Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

  Toronto gets schooled by BC Ballet dancers By Stephen Weir This past weekend, the internationally known Canadian dance troupe Ballet BC returned to perform in Toronto. It’s been six years since their last visit, and at Friday night’s sold-out performance, the audience yelled, stamped, and begged them not to board the waiting bus outside the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts by the end of the three-performance weekend. The 20-member troupe performed two dances: Pieces of Tomorrow and their 50-minute, sometimes humorous signature piece, Passing. Pieces of Tomorrow is a ballet choreographed by Ballet BC's Artistic Director, Medhi Walerski, which premiered a year ago in Vancouver. It is a 25-minute piece featuring the full 20-member company, set to a Bach Violin Concerto, on a cloud-covered stage. As the dance races to its conclusion, a glinting, gold-like shimmer flitters ghost-like behind a blackened screen made from found pieces of shiny metal by Lyle XOX, a Vancouver-based multime...

Grenada’s Spicemas Carnival Expands Flights from New York, Miami, and Toronto By Stephen Weir When are you going to jump up and party? It all depends on the calendar—and where you're going! Carnival day is chosen based on the Christian calendar, Emancipation Day, a bank holiday, or even when the sugar cane is about to be harvested! Grenada’s Spicemas Carnival announced last week that the island is expanding the number of flights from New York, Miami, and Toronto to bring revellers south for the annual Spicemas Carnival. But when is Spicemas this year? Grenada's Spicemas, the island's annual Carnival, is traditionally held on the second Monday and Tuesday of August. In 2025, these dates fall on August 11th and 12th. The festival’s scheduling was established in 1981 to avoid clashing with other regional Carnivals and to accommodate Grenadians living abroad, who can more easily return home during the summer months. Prior to this change, Grenada's Carnival was celebrated be...

  It wasn’t a mistake, and it wasn’t on purpose By Stephen Weir Last week, I wrote a story about the birthday party of the year PanMan Pat, the city’s master of the steelpan, is turning 80! A black-tie celebration is planned, featuring a special guest appearance by the celebrated Winston "Gypsy" Peters, the T&T-based World Extempo Champion. It was set to be a sure sell-out—unless you read my story. I originally stated that the event would take place on April 25 at the Rembrandt Banquet Halls in Scarborough. Right place, wrong date. By the time The Caribbean Camera hit the stands, PanMan Pat had changed the date of the party to May 3! “Because of election fever in T&T and Canada, I was forced to move the event to May 3 at the same Rembrandt Banquet Hall,” Pat McNeilly (a.k.a. PanMan Pat) told me. “Gypsy is a former T&T Minister of Culture and head of the National Carnival Commission. He’s a politician and can’t travel that weekend. I’m awaiting confirmation from hi...

  Serena Williams Joins Ownership Group of Toronto Tempo, Canada’s First WNBA Team By Stephen Weir Toronto’s new Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team, the Toronto Tempo, has gained a powerful ally. On March 3, 2025, it was announced that tennis legend Serena Williams has joined the ownership group of the city’s first-ever WNBA franchise. “I am thrilled to announce my ownership role in the first Canadian WNBA team, the Toronto Tempo,” Williams said. She emphasized the importance of investing in women's sports, calling it a strong business opportunity and a crucial step in elevating female athletes. The ownership group is led by Kilmer Sports Ventures, headed by Canadian businessman Larry Tanenbaum. Tanenbaum expressed his admiration for Williams, calling her an “icon, a role model, and a force for change in the world.” He praised her tenacity, determination, and success in overcoming challenges, stating, “She exemplifies the very best of what the Tempo stand for—we co...

  Nevis to St. Kitts Cross Channel Swim Celebrates 24th Anniversary by Stephen Weir Forget swimming the English Channel. The Nevis to St. Kitts Cross-Channel Swim is a challenging yet rewarding experience, offering participants the chance to cross the scenic Caribbean waters between the sister islands of Nevis and St. Kitts. Celebrating its 24th anniversary at the end of the month, the event has grown into a premier sporting occasion with a focus on conservation and community. According to Laura Johnston, the event’s PR specialist, excitement is building. "It is coming up soon, and it’s a swim you won’t want to miss," she told the Caribbean Camera. Stephen Weir, our reporter and an avid scuba diver, has explored these waters numerous times. While he hasn't swum the channel, his underwater experiences in the area are unforgettable. "You never know what you're going to see," said Weir. "A few years ago, I was close to the Nevis shoreline when I happened t...

Archival photo by sweir A REAL PARADISE IS A LATE NIGHT COSTUME LAUNCH WITH JAMAAL MAGLOIRE By Stephen Weir The Toronto Revellers are set to kick off the 2025 Toronto Caribbean Carnival season with a highly anticipated spectacle, unveiling their new costumes at Paradise: The Big Reveal on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at Parkview Manor. Led by former NBA star Jamaal Magloire, the powerhouse mas’ band will be the first major Toronto carnival group to showcase its designs for the upcoming festival. With vibrant colours, intricate designs, and electrifying performances, the night promises to set the tone for the season ahead. The Toronto Revellers are set to kick off the 2025 Toronto Caribbean Carnival season with a highly anticipated spectacle, unveiling their new costumes at Paradise: The Big Reveal on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at Parkview Manor. Led by former NBA star Jamaal Magloire, the powerhouse mas band will be the first major Toronto carnival group to showcase its designs for the upc...

  We are going to miss you, Jill! By Stephen Weir The votes have been tallied, the seats in the Ontario Legislature have been assigned, and the provincial parliament is set to resume at the end of this month.While much of the provincial news these days revolves around Trump’s tariffs, one important piece of Caribbean-Canadian election news has not received much attention: Dominican-Canadian Jill Andrew has lost her seat. Andrew’s defeat in Toronto–St. Paul’s, after serving eight years as an NDP MPP, returns the riding to the Liberals.Andrew finished second in the race with 13,524 votes, while newly elected Liberal MPP Stephanie Smyth secured victory with 17,421 votes. Progressive Conservative candidate Riley Braunstein, a self-described “leader in stakeholder relations and government operations,” placed third.In 2018, Andrew made history as the first queer Black MPP elected to the Ontario Legislature. At the time of the election call, she was the Official Opposition Critic for Cult...

  The Great Pyramid of Giza Curse. I Am The Last Diver In The Water By Stephen the Cursed One It is not a legend. I know it firsthand to be true. And so did my deceased diving companions—before they succumbed to Earth's unforgiving waters. Maybe it was the long-dead Hemiunu, the architect of the Great Pyramid, who was ordered by aliens to punish us for defiling Giza’s sacred monument, once one of the ancient Wonders of the World.   He did. I found out he was the gift that keeps on giving. The cemetery continues to be filled by my Red Sea media dive team. It was ten years ago when a scabby, toothless Egyptian guide who had spent his life hustling tourists at the entrance to the Great Pyramid of Giza used traditional phrases and gestures to ward off evil from infecting his potential customers — especially when hustling a dumb journalist and a sweaty TV camera crew. Yeah, like us. "A'udhu billahi min al-shaytan al-rajim" (أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم—"I seek refuge ...

  E.P.I.C. Carnival Gears Up for an Epic April 25th Costume Launch By Stephen Weir While many local Carnival aficionados are in Trinidad celebrating Carnival, others have stayed behind in Toronto to prepare for what promises to be an epic event on April 25th. E.P.I.C. Carnival, a medium-sized mas band, is celebrating its tenth year participating in Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival and is getting ready to show their stuff. The acronym "E.P.I.C." stands for Energy, Passion, Imagination, and Culture. Jerrol Augustine, also known as "Stretch," is the bandleader of E.P.I.C. Carnival. He recently announced the theme for this year’s presentation and confirmed April 25th as the official date for its costume launch. Each year, the band unveils a new theme for the carnival. In 2024, their theme was "Imagination," featuring sections such as Grenadus, Ethereal, Day Dream, Aquaria, and Wild Thoughts. This year, according to Stretch’s Instagram account, the 2025 theme is “...