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This Weekends African Film Festival In Toronto A No Go

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African Film Festival Cancelled At The Last Moment … Again By Stephen Weir As published in the Caribbean Camera The Toronto African Film And Music Festival scheduled to run this weekend in downtown Toronto, has been cancelled. The event had planned to showcase the works of filmmakers and musicians from over 50 countries in Africa. America and the Caribbean, with the emphasis on film and music produced with strong links to the African continent. In a Facebook message to me festival organizer, Paris Roger blamed the shutdown on a lack of financing. " I called and asked for help to over 2,000 people and companies, and nothing, no support other than good luck, or I will buy tickets to come out -- which they never do," he said. The festival had originally been slated to be held in August but was postponed to give the organizers more time to fund raise - something they were unable to do successfully. This is also the second year that the Festival has had to cancel its

Canadian Jamaica company inks medicinal Ganja Cultivator Licence in New Kingston JA

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Story Has Impact In Canada Too.     By Stephen Weir - Caribbean Camera On Friday morning Timeless Herbal Care Ltd held a press conference in Kingston, Jamaica to announce that it has recently received its license to grow and harvest medical marijuana in Jamaica.  Timeless Herbal Care is a Jamaican company run by Toronto lawyer Courtney Betty.  Former Ontario premier Ernie Eves is on the company’s board. Timeless Herbal Care  (THC) has received a  Tier One Ganja Cultivator Licence  from a new agency of Jamaica’s Ministry of Industry Commerce Agriculture and Fisheries, in New Kingston.THC is one of the first companies to be awarded a commercial licence by the Jamaican Government.  My story in today's Caribbean Camera According to Timeless President Courtney Betty “This completes the cornerstone of the Green Gold Triangle with Timeless operations and partners in Jamaica, Israel and Canada.      In Israel Timeless Herbal Care is partnered with      Bazelet one of the

Two short news items by sweir: Dominica's Hurricane relief updates and MC Bonde in the movies

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E-building an island. Track Dominica’s progress online By Stephen Weir --  Social Media Posted Story Even though news about Dominica's recovery from Hurricane Maria is no longer front page news, travellers and family can now keep updated thanks to a new website. Over the past two weeks, Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) and the Ministry of Tourism and Urban Renewal together with other private and public sector stakeholders and partners have been working to assess the readiness of Dominica to receive visitors.  Discover Dominica Authority has just launched a new blog site,  http://dominic aupdate.com , to provide regular updates on key visitor related products and services.  Updates to be included on the site range from accommodations, access, things to do, volunteering and voluntourism, as well as information of the relief efforts and responses to frequently asked questions. According to Director of Tourism Colin Piper, “This web page is another way that DDA is striv

Dive of Death

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Egypt's newest tombs come with eels, lion fish and grave robbers GLOBE AND MAIL TRAVEL  27/10/2017,  DIVER MAGAZINE By Stephen Weir A black and white portable television hangs in the black water above the scuba divers while a sharkless remora glides unconcerned through the glare of the underwater lights. The torches illuminate a ship’s hold filled with the luggage of hundreds of dead pilgrims. A  wheel barrel is all but covered by a mountain of ripped  and torn soft back suitcases. Cotton bundles of clothing, still bearing stencilled Mecca slogans, have crushed  a baby’s  stroller and a companion crib.  The dust and grime from a month long desert pilgrimage  has left this jumbled mountain of  abandoned possessions and now clouds the water inside Egypt’s newest tomb -- the wreck of the Salem Express. Like the hundreds of other tourists who come each week to dive on the remains of this Red Sea shipwreck, our team of divers is touring a very recent deep water gravesite.  What

Michelle Alfano's 'The Unfinished Dollhouse' - Review by KJ Mullins

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Michelle Alfano's 'The Unfinished Dollhouse' Brings Raw Emotion of Parenting a Transgender Child By K.J. Mullins,  Newz4U   Michelle Alfano - photo by K.J. Mullins Being a mother is not an easy job. In her new book 'The Unfinished Dollhouse' Michelle Alfano details her personal struggles with raising her transgender son Frankie with a rawness that doesn't gloss over her true emotions. What happens when a child's gender identity isn't the same as the gender they were born with. Is there a way to come to terms with what a parent has dreamt of when it will never come to be? When Alfano's daughter was born weeks early her “Momma Bear” instincts came out. She protected her perfectly formed child throughout childhood, treasuring every moment. The little girl was perfect in Alfano's eyes and the author loved dressing her up in little dresses and styling her beautiful locks. The image may have been perfect but the reality was far from

Denham Jolly’s Autobiography wins Toronto Book Award

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--> Not always happy with life in Canada but always Jolly --> By Stephen Weir,  as published in the Caribbean Camera --> The standing O began before City of Toronto Librarian Vickery Bowles, could finish announcing Denham Jolly’s name! On Thursday night in the Toronto Reference Library’s Bram and Bluma Appel Salon, Jamaican Canadian businessman, radio pioneer, and now author, won the 2017 Toronto Book Award for his autobiography In the Black: My Life.  “We’re really pleased that Mr. Jolly’s book, In the Black: My Life, has been selected as the winner,” said Vickery Bowles, City Librarian. “The book gives voice to a unique kind of Canadian experience that has historically not been heard.” Established by Toronto City Council in 1974, the Toronto Book Awards honour authors of books of literary or artistic merit that are evocative of Toronto. The annual awards offer $15,000 in prize money: finalists re