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Showing posts from May, 2019

Philip Akin leaving Obsidian Theatre in 2020

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Pioneer of Black Theatre In Canada To Retire   By Stephen Weir Philip Akin has announced that he will be stepping down after 14 seasons as the Artistic Director of  Obsidian Theatre. I n 2000, Akin, along with 12 other prominent Black artists came together with the vision for an organization by and for Black theatre creators. Obsidian Theatre was formed, after  a black volcanic glass that alluded to creation and breaking new ground. He served on the board of directors, and as the company’s administrative producer before becoming Artistic Director in 2006.  He will remain in his position until 2020; the search for new artistic leadership begins now. As an artistic leader Philip is known for speaking his mind, always in support of Black artists, even if it isn’t the popular opinion. In a release sent to the Caribbean Camera Akin talked about his willingness over the years to kick butt. "It was part of my DNA that walls should come down, and if it took smas...

Today a black community time capsule will be sunk at Honest Ed's

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Digging a hole and filling it with the memories of Bathurst and Bloor. By Stephen Weir By Thursday bookstore owner and neighbourhood activist Itah Sadu fully expects to have 1,000 messages and artifacts packed into a time capsule for a Bathurst community burial in what was once the Honest Ed Store.  The time capsule has been created to make sure the legacy of the Bathurst & Bloor Black community will be known for generations. The Honest Ed property has been cleared and the current construction company redeveloping the property – Westbank Development – is working with the community to have the lunchtime ceremony! “We have been asking people to write messages and put them in plastic bottles,” explained organizer Itah Sadu.  “We are putting the messages and some very important documents and artifacts into the time capsule!   They messages include thoughts from local folks, and city politicians including Councillors Layton and Michael Thompson. Folks wh...

Mrs. Money Baggs wants to be a billionaire.

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--> She wants Millennials to come along.  Toronto author publishes new book By Stephen Weir  Mrs. Money Baggs has made a lot of money since she created her first gig in Malvern. At 5 years of age, she picked flowers and sold them to her neighbours on their way home from work. Since those early days as a childhood entrepreneur, Mrs. Money Baggs (aka Nicolle Williams) has made a name for herself by knowing all about money – how to make it, how to keep it and how to make a nest egg grow!   She earned the nickname of Mrs. Money Baggs, because, as she writes “my friends, colleagues, and clients all consider me the go-to person for all things personal finance.” Williams was named as one of   “100 Black Women to Watch in Canada” and in 2016 was one of 150 black women who were featured by CBC in 2017. She is the host and creator of “Money Tube,” and is also the co-creator of “Money Boss Up,” a financial academy that works directly with millennials t...

Cultural centre to house the Colin Rickards book collection

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Late journalist's Caribbean books come to Bathurst Street By Stephen Weir   Colin (l), Stephen Weir (m) and Craigg Slowly (r) Toronto bookstore owner Itah Sadu   is busy organizing hundreds of books that have just been donated to her Different Booklist Cultural Centre on Bathurst Street in preparation for the unveiling later this month of the Colin Rickards Collection. Rickards, a tireless reporter and columnist for the Caribbean Camera, suffered a fatal heart attack at his East York home eight years ago, just month before his 74th birthday.   “Colin was voracious reader and a book collector of all things Caribbean,” Sadu told the Caribbean Camera.   “ The oldest book in this collection dates back to 1896. He had a real interest in all aspects of the Caribbean from the Indo presence to the Chinese presence to the Afro presence.   This is probably the most complete library of the Diaspora culture in the city.”...

Snake eyes and lizards on stage for Venom Mas' costume launch

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Venom's Snake Eyes - Launch attracts over 1,000 revellers By Stephen Weir More than 80 reptilian mas' models slithered, slinked and strutted onto a huge V-shaped stage in Toronto early Sunday morning. Despite a very late start, the models put on a fashion show that wowed the more than 1,000 people who crammed into the Grand Cinnamon Banquet & Convention Centre on McNicoll Avenue   in Scarborough for the Venom Mas' costume launch. Dubbed the "venomous show,"   it was a non-stop parade of models wearing the briefest of costumes.   Two human lizards stood on stage throughout show, wagging long red tongues at the crowd.   There was even a section that outfitted their male and female models with "snake eye" contact lenses.    And was the show sexy? It was bare as you dare time from 1.30 a.m. to 3 p.m.   (The show was due to start before midnight). “Extremely happy with the show. A true testament of the hard work   of o...