Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Christmas Comes Early for Toronto Festivals—But Not the Caribbean Carnival BY STEPHEN WEIR More than 80 Toronto festivals received $1.6 million in funding through the city’s new Special Events Stabilization Initiative (SESI). Announced two weeks ago, the program supported major events like the Santa Claus Parade, Toronto Pride Festival, Beaches Jazz Festival, Luminato, JerkFest, and the Toronto Jazz Festival. Last week, reporter Stephen Weir obtained the full list of funded events. While festivals like Afrofest ( $44,080 ), JerkFest ( $91,450 ), and Afro-Carib Fest ( $22,370 ) made the cut, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival—a massive cultural draw and one of the city’s most financially strained events—received nothing. Signature Carnival events like the Grande Parade, King and Queen competition, and Pan Alive were all excluded. In contrast, the Pride Parade and Santa Claus Parade each received $ 100,000 , while Luminato was granted $83,000. Even the Harbourfront Centre’s Canada Day Soul ...

Cécile McLorin Salvant, This Saturday Night By Stephen Weir Now it's our time! After the Swifties have packed up and headed off to Vancouver, Toronto gets its turn to shine with a performance by one of the most celebrated jazz vocalists of our time. Cécile McLorin Salvant, 35, is a Haitian-American jazz vocalist who is in high demand worldwide. She has quickly become one of the most highly regarded US-based jazz vocalists of her generation, earning a trunk full of music awards along the way. Her stunning vocal range and ability to reimagine jazz standards have earned her praise from critics and fans alike. Cécile has performed in Canada five times already, and this Saturday will mark her sixth performance in the country when she brings her current tour to Toronto’s Meridian Arts Centre. The concert will take place on Saturday, November 30th, 2024, at the Weston Recital Hall, located at 5040 Yonge St., Toronto. The show is set to start at 8:00 p.m., and tickets are still available, ...

  LIVE OR ON YOU TUBE, SANTA CAME TO TOWN WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS CARIBBEAN CANADIAN FRIENDS By Stephen Weir Pictures by Anthony Berot "On a brisk Toronto morning, Santa's sleigh may not have been pulled by reindeer, but it was certainly propelled by community spirit. With over 750,000 spectators lining the streets, the 120th anniversary of the Santa Claus Parade was nothing short of magical—despite the looming Grinch-like shadow of rising costs. As festive floats and marching bands paraded through Toronto’s downtown core , one thing was clear: Toronto’s beloved tradition is here to stay, at least for this year. But what happens when even Santa needs a little help from his friends next year?" Sunday’s The Original Santa Claus Parade, celebrating its 120th year, was a major success even though at times this Fall there were major money concerns that put the event, one of the world’s longest annual Santa’s parade, in a shaky position. But the city pulled it off and the p...

Our GG Honours Michelle Jacques for Excellence in Arts Caribbean Canadian curator Michelle Jacques is among eight recipients of the 2024 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts, recognized as Canada’s highest distinctions for excellence in the visual and media arts. Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, presented the awards during a ceremony last week at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Jacques, a former Toronto resident now based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is celebrated for her significant contributions to contemporary art and cultural programming. She currently Head of Exhibitions and Collections & Chief Curator at the Remai Modern Art Gallery in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her heritage, rooted in St. Lucia and Barbados, often shapes her perspective on diverse artistic practices and influences her approach to curatorial work. An advocate for equity in the art world, Jacques has spoken openly about the challenges and opportunities of being Bl...

  Will This Be Jolly Ol Saint Nick’s last sleigh ride down Yonge St? By Stephen Weir Will Santa Claus be smiling on his float as he travels along Bloor Street this Sunday (November 24th)? Last week, Parade organizers announced they were running out of money, putting the 120th Original Santa Claus Parade at risk of being the last. They also launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for 2025. But as they say, the show must go on. This year, on a newly updated route, Santa and Mrs. Claus will showcase 26 spectacular floats, joined by spirited marchers, lively bands, and diverse community partners. Making her Canadian debut, former Wiggles star Emma Memma will join the parade. For the first time, the event will be livestreamed on YouTube, allowing new audiences across Canada to tune in. This year’s route starts at 12:30 pm at Christie Pits (750 Bloor Street West) and heads east along Bloor Street to St. George Street. From there, it continues south on St. George, east on Hoskin Avenu...

 Sara is Eyeing the Caribbean By Stephen Weir Late Tuesday afternoon, the American weather service AccuWeather advised Stephen Weir of the   Caribbean Camera   that Sara could be on her way next week.   We are not saying it is a sure thing; it could easily be “no chance in H#ll” that Sara is going to pay a visit to the Caribbean and Florida. People on the Caribbean islands and across Florida are already being urged to closely monitor forecast updates as hurricane experts track the increasing risk of a major hurricane developing in the Caribbean Sea. A “We’ll likely be dealing with a hurricane as we head into this weekend,” explained AccuWeather’s Lead Hurricane Expert, Alex DaSilva, in an email to the paper. “There is growing confidence that a tropical storm will develop in the central to western Caribbean later this week. We could be looking at a storm that rapidly intensifies into a major hurricane in these very conducive conditions.” AccuWeather advises families a...

  Windsor will  be in AWE of photo show of descendants of the Underground Railroad Underground  descendant Darryl Hogan by Stephen Weir Black Heritage Society’s Dorothy Abbott and famed photographer Yuri Dojc look out the windows of the Art Windsor-Essex public art gallery (AWE) at the city of Detroit. For the next seven months, their new photographic exhibition of descendants of the Underground Railroad celebrates the direction of freedom—South. (The gallery sits on the edge of the Detroit River in downtown Windsor, south of Detroit). On Thursday night, Abbott and Dojc will open their well-traveled photographic exhibition celebrating the descendants of freedom-seekers who escaped slavery in the United States before the American Civil War. Some made the journey entirely alone; others found their way to Canada with the help of a clandestine network of "conductors" and "stations" called the "Underground Railroad." Many passed through Detroit and into Windsor...

First of 13   https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WAr3Go6k4bGUxgrUndw-2jomKNExlGxC/view?ts=672919db

  The Kingdom Choir Brings Gospel Spirit and Holiday Cheer to Toronto By Stephen Weir Halloween has come and gone, and with it, all the skeletons and wispy ghosts have been packed away. What's next? A quick visit to any store reveals the answer: Christmas! Stocking stuffers and tree decorations are already on display, and holiday music is making its way into the airwaves. For many, the festive season means the return of a unique tradition—celebrating with music. And this year, one of the most beloved gospel choirs is coming back to Toronto. Too soon? Maybe so, but people are already eager to purchase tickets to see and listen to Karen Gibson, aka the godmother of British gospel, and her 15-member Kingdom Choir are coming to town. It is an early evening of of Gospel music and Christmas carols at the George Weston Recital Hall. Don’t recognize the name? Think back. Remember the Royal Wedding. Were you one of the 2 billion people who watched the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Mark...