Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Book on its way for the summer of 2018 Moreland (l) and Louis Saldenah - Mas-K-Camp By Stephen Weir Caribbean Camera readers know the carnival pictures of Don Moreland.   All this spring the paper has been featuring his pictures of   both children and adult Mas Band Camp costume launches for this year’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Right now the longtime Carnival photographer is making the rounds visiting the Mas Camps to get support for his new project – publishing a photography book of revelers “on the road” playing Mas in the Grand Parade on Lakeshore Blvd along Toronto’s waterfront. He and his team of photographers will be working with the 11 mas camps taking part in the parade. He wants to make sure that bands’ presentations are beautifully captured by his cameras as they perform to the throng of spectators who will be taking in the festival. With some of the large bands expecting thousands of costumed players to take part, Moreland has his work cut...

Sheffield's first parade in over 20 years By Stephen Weir for Caribbean Camera Photos courtesy of the Sheffield Carnival Rise of the Phoenix - photo courtesy of Sheffield Carnival The list of world carnival cities grew by one on the weekend. Sheffield, a British city of close to 1.6 million people staged its first carnival in over 20-years and English media outlets are reporting it was a success. “ This was the first Carnival event held here since the early 1990's,” Sheffield Carnival spokesperson Andrea Risden told the Caribbean Camera. They were aware of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival and other North American festivals, but decided “not to focus on any overseas carnivals at present. This was an event representative of carnivals around England and unique to Sheffield.”​ We had approximately 150 people playing in our mas,” continued Risden. “There were 3 bands in total, Sheffield (split into several sections), Mahogany and a small band from the Leeds West...

Canada Day Fund Raiser Includes a Draw for a Stay at The Famed Mount Irvine Bay Resort In Tobago By Stephen Weir    While young and upwardly mobile hipsters party like its 1999 on Canada Day, they will be raising money for the Caribbean Scholarship Foundation (CSF) while they groove. Toronto based GF Promotions is holding an all-inclusive CRAVE The Event Party for the fifth year, and, is committed to support a non-profit Foundation that helps Caribbean Canadian students pay for their schooling. CRAVE The Event is an annual outdoor extravaganza combining the best in food, entertainment, culture, and music. “In 2018, we decided to strengthen our ties to the community and support a charity that improves the lives of young people, through education,” the event organizers told the Caribbean Camera. “This year, we have chosen to work with the CSF. Our goal to make the Canadian-Caribbean diaspora as accessible and inclusive to the wider community, as possible!” CRAVE...

Black History Society President To The Rescue By Stephen Weir .          Stranded in Florida recovering from a knee operation, author Dr. Karolyn Smardz Frost missed an important weekend prize ceremony in Toronto for her nonfiction book Steal Away Home: One Woman’s Epic Flight to Freedom – And Her Long Road Back to the South .   The book about a young woman's escape from slavery, has just won the ‪Ontario   Historical Society’s   J.J. Talman Award. The Prize is given to the best book about Ontario's social, economic, political or cultural history which has been written anytime in the previous three years.   This is the second award for Frost’s Underground Railroad book. Earlier this year she also received the 2017 Speaker’s Book Award from the Honourable Dave Levac, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Karolyn Smardz Frost has told the true story of escaped slave Cecelia Reynolds and her flig...

BOOKS Children’s Literature – First Day At School In Canada For Jamaica’s Leroy By Stephen Weir Immigration and children is The hot topic button today.   The differences between Canada’s approach and the United States have never been so profound.   In the genre of Children’s Literature, Toronto author, storyteller and bookstore owner Itah Sadu’s latest book (her sixth)   – Greetings, Leroy – is suddenly germane to the discussion. Itah Sadu has written a new children’s picture book as an email to a friend back home about Roy’s first day at a Canadian school. His family has just moved to Canada from Jamaica. His new home is different from his old home – in in the North, even the sun feels cold! His nerves ease, though, as welcome reminders of home follow him through his day. It begins when his neighbour gives him a Bob Marley button as a gift to get him through that stressful first day at school. The principal tells him about the soccer team and his n...