#x0201C;invariants&#x0201D; that we know to be true
such as the frequency of generating blocks and the proportionality between the miner&#x00027;s hashing share and the probability to win the Proof of Work competition
Bitcoin and Ethereum also provide ample public data to validate our simulator
we see that our simulator&#x00027;s confidence interval contains the result from the measurements
our simulator shows a slightly higher throughput for Ethereum compared to the real data observed
We believe that this is either due to the small sample of transactions retrieved or the fitted frequency distribution
To obtain the size of transactions in Ethereum
we implement a python script that makes use of etherscan.io APIs to retrieve transactions information
We retrieve the data for the latest 5,000 transactions and then fit a frequency distribution for transactions&#x00027; size to be used as input in our simulator
we fit a frequency distribution with the limited collected data
serves as input to the simulation runs used as validation
Validation of the simulator results by comparison with measurements from Bitcoin and Ethereum
Validation of poW: An invariant we can use for validation is the share of blocks each miner generates since it is known that share is equal to the miner&#x00027;s share of the overall hashing power
if a miner controls 40% of the network&#x00027;s hash power
it should generate 40% of the total blocks
we collect the estimated hash power as well as the fraction of blocks contributed by Bitcoin miners and miner pools from blockchain.info and input this into our simulator
the simulation is with miners that have the same share of the hashing power as various existing Bitcoin miners
<a href="#F5">Figure 5</a> shows the results. We simulate 4 days of the Bitcoin network, a total of 1000 times and obtain the average fraction of blocks generated by each miner. The x-axis of <a href="#F5">Figure 5</a> shows the name of the miners and the y-axis shows the fraction of blocks contributed by the miners for both the real Bitcoin network (the green bars) and the simulation results (the gray bars). From <a href="#F5">Figure 5</a>
we see that the simulation results are very close to that of the real Bitcoin network
Validation of PoW using the fraction of generated blocks given the hashing share of various miners
we see that the stale rates obtained from our simulator are close to the ones reported in previous studies
A comparison between BlockSim and previous studies in terms of the stale rate observed
To show the applicability of our simulator
we conduct a simulation experiment to investigate the impact of different consensus and network parameters on the security
performance and mining ecosystem of blockchain systems
We also show the performance of the simulator in terms of run time
We use very similar metrics as in the validation
The main discussion in this section is about how the stale block rate impacts mining decentralization and how Ethereum&#x00027;s approach to reward uncle blocks improves mining decentralization
More precisely, we study the impact of different combinations of block interval and block propagation delay on the stale rate, throughput and mining decentralization. Stale rate is a security indicator of a blockchain system, and the lower the rate, the better for the security of the system (<a href="#B15">Gervais et al., 2016</a>)
Throughput represents the number of transactions that can be processed per second
thus directly indicating how well the system performs
Mining decentralization indicates that the fraction of blocks a miner includes in the main ledger is proportional to the hash power of that miner
mining decentralization means each miner gets a fair reward compared to its hash power
<a href="#T5">Table 5</a> shows the results (stale rate
throughput and mining decentralization) for 25 different combinations of different block interval Binterval and block delay Bdelay as well as the run time for every configuration
M5) with hash powers ranging from 5 to 40%
The hash power for a miner is a configurable parameter (see section 5.1)
we set the block size to be 1MB and the average transaction size to be 546 bytes (as in the Bitcoin network)
We simulate each configuration for a total of 10,000 blocks and report the average results from 10 independent runs
The confidence intervals are not reported here
but are all within 10% of the average values
throughput and the fraction of blocks contributed by each miner) as well as the run time performance (in seconds) for different combinations of block interval and block propagation delay
the more time required to transmit and verify the block
increasing the block size will result in higher stale rates
to ensure the lowest stale rate the block delay should be as small as possible and the block interval as large as possible
the stale rates are minimal since the block delay is only a tiny fraction of the block interval
Throughput: From the throughput results reported in <a href="#T5">Table 5</a>
reducing the block interval leads to higher throughput
This is because more blocks will be generated
We also observe that the block delay could reduce the throughput significantly
especially when the block interval is small
The number of transactions that can be processed per second is reduced from 147 to 92 when increasing the block delay from 0.5 to 16 s in the case of 12 s block interval
the block delay does not have a significant impact on the throughput if the delay is too small compared to the block interval
the throughput achieved is almost the same even when the block delay is increased from 0.5 to 16 s
Mining decentralization: From the mining decentralization results reported in <a href="#T5">Table 5</a>
we observe a correlation between stale rates and mining decentralization
The smaller the stale rates the better the mining decentralization and vice versa
we observe that reducing the block interval or increasing the block delay can lead to a higher stale rate
reducing the block interval leads to poor mining decentralization
M1) have a higher fraction of blocks included in the main ledger
small miners have a small fraction of blocks included in the ledger
increasing the block delay negatively impacts the decentralization of the mining process
the stale rate should be reduced by having the block interval relatively larger than the block delay
Run time performance: For every combination of configurations, we show the average time (in seconds) it takes the simulator to perform a single run. To obtain the run time results, we use a laptop with a 2.30GHz Intel i5 CPU with 16GB RAM running on Windows 10. From <a href="#T5">Table 5</a>
the run time generally takes seconds to simulate 10,000 blocks
We note that in this experiment there are five miners and increasing the number of miners would increase the run time since more actions need to be performed in the network
every new miner has to maintain a ledger and update it every time a new block is announced in the network
increasing the number of non-miners would not affect the run time that much as they are not participating in maintaining the ledger
the run time increases for higher stale rates (setting with small Binterval or large Bdelay)
This is because miners need to update their ledgers more frequently than when conflicts are rare
when the stale rate is high (over 50%) the run time seems to be decreasing
We believe the explanation for this is that although more blocks are in the system
miners neglect most blocks as they arrive when the miner is behind the main chain
Bitcoin throughput: The current implementation of Bitcoin compromises of 596 s block interval and 0.42 s block delay, as reported in <a href="#T2">Table 2</a>
That means the Bitcoin network experiences a low stale rate as well as a good mining decentralization
it suffers from poor throughput as the number of transactions processed per second is only about 3
We argue that we could securely reduce the block interval of Bitcoin to 60 s to improve the throughput by about a factor 10
without any significant impact on the stale rate or mining decentralization
Ethereum mining decentralization through uncle inclusion: The current implementation of Ethereum compromises of 12.42 s block interval and 2.3 s block delay, as reported in <a href="#T2">Table 2</a>
This results in a stale rate of about 12.56% and imperfect mining decentralization
but a better throughput than the Bitcoin blockchain
To eliminate the negative impact on the stale rate and mining decentralization
Ethereum uses an uncle inclusion mechanism
where stale blocks are included in the main ledger as uncle blocks and the miners of such blocks are rewarded
this does not guarantee that miners will receive fair rewards compared to their hash power invested (e.g.
a miner with a hash power of 20% should receive 20% of the total rewards distributed in the network)
This is especially true as miners get a lower reward for uncle blocks compared to main blocks as well as they are not rewarded for the transactions included in the uncle blocks
We use the same parameters as currently in Ethereum to further explore whether the fraction of rewards a miner would receive with uncle inclusion mechanism is proportional to its hash power. We execute 10 independent simulation runs of 10,000 blocks and report the average results in <a href="#T6">Table 6</a>. From <a href="#T6">Table 6</a>
we see that the fraction of rewards gained by the miners with uncle inclusion mechanism is closer to their hash power than in the case where the uncle mechanism is not applied
Ethereum indeed achieves a better mining decentralization using its uncle inclusion mechanism
The fraction of rewards gained by each miner (M1,M2,&#x02026;,M5)
with and without uncle inclusion mechanism
We evaluate our simulator against the design criteria mentioned in section 3.1
Generality: Generality refers to the ability to use BlockSim for a variety of analysis questions and for a variety of blockchains
The key technology to achieve generality is the BlockSim Base Model
which has been designed in such a way that many blockchain systems and analysis questions can be answered
The Base Model covers all common building blocks of blockchains such as nodes
We have demonstrated the application of blockchain to analyze Bitcoin and Ethereum
and arguably BlockSim is well-suited for the full class of permissionless blockchain systems
BlockSim achieves generality by supporting different properties and metrics such as performance (both throughput and latency)
functionality metrics such as stale rates and system properties such as mining decentralization and mining incentives
we aim to model and implement different consensus protocols (e.g.
Proof-of-Stake) as well as different generic broadcast protocols for the Network layer in a later version of BlockSim
Extensibility: Extensibility refers to the ability of the BlockSim tool to be extended in a natural manner for various systems and analysis problems
This comes down to the design of the software
which is through modules that can easily be manipulated and extended to investigate different properties or problems of interest
The user of the simulator can use common object oriented programming techniques such as inheritance to extend current modules either by adding new functionalities (classes
methods or attributes) or modifying (overriding) some of the existing ones
we show how we extend the base modules of BlockSim to support the implementation of Bitcoin and Ethereum
we extend the Node module by adding an attribute for a node&#x00027;s hash power
we will briefly explain how to extend BlockSim to support different malicious behaviors of the nodes (e.g.
The current implementation of BlockSim assumes that all nodes are honest
we can extend the Node module by introducing a new attribute (e.g.
each behavior needs to be adequately defined (e.g.
by writing a function or a separate class that specifies the procedures involved in this behavior)
Simplicity: BlockSim achieves this criterion as it has been implemented in different modules as well as it provides a user interface (a configuration module) that allows the end-user to set up the input parameters for the simulator
This makes BlockSim easy to use and understand
the current version of BlockSim hides and abstracts many details
it abstracts all the details of the network layer by only introducing a configurable time delay for information propagation to model this layer
it hides details about the validation process of blocks and transactions
BlockSim becomes simple and easy to use and understand
Although hiding and abstracting details can result in an incomplete model
it is possible to extend BlockSim to incorporate these details if required
the authors propose a Bitcoin simulator to analyze the security and performance of different configurations in both the consensus and network layers
Several others Bitcoin-like network simulators are proposed in the literature such as <a href="#B9">Aoki et al. (2019)</a>, <a href="#B20">Miller and Jansen (2015)</a>, and <a href="#B24">Stoykov et al. (2017)</a>
these proposals utilize simulation-based models to study specific aspects of blockchain systems
They neither cross different layers nor cover all common functional building blocks (e.g.
blocks and transactions) for blockchain systems
neither of these proposals model transactions in the blockchain system nor capture the incentives layer in the same detail as BlockSim
With BlockSim we provide a general-purpose
to assist in answering a variety of design and deployment questions
Our discrete-event simulator generalizes on the ones proposed in the related literature by integrating different layers of the blockchain system to gain a more comprehensive insight into different aspects such as performance
we take a step further by considering the functional blocks common across the different implementation of blockchain systems
We design and structure BlockSim to cross different layers of blockchains
we model transactions in two different ways
each of which for specific purposes as well as modeling both Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains
a discrete-event simulation framework for blockchain systems
consensus and incentives layers of blockchain systems
The simulation tool is implemented in Python and is available for general use
We introduce the design and evaluate it against the design objectives of generality
BlockSim&#x00027;s results have been validated by comparing it with design properties and measurement studies available from real-life blockchains such as Bitcoin and Ethereum
We also demonstrated the use of BlockSim in a study of stale rate
throughput and mining decentralization across a variety of blockchain configurations
Future work should further demonstrate the extensibility of BlockSim by implementing additional variants of blockchain systems
such as those based on Proof of Stake as well as blockchains augmented with channels
one can build on the current version of BlockSim and extend it with additional reusable classes that represent other important system aspects and mechanisms
The datasets generated for this study are available on request to the corresponding author
AM helps during all the processes by giving feedbacks and improving the writing of the paper
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest
1. <a class="footnotetextanchor" href="#note1a" title="">^</a><a style="color:grey;" href="https://github.com/maher243/BlockSim">https://github.com/maher243/BlockSim</a>
2. <a class="footnotetextanchor" href="#note2a" title="">^</a><a style="color:grey;" href="https://www.blockchain.com/explorer">https://www.blockchain.com/explorer</a>
3. <a class="footnotetextanchor" href="#note3a" title="">^</a><a style="color:grey;" href="https://etherscan.io/">https://etherscan.io/</a>
4. <a class="footnotetextanchor" href="#note4a" title="">^</a><a style="color:grey;" href="https://dsn.tm.kit.edu/bitcoin/">https://dsn.tm.kit.edu/bitcoin/</a>
5. <a class="footnotetextanchor" href="#note5a" title="">^</a><a style="color:grey;" href="https://ethstats.net/">https://ethstats.net/</a>
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Received: 17 March 2019; Accepted: 06 May 2020; Published: 09 June 2020
Copyright &#x000A9; 2020 Alharby and van Moorsel. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY)</a>
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Grover is good at pulling on heartstrings — the irony is
Scrambling into the kitchen area of Angel’s Rest Dog Rescue and Sanctuary in St
which is owned and operated by Christine Van Moorsel
the four-year-old Westie cross is as hyperactive and cute as anyone would expect from such a small lapdog
His body quivers with excitement upon the arrival of a stranger
he’s eager to jump into the arms of VanMoorsel’s daughter
and his eyes and head dart back and forth seeking a face to slobber
the tiny creature they have taken in doesn’t have a clue of the state of his existence
“He’s got a problem with a valve in his heart and if it is not repaired right
sitting in the kitchen area of her mother’s sanctuary
which normally operates as an end-of-life hospice to sick and terminal dogs
including the folks at the Niagara Falls Humane Society — they regularly contact Van Moorsel seeking her home to use for end-of-life scenarios since its history has shown the sanctuary is a loving and compassionate place
who was brought to the humane society in the early days of summer looking ill and in a dire situation
his attitude and energy level improved so much that Van Moorsel took him to a veterinarian for a second opinion
“They (humane society) figured that this one
“But then when we went to the vet and got all the information
we found out that if this dog has surgery … he will be fixed for life
The surgery involves placing a balloon in the valve of Grover&#8217;s heart in order to widen the opening
not used to saving dogs&#8217; lives but rather keeping them comfortable and loved in their final days
doesn’t have the funds to pay for the $9,000 operation
“He’s sweet and deserves to live,” said LaVacca
the pair are turning to the public for help saving Grover’s life
regularly depends on the generosity of the public to help keep the doors open and is hoping that people will dig a little deeper to help Grover live a full life
Funds can be donated by e-transfer at <a href="angelsrestdogrescue@gmail.com">angelsrestdogrescue@gmail.com</a>
Donations over $50 will receive a tax receipt
<a href="mailto:wright@niagaranow.com">wright@niagaranow.com</a>
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All articles have been written in English and if anything appears to not make sense
we relive a clash between two titans in a previous incarnation of the women&#x27;s Tour
Leontien van Moorsel after winning Worlds in 1993
The Van Moorsel and Rijnierse Foundation has opened a Call for proposal
The aim of this Call is to stimulate research on medieval Coptic Orthodox Christianity in Egypt and the Nile Valley
This Call is intended for researchers who have completed their PhD within the last five years
The deadline for submitting applications is 4 March 2025
The funds for the Call come from the bequest of Johanna Adriana Rijnierse
She meant a lot to the work of Paul Petrus Vitalis van Moorsel
professor of early Christian and later Coptic art history at Leiden University
Mrs Rijnierse wanted her bequest to further support the work in Van Moorsel's field
The Call for proposals Van Moorsel and Rijnierse 2025 has the following conditions:
An application can request a maximum of €345,000
<a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.nwo.nl/en/researchprogrammes/foundation-van-moorsel-en-rijnierse">Programme page</a>
<a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.nwo.nl/en/calls/van-moorsel-and-rijnierse-2025">Callpage</a>
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Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel is undoubtedly one of the greatest cyclists of all time
She turned 50 years old this year, a milestone. The Dutchwoman has been through highs and lows in her career. She battled anorexia for eight years during the &#8217;90s then <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMZVGl_QTvs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">came back stronger than ever before</a>.
&#8220;My career was actually two careers,” she tells me. “There was a career before anorexia and there was one after that. My best memories come from the second career. The World Championships in 1998 in Valkenburg [in the Netherlands] define that schism for me. I didn’t win the race [ed. she came second to Diana Ziliute] but I had won back my life and made a comeback in cycling.
&#8220;I wish I could get back the eight years I lost to anorexia but I can’t. What I did win from that horrible time was my husband and a strong balance in my life.”
 View this post on Instagram            </a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6BV1XwlkvN/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Leontien van Moorsel (@leontienvanmoorsel)</a>
“We have these monthly inspiration sessions where patients and their families listen to stories of people who survived anorexia and got their lives back, like I did,&#8221; she says. &#8220;When you have an eating disorder, it’s your entire life and you feel that will never change. You feel this will be your life forever. When former patients share their story of how they climbed out of that dark hole you see and feel that something happens in the room.
&#8220;Our guests literally see how strong these former patients have become and this gives them a new perspective. Not only the current patients but their families too. When I was ill, my parents suffered too, Michael suffered too. Everyone around the patient is going through a very rough time.”
 View this post on Instagram            </a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BLl9D6CAsFA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Inge Vaes (@ingevaes)</a>
The 2004 Athens Olympics &#8212; where Zijlaard-van Moorsel won a gold medal in the time trial &#8212; marked the end of her career
a career marked by wins in all the big races including the Tour de France that ran as a long stage race for women in the &#8217;80s and &#8217;90s
many races &#8212; like the Tour de France and the Amstel Gold Race &#8212; lost their women&#8217;s race
only for it to be reintroduced again recently
The Tour Féminin has never returned as a 10-15-day stage race though
“What we now have in La Course is not a Tour de France,&#8221; Zijlaard-van Moorsel says
&#8220;I feel that if they want a women’s stage race alongside the men’s it’s possible but they have to want to.”
Many big Classics now have a female equivalent
“I would have loved to do Paris-Roubaix,” Zijlaard-van Moorsel says with a huge smile
“In my second career I would have been very well suited for a race like that
I was strong and heavier than during the anorexia years when I bounced like crazy on the cobbles in Ronde van Drenthe
I would have loved to attack those cobbles in Roubaix
sat on the back of my saddle with blisters on my hands
&#8220;Having these big races for women too are important steps forward
the joint team presentations and podium ceremonies we do at Amstel Gold Race [ed
where Zijlaard-van Moorsel is the women&#8217;s race director] and other races
Things are getting more and more professional in women’s cycling but the riders and teams also have to keep up and professionalize too
A lot has happened in recent years with the introduction of the UCI Women’s WorldTour with minimum salaries
&#8220;Can teams actually afford these minimum wages or will they disappear due to financial trouble
Is the sport not still too small for these big ambitions
Especially now in this global crisis I am anxious about these questions and I fear that a lot of women’s and men’s teams will have to close down this year.”
Despite all that&#8217;s been done to improve women&#8217;s cycling in recent years
the gap with men&#8217;s racing is still significant
Zijlaard-van Moorsel is pragmatic when it comes to bridging that gap
&#8220;Equality is a great goal but I don’t see the sport achieving full equality,&#8221; she says
As long as we keep on moving towards equality
Zijlaard-Van Moorsel chose to become a mom after her racing career
“I saw riders combining motherhood with their careers in my time too,&#8221; she says
&#8220;On the track we had these Russians like Olga Zabelinskaya
&#8220;I don’t think the maternity leave we now have will change a great deal
For a woman it’s a very personal choice as to when she wants to become a mother and whether she wants to combine that with a cycling career
&#8220;I didn’t see myself leaving my child for longer periods of time or bringing her to races
I also feel this is one of the reasons we don’t see many women in team staff on either men’s or women’s teams.”
Anna van der Breggen and Chantal van den Broek-Blaak will end their careers in 2021 and 2022 respectively and will join SD Worx (currently Boels-Dolmans) as sports directors
This wasn&#8217;t a path that Zijlaard-van Moorsel ever really considered
“I was way too fanatical myself to become a sports director,” Zijlaard-van Moorsel says with a laugh
“Chantal is a totally different person and I am curious to see how they both will fare straight from the bike to the car
I don’t feel that all women’s teams should have a female DS but women do understand other women and their bodies better than men.&#8221;
Having struggled with an eating disorder herself she watches the current women’s and men’s peloton with a keen eye
“Eating disorders happen in all eras of cycling,” she says
I now see riders balance on that very thin line again
I threw away eight years of my life; eight years I will never get back
but having that balance enables you to cope with whatever life throws at you
That’s my wish for all cyclists now: finding that balance
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She’s the Dutch queen of road and track with multiple Olympic and World titles to her name
Leontien van Moorsel can barely hide her glee at the demanding route in store for the returning Amstel Gold Ladies Edition
The former multiple world and Olympic champion is race director of the recent addition to the UCI Women’s WorldTour
There will be nothing for the sprinters.” She was
the reigning Olympic champion Anna van der Breggen
For more complex issues – and there are many – Bert Hulleman
It’s taken a little while to arrange this meeting with her
I had a feeling it may not be straightforward
She’ll speak better English than me,” assured the editor
“Is it possible to sent the questions by mail
It is for Leontien not possible to do an interview in English…”
Better invite her to guest edit an issue of Rouleur then
I wisely stop short of making further quips questioning the editor’s command of English
a clinic she set up to help people with eating disorders recover from the types of illness that had such a dramatic impact on her life and cycling career
The building itself is an immaculately restored former farmhouse and cattle barn on the edge of Zevenhuizen
but where the mind is massaged instead of the body
there are no tables in the treatment rooms
and the reception isn’t a garish apothecary of hair ‘doping’ products and potions
it’s a relaxed environment where patients can talk openly about their problems with the staff and volunteers
and where their families are also provided with support
a prior appointment Leontien has with a patient naturally needs to be kept
One can only wonder what mental anguish the new patient must be going through
and it lends perspective to chatting about old bike races
but with no strict time limit in place for consultations
I’m glad I didn’t opt for a flight home that night
the wait isn’t as long as the 14 years hiatus that the Amstel Gold women’s race took between 2003 and 2017
It ran concurrently with the men’s race along much of the same route
generally starting a few hours ahead of the men’s peloton and using the same finish
Albeit sometimes billed as just a curtain raiser for Fignon and company
The crowds and atmosphere certainly seduced Van Moorsel
a race she describes as one of her nicest memories
Previously she had been racing with the carefree spirit of a nieuwlinge
She realised she had the talent and mental strength to reach the top
The French rider had just taken her third title in a row and Van Moorsel wanted to emulate her success
initially seeing her as a positive inspiration
The 1989 Tour Cycliste Féminin was the last to be run in that format by La Société du Tour
It returned as a separate event to the men’s
taking place in August over a completely different course
The 1992 edition saw a fiercely close battle between her and Longo
The French rider won the 3.3km prologue time trial in Paris
with Van Moorsel winning the 123.3km stage 2 from Tours to Chauvigny
She then beat Longo by two seconds the following day to win stage 3 at Luz-Ardiden
Longo took the race lead and won the mid-race Toulouse 10km time-trial by two seconds from Van Moorsel
The Dutch rider took the race lead the following day and built a nine-second advantage
She thinks Longo was physically stronger that year
“Leontien was so tired she thought ‘I can’t win this Tour de France,’” says Bert
The race built to a classic encounter between the pair on the final stage climb up l’Alpe d’Huez
almost riding backwards into the following car to force Longo into leading out
Van Moorsel just edged the sprint to win the final stage and race overall
alongside the mountains and points classifications
But if she was prepared to trackstand Longo into submission on a summit finish
she took Hoekstra’s advice to lose weight even further
She returned to dominate the following year’s 1,160-kilometre race
including the final one solo on Alpe d’Huez
Her overall winning margin was 8’29” from Marion Clignet
It’s amazing van Moorsel even had the strength to get out of bed
as by now anorexia was taking a hold of her
Gone was the simple pleasure of competition and the carefree eating to refuel
as she struggled to deal with the pressure of reaching the top of the sport so quickly
have seen her health was declining and stopped her racing
Her weight dropped as low as 42 kilos and she ultimately had to drop out of the sport altogether in 1994 to recover
She recognises the same traits in the people that seek help at Leontienhius
“Most girls that are here have a strong personality
But just for the moment that they are sick
they put away their strong effort to survive.”
Patients are encouraged to discover and pursue skills they may be good at
painting – the idea being that they become absorbed and gradually break the destructive thought patterns that have manifested into an eating disorder
I put it to her that they’re safe pastimes to become absorbed in
where borderline obsessive diet and weight control are intrinsic to the sport
Winning the Tour de France was not me – it was a different person
Whereas before she devised her own training regime
this time she handed complete control to her parents-in-law
Her initial goals weren’t to reach the top of the sport but to enjoy racing
“I wanted to show younger riders that it was not good what I did to win the Tour de France,” she says
Leontien had burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old and ruffled feathers
but also had a good performance,” says Bert
At which point I realise things are perhaps getting lost in translation
Leontien has just passionately spoken at length in Dutch on this matter
and yet the response back in English is very much shorter
I think Bert is being chivalrous about Longo and Monique Knol’s fashion sense
“They made fun of her because she was wearing nail polish and lipstick
it was really strange to be feminine and sporty at the same time.”
I get Leontien’s drift later when I follow her advice and Google Daniëlle Overgaag
really nice!” The pair were young riders together
and felt they got much less slack from the peloton due to their appearance
She felt they had to try far harder to make a breakaway stick than their peers
Annemiek van Vleuten on the Ardennes Classics
I remind her she went faster than Mario Cipollini in a time-trial (the Souvenir Magali Pasche in Switzerland)
September 12 2001 initially lacks significance
Manchester Velodrome has been open for seven years and the embers are just starting to glow in what is to become recognised as the crucible of British cycling
It had also developed a reputation as a fast track
Just not quite fast enough for Van Moorsel
who has just climbed off after a failed Hour record attempt
she had more than underlined she was back at the top
In a stunning performance at the Sydney Olympics in 2000
9/11 also had a practical and emotional impact on her first Hour record attempt
Her parents could not fly in to offer their vital support
She also admits a world record suddenly seemed irrelevant compared to the suffering of those caught up in the New York terrorist attacks
Skip forward two years to her second Hour Record attempt
This time the words of her great rival Longo would provide the correct sort of motivation
She’d said Van Moorsel was slower than before she was ill
The plan had been for Van Moorsel to break her record by just 200 metres or so
But she went 1km ahead of schedule in the first half hour and then managed to hold the advantage
The Hour record she set on a ‘Merckx-style’ bike (with drop bars and open wheels) was reclassified as the unified hour record in 2014
Now it could be attempted on a modern track bike
But Sarah Storey failed in the first attempt on her record and the USA’s Molly Shaffer Van Houweling managed to add only just over 200 metres to the distance
She doesn’t really regard that her record was beaten anyway
“It was really stupid from the UCI,” Van Moorsel says
She even entertained thoughts of going for it again
Leontien van Moorsel was third in the first Amstel Gold women’s race held in 2001
Nicole Cooke won the last one on the Cauberg
which finished on the climb for the first time that year
Van Moorsel had been pushing for a return of the race
but it was her fellow Dutchwomen’s success at the London and Rio Olympics – most notably
road race gold for Marianne Vos and Anna van der Breggen – that convinced Amstel to back it
She is unequivocal that success lies with the race taking place on the same day and course as the men’s race
with live TV coverage of the last half hour crucial to attract sponsors wanting to invest in women’s cycling
the women’s and men’s pelotons came perilously close to meeting
Leo Van Vliet understandably described it as the “worst hour” of his race-directing career
are ASO at least partially correct when they claim such logistical challenges are the reason they cannot hold another women’s Tour de France on the same roads as the men
“It is now also possible in Holland in the Amstel Gold Race
It’s all with money.” Our interview concludes and she says maybe we’ll talk in another ten years’ time
if indeed we do sit down again a decade from now
Van Moorsel will have met with ASO in the interim and given them some forthright opinions
She’s rather good at cutting through the crap and getting things done
Race director for the women’s Tour de France
Originally published in issue 17.6 of Rouleur
Rouleur takes a look at the contenders to win the Maglia Rosa in Italy this month
Alexander Vinokourov's team are making the impossible rather quite possible
All the essential information about the first Grand Tour of the year
While the former Olympic and World champion is relishing new ventures in retirement
she is keen to ensure more support is in place for those..
From SD Worx-Protime's continued success to Canyon-SRAM's disappointment
Rouleur takes a look at how each squad performed at the Spring Classics
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Former PDM doctor says he administered blood transfusions at Tour de France in 1988 and 1989
<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/report-seven-out-of-eight-pdm-riders-doped-at-1988-tour-de-france/" data-url="https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/report-seven-out-of-eight-pdm-riders-doped-at-1988-tour-de-france/" data-hl-processed="none" data-before-rewrite-localise="/news/report-seven-out-of-eight-pdm-riders-doped-at-1988-tour-de-france">Report: seven out of eight PDM riders doped at 1988 Tour de France</a>
<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bishop-i-was-the-clean-rider-in-the-1988-pdm-tour-team/" data-url="https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bishop-i-was-the-clean-rider-in-the-1988-pdm-tour-team/" data-hl-processed="none" data-before-rewrite-localise="/news/bishop-i-was-the-clean-rider-in-the-1988-pdm-tour-team">Bishop: I was the clean rider in the 1988 PDM Tour team</a>
Janssen was previously <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/report-seven-out-of-eight-pdm-riders-doped-at-1988-tour-de-france/" data-url="https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/report-seven-out-of-eight-pdm-riders-doped-at-1988-tour-de-france/" data-hl-processed="none" data-before-rewrite-localise="/news/report-seven-out-of-eight-pdm-riders-doped-at-1988-tour-de-france">the team doctor at PDM</a>
he said that he provided blood transfusions to riders on the team at the 1988 Tour de France
Janssen worked for the team between 1986 and 1989 and said that he decided to offer blood transfusions after reading in a medical journal of Francesco Conconi's use of the practice as part of Francesco Moser's successful 1984 world hour record attempts
Blood transfusions were added to the IOC's banned list in 1986
Janssen told De Volkskrant that he contacted a blood bank in Velp to store and freeze the blood of riders from the PDM team
including Gert-Jan Theunisse and Steven Rooks
He said that he transported the blood bags to France during the Tour
where the riders were administered with transfusions for the first time
two in Strasbourg," Janssen told De Volkskrant
adding that he was watching on television from a holiday campsite when Rook and Theunisse placed first and second on l'Alpe d'Huez at the 1988 Tour
"I was sitting at the campsite and I saw them riding on such a small television
what's happening here?' I was really looking forward to watching
I did not know it would make such a difference."
Theunisse tested positive for testosterone on the 1988 Tour
where he won the king of the mountains title
Janssen said that he administered blood transfusions again on the 1989 Tour
and then moved to the Panasonic team with Rooks and Theunisse in 1990
Theunisse said that he had no need to respond to Janssen's statement
The Dutchwoman had made a successful return to cycling after suffering from an eating disorder
winning the world time trial title in both 1998 and 1999 to add to her road race titles from the early 1990s
"She made an appointment because she sought guidance for her anorexia
She wanted her weight to be checked," Janssen said
and at the last of those consultations it was then asked if it was possible to try a cure."
Janssen told De Volkskrant that he administered EPO to Van Moorsel in the spring of 2000
having purchased it on her behalf from a pharmacy in Deurne
Van Moorsel denied using EPO when contacted by De Volkskrant
insisting that she had received only dietary and training advice from Janssen during their consultations
he gave me advice on my diet and training plans," Van Moorsel told De Volkskrant
He gave me the motivation when I made my comeback to believe in myself again
Janssen also claimed to have administered a blood transfusion to Eddy Bouwmans in 1993
best young rider at the 1992 Tour de France
denied the allegation when contacted by De Volkskrant
Bouwmans admitted to receiving three injections of EPO from Janssen in 1994 but said that he did not recall receiving a blood transfusion the previous year
Janssen remained in professional cycling until 2009
He described providing a backdated TUE for cortisone for Aart Vierhouten after he won Profronde van Fryslan in 2006
So I did it late in the evening," Janssen said
it was still at home," Vierhouten told De Volkskrant
De Volkskrant also reported Janssen's recollection of an exchange with BankGiro Loterij rider Lars Bak
as he walked to doping control after winning the opening stage of the Tour of Luxembourg in 2004
"I can remember that Lars Bak won the first stage of the Tour of Luxembourg in 2004
but we walk to the control and he says in a light panic to me
Goddamn it.' But that [the test] just went well," Janssen said
Bak denied that he had ever doped: "I'm 37 years of age
and I've always loved and worked for a clean sport
This is very frustrating and incorrect; I have never taken prohibited substances."
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TSBR releases an annual report on ESG preparedness of BoD of the world’s largest 100 publicly listed companies
Last year we found that only 17% of directors on relevant sustainability committees are ESG competent
Feedback over the last year from many executive and non executive board members and advisors has confirmed our findings
There is generally a very low level of hard ESG competence on BoD 
BoD are increasingly conscious of ESG matters
This is attained primarily via engagement and dialogue with auditors
or short webinars and (virtual) roundtables provided by think tanks and other knowledge organisations 
That has also resulted in the lines between consciousness (awareness and knowledge of issues) and competence (capacity to act on issues) becoming increasingly blurred
<a href="https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Pasted-9.png"></a>
we referred to sustainability and ESG interchangeably
Most corporate governance policy now uses the ESG term which we also adopt
CSR stands for ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’
This term is somewhat outdated when referring to sustainability issues and rarely used anymore
as it is supposed to be reflective of an organisation&#8217;s philanthropic pillar
TSBR still recognises any CSR policy as part of our scope
Social and Governance (ESG) has become the preferred term in business lingo
The terminology has moved from sustainability to ESG as it better captures what issues are being addressed
Sustainability in business in essence refers to ‘doing well by doing good’
The drawback of this term is that it casts a wide net
and therefore is not accurate about the specific issue it wants to address besides ‘doing good’
where it refers to &#8216;doing good’ and in ESG to &#8216;avoiding harm&#8217;
<a href="https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Pasted-11.png"></a>
All data were collected from July to August 2021 and taken from the surveyed companies’ websites
Since all organisations are publicly listed
the publishing of their corporate governance policy details is a legal obligation
The proxy used for ESG preparedness at board level is the presence of a relevant board committee that stipulates ESG issues in its committee charter
Terminology for ‘sustainability committee’ varies
Some committees are named ‘ESG’ or ‘CSR’ committee
Some sustainability responsibilities are part of shared committees such as Corporate Governance and/or Nomination Committee
So long as a sustainability narrative is clearly stipulated in their charters
these are referred to as relevant committees
Businesses that do not disclose any sustainability policy as part of their board committee charters do not qualify for the directors ESG consciousness assessment
Directors must be assigned to a relevant committee to qualify
Directors’ ESG consciousness was assessed against an ESG checklist
significant data was found through media screenings that took notable sustainability exposure
New data points uncovered were for example those of disclosed public speeches of directors
or minutes of relevant seminars and forums
This additional data of directors’ ESG consciousness
lead to a significantly improved result than in previous years
We will continue to use this methodology for future reports
In cases where the ESG consciousness of a director was questionable
the data point was marked ‘for review’ and the assessment was then adjudicated by a different researcher
<a href="https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Pasted-12-e1636035931224.png"></a>
Half of the surveyed boards have a dedicated sustainability
ESG or CSR committee with most of the remaining having sustainability policy as part of another committee
read overwhelmingly as boilerplate excerpts
only 40% of directors on ESG committees are ESG conscious
Most of that consciousness derives from board experience or having been actively involved in sustainability strategy or governance
but they are also more likely to be ESG conscious
our results across more than 600 historic data points show that there is a strong and significant correlation between ESG consciousness and gender
Women are on average more conscious of ESG issues
They can therefore be said to be driving the conversation on sustainability
This finding has been consistent ever since TSBR’s first annual report in 2019
Various research, including a comprehensive literature review by Alexandre Di Miceli and Angela Donaggio, <a class="footnote" id="4b" href="https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2021/11/23/the-sustainability-board-report-2021/#4">[4]</a> has had similar findings
there seems to be substantial evidence connecting increased gender diversity at the top with enhanced environmental
Why might this be? Rachel Howell, a lecturer in sustainable development at the University of Edinburgh, notes that &#8220;women have higher levels of socialisation to care about others and be socially responsible, which then leads them to care about environmental problems and be willing to adopt environmental behaviours.” <a class="footnote" id="5b" href="https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2021/11/23/the-sustainability-board-report-2021/#5">[5]</a>
given the clear evidence connecting strong ESG with corporate performance
this makes another business case for greater gender diversity on boards and in senior management
the ESG preparedness of BoD and the ESG consciousness of directors themselves is increasing
Not only are more ESG committees being created (71% of companies
but more directors are becoming ESG conscious too
most corporate governance sustainability policy
usually in the form of a committee charter
The lack of disclosure of material ESG issues and detail of what exactly the board’s role is
suggests sustainability policy all too often remains a box ticking exercise
When creating sustainability policies at board level
material factors of the business’ industry must be clearly articulated
Simplistic and general stipulations like: ‘oversee sustainability issues’ or ‘govern ESG factors’ should not and cannot provide stakeholders confidence that relevant issues are being monitored and adequately addressed
BoD should sign off all CSR/sustainability/ESG reports and make sure that all relevant material factors are being reported on
Although produced by nearly all the companies in our sample
sustainability reporting is often a siloed exercise conducted by internal ESG professionals and outside advisors
Sustainability reports cannot replace in depth conversations about material ESG issues
discussing potential strategic changes in relevant BoD committee meetings
and should be central to long term strategy
Lastly, business leaders have a moral responsibility to society. We explored these dynamics in our scenario report on ‘Sustainable Business Leadership in 2030’. <a class="footnote" id="6b" href="https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2021/11/23/the-sustainability-board-report-2021/#6">[6]</a> If BoD don’t act
someone else will step in and push the agenda on sustainability
Hence creating ESG preparedness also functions as a defence mechanism
Directors need to upskill and become at least conscious about ESG issues
What that exactly means will be up to every individual and their specific context
1For example: Published interviews with individuals expressing details about their’ business’ approach to ESG/sustainability, or e.g. published speeches or strategy.<a class="backlink" href="#1b">(go back)</a>
2For example: WEF (most common), UN Global Compact, CECP, WBCSD, think tanks with sustainability focus such as Aspen Institute, Salzburg Global Seminar, etc.<a class="backlink" href="#2b">(go back)</a>
3For example: GCB.D, ICD.P, Harvard Corporate Governance Forum publication, author of a relevant book.<a class="backlink" href="#3b">(go back)</a>
4<a href="https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/60a2e87d-5c50-433f-b831-b77ee6d300cf/IFC+PSO_Women_Business_Leadership_web.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&amp;CVID=nvUDNLJ" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/60a2e87d-5c50-433f-b831-b77ee6d300cf/IFC+PSO_Women_Business_Leadership_web.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&amp;CVID=nvUDNLJ</a><a class="backlink" href="#4b">(go back)</a>
5<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/06/eco-gender-gap-why-saving-planet-seen-womens-work" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/06/eco-gender-gap-why-saving-planet-seen-womens-work</a><a class="backlink" href="#5b">(go back)</a>
6<a href="https://www.boardreport.org/sustainable-business-leadership-in-2030" class="external" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.boardreport.org/sustainable-business-leadership-in-2030</a><a class="backlink" href="#6b">(go back)</a>
Leontien van Moorsel was a world champion cyclist both on the road and on the track before she competed in her first Olympics in 1992
She placed eighth in the individual pursuit and 23rd in the road race
Van Moorsel won the 1993 road race world championship
as her weight fluctuated between 43 and 86kg
conquered her eating disorders and returned to international competition
she broke the world record in the semifinals of the pursuit and then won the final with ease
She added a silver medal in the points race
moving up from fifth place in the final sprint
Then Zijlaard-van Moorsel switched to the road
With help from Dutch teammates Chantal Beltman and Mirjam Melchers
but it looked like her efforts would be thwarted when she crashed in the road race
There was speculation that she would have to withdraw from the time trial three days later
she not only appeared at the starting line
Zijlaard-van Moorsel closed out her Olympic career by adding a bronze medal in the pursuit
Double defending individual pursuit champion Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel defeated Australian Katie Mactier on Friday to become the first woman to win three successive world titles in the event in almost three decades
Austria's Franz Stocher finally struck gold
Zijlaard-Van Moorsel completed the 11 laps in 3:32.657
who settled for silver with her time of 3:33.784
"I was really nervous this morning because Katie was faster than I was in the first round," Zijlaard-Van Moorsel said
It marked the first time a woman has collected three straight titles in the event since Tamara Garkushina of the Soviet Union completed her hat-trick in 1974
The Dutch woman's feat was made even more remarkable considering her past
A model who once posed for the men's magazine Penthouse
Zijlaard-Van Moorsel suffered a physical breakdown nine years ago after winning her second women's Tour de France title and left the cycling world for two years as she struggled to recover from anorexia
With the help of husband and coach Michael Zijlaard
she eventually overcame her eating disorder and staged an inspirational comeback at the 1998 road race world championships on her home in Valkenburg where she lifted gold in the time trial
That marked the start of great things for Zijlaard-Van Moorsel
who won three Olympic gold medals in Sydney
the road time trial and the individual pursuit
And when I finally did I was able to come back to the top
"That's why all these results since are special
defeating New Zealand's Sarah Ulmer in the bronze medal race
the winner of the World Cup races this season
two riders start on the opposite sides of the track
The goal is to set the fastest time over the allotted distance
who finished runner-up last year in the points race at the worlds in Copenhagen and third both years before that
Spain's Joan Llaneras Rosello was runner-up with 74
while Jos Pronk of the Netherlands took bronze on 70
"I've always been on the podium the last few years but it was never on top
It was a surprise to win today I must admit."
Reigning champion Chris Newton of Britain just missed the podium with 68
Points races are mass-start events with sprints-for-points at predetermined intervals
reigning champion Australia dominated qualifying for the team pursuit
the blue ribbon event of the world track cycling championships
Ashley Hutchinson and Stephen Woodbridge completed the 14-lap race in 4 minutes
almost two seconds faster than runner-up Britain
Australia was the clear winner at the worlds last year in Copenhagen
The task was made easier for all in the absence of Germany
The national federation withdrew its team from the race because of political infighting
Dutchwoman not considering legal action against Dutch doctor Peter Janssen
<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/van-moorsel-denies-using-epo-ahead-of-sydney-olympics/" data-url="https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/van-moorsel-denies-using-epo-ahead-of-sydney-olympics/" data-hl-processed="none" data-before-rewrite-localise="/news/van-moorsel-denies-using-epo-ahead-of-sydney-olympics">Van Moorsel denies using EPO ahead of Sydney Olympics</a>
Van Moorsel raced in the 1980s through 2005
briefly leaving the sport to treat an eating disorder
she later won three Olympic gold medals; one in the road race (2000) and twice in the time trial (2000 and 2004)
She won world titles in on the road (1991 and 1993) and in the time trial (1998 and 1999)
in addition to winning major women's stage races Grand Boucle and Tour de l'Aude
She wanted her weight to be checked," Janssen said in the September interview
She has always denied the claims saying that she visited Dr
Janssen's practice to receive advice about her diet and training plans
He gave me the motivation when I made my comeback to believe in myself again."
Van Moorsel vehemently denies allegations of EPO use
she was forced to remove herself from the spotlight so that the allegations did not affect her family
"Go and explain to your 10-year-old daughter that the world is so hard
So we deliberately opted to take a break from the picture
She said she has not considered taking legal action against Dr
Janssen over the allegations because she does not want the issue to continue
"Then you let the issue live longer," she said
because your child is also burdened with that
Van Moorsel reveals route 28km longer with more climbs
Race director and former World and Olympic champion Leontien van Moorsel announced today the organisation has tacked on two more climbs and another 28 kilometres at the request of the riders
"It certainly fits in with the development of women's cycling," Van Moorsel said
"We were a bit behind compared to other WorldTour races
More climbing metres and an extra final loop
The early part of the race will have an extra loop towards Sittard-Geleen
and riders will tackle the final 18-kilometre circuit that includes the Geulhemmerberg
Bemelerberg and Cauberg four times instead of three
The extra distance brings the total number of climbs to 21
the average Women's WorldTour one-day race was 142.4 kilometres
with Brugge-De Panne as the longest at 162.8 kilometres and Paris-Roubaix the shortest at 124.7km
Only Roubaix and the Postnord V&aring;rg&aring;rda road race were shorter than Amstel Gold Race last year
The longer 2023 edition will be more similar to the Tour of Flanders and Gent-Wevelgem in length
While men's one-day races can be upwards of 300 kilometres, as in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cyclingnews.com/milan-san-remo/" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.cyclingnews.com/milan-san-remo/">Milan-San Remo</a>
the UCI imposes a maximum of 160 kilometres for women's road races
the Giro d'Italia Donne used a 170-kilometre route for stage 4
Riders were of mixed opinions on whether longer stages were better
and they don't think our uteruses will fall out if we ride long stages."
The Amstel Gold Race is one event that World Champion <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cyclingnews.com/riders/annemiek-van-vleuten/" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.cyclingnews.com/riders/annemiek-van-vleuten/">Annemiek van Vleuten</a> (Movistar) has not won
but Van Moorsel said the longer course was not created just for her
"We see across the board that the riders want this and can handle it."
"It would be nice if Annemiek would add this competition to her palmares in her final year
barbecues and — after our soul-destroying winter — ice-cold bevvies
The Upper Canadian puritans are on the attack again
nanny-state government but an idea seriously being floated by the boo-birds at a respected research agency
even though Ontario has settled on 19 as its legal drinking age for more than two generations now
the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) thinks the province should consider hiking the age to 21
where private liquor barns and off-stand bar sales make beer-to-go as easy as drive-through fast food
where the government is the booze business
many of us still recall liquor stores so straitlaced
a sure-fire way to still get some people frothing is to dust off a decades-old election vow to allow beer and wine sales in corner stores
And don’t even think of uncorking the Big One
selling off the government-owned booze monopoly
it’s a wonder it doesn’t have a Prohibition-era theme park by now
Maybe that’s why CAMH felt confident in calling for the higher drinking age
to help fight the deadly serious problem of alcohol abuse
a university city whose campus Playboy magazine ranked one of North America’s best party schools
A recent London Free Press poll found readers sharply divided on raising the legal drinking age
the local health board pushed for the increase but was shot down
the entire country sets 19 as the drinking age for people who
even die for their country in the military
Ontario lowered its drinking age to 18 from 21 in 1971
but since 1979 — after complaints too many high school kids were getting drunk — has stuck with 19
alcohol remains a factor in far too many deaths in Canada
Binge drinking and alcoholism also exact other heavy tolls
But if a higher drinking age would stop under-age drinking
Ontario’s legal drinking age is a balanced threshold
it neither treats young adults as children nor dangles unrealistically prude expectations
the drinking age is backstopped by a zero-tolerance approach to booze for drivers under 22
Even one drop found in a driver’s system means a licence suspension
can anyone argue today’s youngsters aren’t the most bombarded in history by responsible drinking messages
many teens now push adolescence into their 20s
enabled by coddling parents who refuse to enforce the realities — including limits to alcohol use — of growing up
No temperance-law tweaking will transform them into better parents
<a href="javascript:location.href='mailto:'+String.fromCharCode(103,114,101,103,46,118,97,110,109,111,111,114,115,101,108,64,115,117,110,109,101,100,105,97,46,99,97)+'?'">greg.vanmoorsel@sunmedia.ca</a>
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the Build Smoke-Free campaign to convince tobacco smokers on construction sites to break their addiction has produced remarkable results but the program itself is at a crossroads
Ottawa Public Health nurse Heidi McKean has been spearheading tobacco control programs for 15 years and in the past decade has focused on construction
Five years ago EllisDon signed on as a major national supporter and participant
working with such partners as the Canadian Cancer Society
the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit and the Public Health Agency of Canada to develop the Build Smoke-Free project
All agreed tobacco usage numbers are concerning
It has been determined that 28 per cent of construction workers use tobacco
compared with 17.5 per cent of the general population
“Smoking on construction sites seemed to be a normalized culture,” said McKean
the journeymen are the role models for the apprentices coming on
We are hearing some construction workers say
‘I never smoked until I got onto the site.’”
McKean noted construction work remains a predominantly male culture
and many men do not readily seek out health care
new workers see smokers congregating at the front of a site
that’s where tobacco use has stayed high.”
developed by the various public health agencies and honed by EllisDon
The construction sector has a strong safety culture to begin with
and working with the multiple tiers of public health agencies paid dividends
“I couldn’t think of better people to work with,” said Van Moorsel
“They are so like-minded with EllisDon and what we do and what we’re about
They just work relentlessly to make this program work.”
The administrators found that 57.9 per cent of smokers in the sector want to quit but there are a lot of relapses
It was stressed that each quit attempt builds skills
and even just cutting back was a pathway to future success
A total of 1,203 workers across Canada have quit smoking
with 31 per cent reporting 30 days of no smoking after six months and 17 per cent reporting six months of smoking abstinence
The quit rate with the program is far above the three- to five per cent average success rate of unaided quit attempts
47.8 per cent of current smokers reduced the number of cigarettes smoked daily
and 65.9 per cent of participants agreed that the program created a work environment that helped them quit or cut back on smoking
“It was continual growth,” said Van Moorsel
“I think the value of this program made itself evident really quickly
“All those people that quit smoking long-term
workers were told quitting saves between $3,500 and $6,000 per year
Even abstaining for eight hours returns blood oxygen levels to normal
while carbon monoxide and nicotine levels fall by half
decreased sick time and less time spent on breaks
“The cost savings was one of our pitches and that’s what resonates with the construction industry because time is money,” said McKean
She points to one testimonial she has heard
‘It changed my life.’ How many times have I heard that
That’s what keeps us going — how could it not?”
If there is one cloud over the program it’s that Build Smoke-Free’s current five-year program comes to an end this March
McKean said the final phase was intended to explore program sustainability
with the Canadian Cancer Society and the other team members looking for new funding partners as part of a transformed Build Smoke-Free 2.0
So the drive is on to find a new group of interested parties who will be part of the next iteration
EllisDon will remain a strong and involved supporter and will continue to spread the word to other companies and unions
But Van Moorsel said the firm will have a new focus as well
launching a legacy committee that will take the lessons learned and implement them internally
all those learnings and trying to apply them across as broad a scope as we possibly can,” he said
Follow the author on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/DonWall_DCN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@DonWall_DCN</a>
Thank you for Don Wall for your positive and informative views into the efforts of the many committed individuals working to support and improve the lives of construction workers across Canada
I always look forward to your articles which are often a highlight of my day
TORONTO — The Canadian Mental Health Association says living with a mental healt..
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FREDERICTON — New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt has written to Prime Minister Mar..
TORONTO — The Request for Proposals (RFP) stage has closed for William Osler Hea..
OTTAWA — Ground has officially been broken on the new CHEO Integrated Treatment..
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we say good-bye to the amazing Hermien van Moorsel
and meeting new people taking an interest in everyone she met
Her ability to make people laugh and feel special was truly a gift
Hermien loved her family more than anything; she is survived by her loving husband Tom and their children Marsha
She was also a proud Oma to five grandchildren: Lilyana
Thanks to the many dear friends who were there when she needed them the most
and everyone on Unit 32 at Red Deer Hospital
Hermien requested that there be no somber funeral service but instead that a celebration of life event be organized for this summer
Hermien asked that donations be made to the Alberta Cancer Foundation to fund Leiomyosarcoma research
Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our <a href="/community-guidelines">Community Guidelines</a>
known for its fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs
Franchise owner Joseph Livengood and operating partner DeWayne Boyd will hold a grand opening and free sub fundraiser from Wednesday
August 12 to support Cullman Caring For Kids.&nbsp;
is circulating 7,500 coupons throughout the community offering a free regular sub for a minimum $2 contribution to Cullman Caring For Kids
Customers must have a coupon to be eligible.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;We are very excited about opening a Jersey Mike&rsquo;s Subs and serving the Cullman community,&rdquo; said Livengood
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve hired great team members from the Cullman area who are anxious to produce fantastic hot and cold subs for Cullman to enjoy!&rdquo;&nbsp;
Livengood and Boyd are exemplary Jersey Mike&rsquo;s franchise owners who shares the company&rsquo;s commitment to quality products and exceptional customer service
and who are dedicated to giving back to the local community
Jersey Mike&rsquo;s locations throughout the country have raised more than $34 million for worthy local charities and have distributed more than 2 million free sub sandwiches to help numerous causes
the company&rsquo;s 8th Annual Jersey Mike&rsquo;s Month of Giving in March raised over $6 million for more than 170 charities throughout the country.&nbsp; &nbsp;
Jersey Mike&rsquo;s now has 1,500 restaurants open and under development nationwide
Jersey Mike&rsquo;s was named the country&rsquo;s fastest-growing Limited Service Chain and fastest-growing sandwich chain in the 2018 Nation&rsquo;s Restaurant News Top 100.&nbsp;
The growth is fueled by passionate Jersey Mike&rsquo;s fans who crave their subs made Mike&rsquo;s Way&reg; with the freshest vegetables &ndash; onions
lettuce and tomatoes &ndash; topped off with an exquisite zing of &ldquo;the juice&rdquo; &ndash; red wine vinegar and olive oil blended to perfection.&nbsp; Jersey Mike&rsquo;s premium meats and cheeses are sliced on the spot
piled high on in-store baked bread and served up with a helping of neighborly banter from a dedicated and high-energy team.&nbsp; &nbsp;
Jersey Mike&rsquo;s is always looking for outstanding candidates to join its winning team
For more information and to learn about Jersey Mike&rsquo;s team members who moved from &ldquo;behind the counter&rdquo; to franchise owner
please visit: http://www.jerseymikes.com/careers.&nbsp;
seven days a week.&nbsp;You can contact this location directly at 256-727-9701.&nbsp;
<a class="td-login-modal-js" data-effect="mpf-td-login-effect" href="#login-form">Log in to leave a comment </a>
You can almost hear Sandra Gibbons smile over the phone
recalling her last night with her only child
the last day of the Thanksgiving school break
“Everything was perfect,” the Aylmer-area woman says
were curled up on the sofa to watch the comedy Meet the Fockers
You can tell just by the name how such a movie would make a 12-year-old boy giggle
They never got around to carving the pumpkins
died the next day of an apparent attack at Straffordville elementary school in Elgin County
unable to get to his breath-restoring inhaler
who’d had his puffers confiscated before at school
had been outdoors with his classmates on a morning break
The message home was relayed to Gibbons at work by her mother: “As far as I remember
Gibbons said she couldn’t get the answers she needed over the phone
She didn’t find out the terrible truth until she got to the hospital in nearby Tillsonburg
Gibbons went through the full range of emotions
Calls came in at the doctor’s office where she worked
from parents looking for puffer authorization renewals for their kids
Gibbons said she’d tell them they should get their kids assessed
One woman said she’d heard the story of a boy who died at school
Gibbons told her she was that boy’s mother
the single mom found herself at the centre of a push to standardize rules in Ontario schools for kids who need access to devices like puffers
The ball was picked up by pharmacist Jeff Yurek
The Elgin-Middlesex-London Tory is now pushing a private member’s bill
that would require every school board in Ontario to develop a comprehensive asthma policy
It would also allow asthmatic kids to carry a reliever inhaler at all times
has cleared second reading with all-party support at Queen’s Park
The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario wants the minority Liberal government to make it a priority
even expand it to include other life-­threatening conditions
one with 4,850 schools and 2.1 million kids
has no standard system to protect asthmatics
kids at some schools can carry inhalers while at others cannot
when the solution — a standard approach — is so obvious
why should it take legislation of last resort — a private member’s bill — to shame a government into action
For the one in five kids who are asthmatics
<a href="javascript:location.href='mailto:'+String.fromCharCode(103,114,101,103,46,118,97,110,109,111,111,114,115,101,108,64,115,117,110,109,101,100,105,97,46,99,97)+'?'">greg.vanmoorsel@sunmedia.ca</a> 
From a scientific idea to a multi-million euro investment: the successes of the many NWO Venture Challenge alumni reveal what can be achieved if you take science out of the lab onto the market
teams of starting entrepreneurs in the life sciences and health sector receive coaching to develop their business case
‘We were already leading the way in this field and possessed the required knowledge to act quickly’
says professor of chemical biology Luc Brunsveld (Eindhoven University of Technology) about the moment that he and his colleagues decided to participate in the 2019 Venture Challenge
‘But as soon as you decide to market your idea
you immediately face all kinds of questions
How can I come into contact with investors
How can I make my aim and plan as relevant as possible
The Venture Challenge provided considerable help in answering these questions.’
Brunsveld’s team came to the Venture Challenge with screening technologies aimed at discovering molecules that cannot be reached with conventional drugs
These molecules act as a sort of molecular glue to stabilise disease-causing proteins
the start-up biotechnology company Ambagon Therapeutics that emerged from this has already become quite successful
the company managed to secure an investment of 85 million dollars
it can further expand its platform for drug development and further research into the ‘molecular glue’ molecules
Brunsveld: ‘When you reach the point that you have come to the end of the academic process
but you have the feeling that it looks good
then perhaps you should try that out via a start-up.’
together with colleague Christian Ottmann and the first Ambagon team member Eline Sijbesma
decided to participate in the Venture Challenge
‘We really benefited from the sessions where we came together and worked intensively for three full days
gained feedback and ideas and learned from others who were working on similar things
but we often look for answers to the same kinds of questions
You can therefore learn a lot from each other without being each other’s competitor.’ The programme not only helped Ambagon to come up with a clear message
‘The Venture Challenge really does help to very swiftly gain visibility in the Dutch network of investors
You get to know people who you will need at a later stage
who later became one of our investors.’ Brunsveld’s team won their round of the Venture Challenge with their pitch to the jury
‘It was intensive and we had to work really hard
<a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.ambagontx.com/">Read more about Ambagon</a>
Despite all of the fantastic success stories many scientific discoveries never reach the market
Entrepreneurial researchers often lack the experience and knowledge to set up a commercial organisation
and for private investors and experienced entrepreneurs
it is normally too early to get involved in the start-up phase
‘We came into the Venture Challenge as three UMC Utrecht researchers with a remarkable scientific discovery
but with very limited knowledge about matters such as starting a company’
he participated in the 2018 round of the Venture Challenge to investigate what would be the best way to market a protein discovered in the lab
The protein can switch on the body’s own mechanism to stimulate thrombolysis
research into drugs stops once we have demonstrated that the substance in question works reasonably well in a pilot study
Then we write a paper about it and that’s the end of the story
the question is: how do you proceed from there?’
‘It is important that academics dare to establish a start-up’
There is an element of uncertainty in the story because there are an awful lot of molecules that perform well in the laboratory
but it is impossible to test everything in the following phase
So you can only bring the most promising find to the next level
you need someone to help you on your way because it is then often still too early to get involved for pharmaceutical companies.’ In the case of Van Moorsel’s team
With the company TargED an investment round of 39 million euros has now been concluded so that research into their newly developed drug Microlyse can be advanced in a clinical setting
The drug could make it possible to treat many different thrombotic indications
from extremely rare diseases to major health problems
which we applied for after the Venture Challenge
we applied for and received funding via Take-Off 2 (early phase trajectory
All of these steps have contributed to the major funding that we have now acquired
we can now actually enter the critical phase.’
‘The Venture Challenge also helped in a very practical manner’
‘We were told about everything that we needed: funding
a development plan …’ Now Van Moorsel’s main focus is realising the development steps so that TargED can be launched on the market
<a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://targedbiopharmaceuticals.com/">Read more about TargED</a>
starting entrepreneurs in the life sciences and health sector are groomed to start a company on the basis of their promising innovations for the healthcare of the future
Fixed elements in the programme are two intensive
three-day boot camps and regular coaching sessions to work on producing or refining the business case
The trajectory is concluded with pitches from the participants to a jury of investors and other experts
The Venture Challenge is organised by NWO and the Top Sector Life Sciences &amp; Health (Health~Holland) on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy
<a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.nwo.nl/onderzoeksprogrammas/venture-challenge">More information aboiut the Venture Challenge</a>
Venture Challenge is one of NWO's funding instruments focused on valorisation
These programmes facilitate academic entrepreneurs and encourage entrepreneurship with the aim of bringing scientific inventions and knowledge to the market to create societal or economic impact.&nbsp;To the programs:
Kristin Graves quit her city job to create her own community support farming operation and help her father on their large grain operation,
but I've earned the right to be called a farmer" (film- Piture a Farmer)
The fact is that most people give very little thought to where their food comes from
Filmmaker Kelsey van Moorsel is from a farming background in Alberta and found that many people in the urban centres where she spent time had a misconception about farming: what’s actually involved and who farmers were
she contacted three women who were farmers to talk about their roles as the leaders on the farm and they they are not just the wives and daughters of farmers
Maybe you have an image of a farmer as an adult male of a certain age wearing a beat up baseball cap or straw hat sitting atop an old tractor while ploughing a field
Nowadays that old tractor might easily be an eight-wheeled high tech computer controlled vehicle operated by a woman
While women have always played a vital role on farms
few urbanites or even the farm community considered the women as “farmers”
Lynn Dargis took over the large family farm after the sudden loss of her parents in an accident.She&#8217;s been operating the farm for several years
She is &#8220;the farmer&#8221; ( Picture a Farmer)
as women themselves assume the title for the work they’ve always done
including taking on the leading role on farms often as owners and operators of the farm
Susan Holme Manyluk has been operating a cow and calf farm in central Alberta for 40 years
Van Moorsel says the point of the film was not to portray women as superwomen but rather just to point out that women can and are doing everything any other “farmer” does in a farming operation and to give urban dwellers a small taste of what farmers and farming is like and who are the people producing the food they consume
All rights reserved @ Radio Canada International 2018
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Some say angels are everywhere and present themselves in various forms
Their never-ending companionship and love effortlessly fills one’s heart
some dogs become displaced for various reasons
It could be because their owner becomes ill and passes away
or the dog has aged to a point where medical bills become a financial burden and they are surrendered to a humane society
there is a piece of heaven in Niagara providing a comfortable
caring environment as an alternative to euthanasia
Heaven’s gate is open at Angel’s Rest Dog Rescue and Sanctuary
with Christine Van Moorsel standing behind it with open arms
This piece of green heaven is located on a sprawling 20 acres in St
with plenty of trees and a handful of angel statues strategically placed throughout the property
Behind the 1840 farmhouse is a sizable fenced area where Van Moorsel’s 11 fuzzy residents can safely romp around carefree
interlocking foam mats at the back entrance and a change table in the bathroom
This would be fitting as Van Moorsel operated a daycare centre in Thorold for 25 years
having grown up with them and providing a rescue environment most of her adult life
When she worked at her husband Nick’s business she would always bring along four or five dogs
When she began fostering and rescuing dogs
The rescue and sanctuary was established in 2008
Its foundation is to be a welcoming dog sanctuary for smaller dog breeds to live out remaining years in a loving home environment after they lose their owners
“Because they give so much by serving us with their love
I wanted to mirror back that love by giving them the best possible environment so they could live out the rest of their days.”
It was a long process to put everything into place
To provide an opportunity for the maximum number of allowable dogs in her home
Van Moorsel and her husband purchased the 20-acre property
This allowed them to obtain a kennel license and work within the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s regulations
Angel’s Rest Dog Rescue and Sanctuary recently achieved another milestone
September marks its first-year anniversary as a registered charity
“It had come to a point where taking on 10 dogs was beginning to become a financial burden
especially in the beginning when they first arrived and needed extensive vet care,” Van Moorsel said
She explained that while some vet services can be donated
many others need to be paid for out of pocket
many treatments for specific age-related conditions are expensive due to the procedures and medications involved
The sanctuary has a community-based board of directors and professionals who have a heart for dogs in need
who graciously assists with providing care for the dogs through routine check-ups and frequent visits
the board helps keep the charity in line ensuring it is operating within its budget and doesn’t overextend its resources
Van Moorsel said that a sanctuary environment for older dogs has and will continue to be needed
especially since Niagara has an influx of senior residents from larger centres such as Toronto and Ottawa
Van Moorsel is agreeable to recruit assistance to ensure they receive the best care possible
She and her daughter Jane are working toward establishing a waiting list database of Niagara seniors and their pets
The intent of the list is to secure a spot for the pet if its owner needs to transition into a care facility or if they pass away
Van Moorsel would meet the potential fuzzy resident and its owner ahead of time to ensure both are comfortable with the surrounding environment once the time of need comes
supportive environment for the senior dogs
Each comes with a story and unique personality
Not only does Van Moorsel rescue senior dogs from area humane societies when called upon
but sometimes also younger dogs that would be difficult to re-home due to environmental situations that have caused behavioral and physical issues
“You would be amazed at how many people think that birth defects can’t happen to dogs and cats
“They are just like humans in that sense.”
“When I went to get him he was the size of a hamster
Van Moorsel explained that due to certain behaviors caused by brain damage
he was at a higher risk of being unadoptable
“I did work with him to get him to the adoptable point
as you can see he never went and been with me ever since.”
he is the sanctuary’s marketing ambassador when they attend community awareness events
Duncan is a jet-black pug that was rescued from a strictly-breeding environment
He came with injured back legs due to being crated for extensive periods
and damaged right portion of his face due to head trauma
Van Moorsel invested $3,000 in vet care for him to be comfortable
Van Moorsel admired his resilience in the face of the challenges he faced
“Despite everything he’s been through he is the most docile of them all
Duncan is the ambassador for any new adoptee that comes in.”
as her owner died in hospice care due to illness
It was her owner’s final wish to have Karly stay at Angel’s Rest for her remaining days
was rescued from the Niagara Falls Humane Society
as he did not do well in a shelter environment
Van Moorsel was advised by her vet that the breed tends to shut down in environments such as a shelter and she worried he wouldn’t pull through once he arrived at Angel’s Rest
“It’s been a year now and he has completely turned around
He loves it outside and likes to herd the other dogs whenever given the opportunity.”
Managing Director with the Niagara Falls Humane Society
said that all humane societies need the support of community resources
“It is wonderful to have people like Christine who are willing to take on animals who may have issues from medical to behavioral to aging,” said Fuller
Van Moorsel is conscientious when she accepts a new “Fuzzy,” as she calls them
it does take time to adapt to the environment and routine
The dogs have a well-structured routine just as though they were in a daycare
eat dinner at 3 PM and by 8:30 PM are ready for their 9:30 bedtime
except for Chico and Zoe who arrived together and are best friends
“They are just like a baby when it comes to their bedtime
they all need their blankets,” Van Moorsel said
Van Moorsel enjoys the full-time responsibility of taking care of the dogs
They are the reason I get up in the morning.”
Asked what her favourite breed was she answered with a laugh
if I did have to pick one I would have to say the pug
I think they were put on this earth to do nothing more than entertain us.”
“Christine is a wonderful lady and we are grateful to have the resource she provides
She has taken on three senior dogs with challenges for us
She tells us that they are all doing amazingly well.”
As Angel’s Rest is a non-profit organization Van Moorsel is always questioned what is needed the most and that is wet dog food
be on the board of directors or make a general inquiry
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Peacefully surrounded by her family on Wednesday
She was the loving wife to the late Jack Berkers (2009)
She will be missed by her children Mary (the late Tony) Huybers of Camlachie
She will also be missed by her grandchildren Ryan (Sarah) Huybers
and David (Haley) Berkers and her twenty great grandchildren
She will be remembered for always sharing her interests and passions with her grandkids
they all could have had unlimited tennis lessons if they wanted
They have so many memories of strawberry sandwiches and playing at the farm in Camlachie
We can&rsquo;t count the number of sewing projects she helped us with and we will all treasure our amazing quilts
Alberta is survived by siblings Ted (Dorothy) Donkers
and Martin (Mary) Donkers and predeceased by Sister Huberta Maria
A division of Sarnia Media Group Inc.Locally Owned and Operated
Gordon and Ann MacKay of Port Elgin opened the doors of the Lakeshore Raquetball Club (known today a the Lakeshore Recreation) and
the centre has become more popular than ever and is looking at expanding its activities
Fitness has always been the number one goal with specialized rooms that include the latest in high-intensity equipment
There are also four personal trainers who can oversee exercise
demonstrate equipment or set up individual programs
 There are also daily group fitness classes with certified instructors in a wide variety of areas
On Saturday, January 27th (2024), the Centre held an Open House that hosted the Saugeen Shores Winterhawks hockey team, draws for prizes and indoor squash demonstrations with Squash Ontario President, Dan Van Moorsel, and <a href="https://ussquash.org/2019/10/gary-waite/">Gary Waite</a>
President International Squash Doubles Association
owner of the Maple City Squash Club in Chatham (ON)
said that one of his greatest influences in squash was John Fleury
but how to be a good sport/opponent and that there is a very social side to sports.&#8221;
He went on to add that the Community Squash Program is growing in popularity
 &#8220;Squash at any level provides the best workout in a short time
 It&#8217;s also a really good way to get to know people if you move to a new community and there are plenty of people who are willing to teach newcomers
 Another appealing part of the sport is that you can do it anytime
they can pop in over lunch or for those who may now be working from home
they can have a 30 to 40 minute game and workout any time of the day.&#8221;
who for 14 consecutive years was ranked the number one doubles player on tour
four World Doubles titles and three World Mixed
was also No.1 on the North American hardball singles circuit
He has won more professional squash titles than any player in history and was inducted into the Squash Ontario Hall of Fame
&#8220;Waite was one of the best left-wall doubles players in history.&#8221;
Waite said that he would like to see the Community Squash program expanded to be more accessible with more visibility
I would like to see more public courts created
 You play it with a partner and you can develop lifelong friendships.&#8221;
One of the spin-offs of squash and tennis is the fastest growing sport of Pickle Ball
there are now over 230 members ranking the club No
The <a href="https://saugeentimes.com/local-volunteer-receives-provincial-ambassador-award/">SSPC</a> plays at Lakeshore six mornings a week in the summer season and four times a week at Port Elgin United Church during the indoor season
The sport has become so popular that Lakeshore will be adding eight more pickle ball courts this year bringing the total to 16
 &#8220;With the new courts added,&#8221; says Gord MacKay
this will be the largest Pickle Ball club in Western Ontario
&#8220;You might say that we are going back to our roots,&#8221; says owner Gord MacKay
&#8220;We started out as the Lakeshore Raquetball Club and we are still a number one centre for raquet sports
we believe in fitness at any age and our programs prove that
 We have all generations who realize that being fit is the road to health
 Whether you want to use the high-intensity equipment
take daily group exercise sessions or simply come in for a sauna
all facets of the facility are open to members.&#8221;
For more information on Lakeshore Recreation, visit <a href="https://www.lakeshorerecreation.com/">www.lakeshorerecreation.com</a>