Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

  The Great Pyramid of Giza (It rhymes with pizza, but its limestone bite is far worse  than a case of 967-1111 indigestion.) By Stephen the Cursed One It is not a legend. I know it first hand to be true. And so did my dead diving companions—before they succumbed to unforgiving waters. Hemiunu, the alien architect of the Great Pyramid, knew it was once again voices from the beyond who told him to follow the rules of outer space and ordered him to punish us for defiling Giza’s sacred monument, once an ancient Wonder of the World.   He did. I found out he was the gift that keeps on giving. The cemetery fills. 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 الر...

  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 “...

  The Eglinton–Lawrence Election Results  The Dream That Got Away Last week, in an election story by reporter Stephen Weir, two-time NDP candidate Natasha Doyle-Merrick announced that she was withdrawing from the race in the Eglinton–Lawrence riding. She stepped aside to prevent Michelle Cooper, the Progressive Conservative rookie candidate, from overtaking the Liberal hopeful. “I recognize that the race in Eglinton–Lawrence (including the Yonge–Eglinton area) is a clear two-party contest between the Liberals and Conservatives. To prevent a Conservative win and more years of neglect, I’m stepping aside to avoid a vote split,” Doyle-Merrick said days before last week’s vote. In an official campaign press release, the former candidate expanded on her decision to withdraw. “Lawrence Heights is my home. It is a community of talented, intelligent, and ambitious people who deserve to be heard—not just used every four years for votes,” she wrote. “This election is crucial because Dou...

  Did Natasha’s Bold NDP Election Poison Pill Move Hand Victory to the Liberals? By Stephen Weir Did Natasha’s bold election move last week in the Etobicoke–Lawrence riding win one for the Left, or did she hand a victory to the Conservatives? Natasha Doyle-Merrick, the NDP candidate in the Conservative-leaning and affluent riding of Etobicoke–Lawrence, announced last week that she was ending her campaign, leaving the Liberals and the Conservatives to battle it out in today’s election. The Caribbean Canadian social activist sent a copy of her Twitter withdrawal statement to me, who reposted it after confirming its authenticity with her campaign. “I recognize that the race in Eglinton–Lawrence (including the Yonge–Eglinton area) is a clear two-party contest between the Liberals and Conservatives. To prevent a Conservative win and more years of neglect, I’m stepping aside to avoid a vote split,” said Doyle-Merrick. In an official campaign press release, the former candidate expanded o...

  Royal Canadian Mint Unveils Hogan’s Alley Silver Commemorative Coin in Time for Black History Month As Black History Month unfolds across Canada, the Royal Canadian Mint has unveiled a new collector’s coin honouring Hogan's Alley, a once-thriving Black community in Vancouver’s Strathcona neighbourhood. The 2025 $20 Fine Silver Coin, designed by renowned Caribbean Canadian artist Kwame Delfish, celebrates the spirit and resilience of the neighbourhood that flourished until its demolition in the early 1970s.

  15 actors dressed like dogs take to the stage  (Don’t worry they are trained)  The CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre has just opened   "15 Dogs,"  a powerful stage adaptation of the award-winning novel by Trinidadian-Canadian author  André Alexis . Running from  January 28 to February 16, 2025 , this thought-provoking production explores themes of consciousness, loyalty, and the complexities of the human (and canine) condition, as fifteen dogs in a Toronto veterinary clinic are granted human intelligence. Venue: CAA Theatre 651 Yonge St, Toronto, ON, M4Y 1Z9

  BOB's Your Garbage Picking Friend on Four Caribbean Islands DeWitt Lee(right) and fellow BOB beach cleaner show their catch By Stephen Weir for Caribbean Camera Ignore the chill outside your door today—it’s Bob Marley Day in Toronto! DeWitt Lee wants you to picture yourself ankle-deep in warm Caribbean waters, taking part in the second annual BOB clean-up, held in memory of the late, great Bob Marley on February 6th. BOB? It stands for Beautify Our Beaches. This is the second year volunteers from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, and St. Lucia will roll up their sleeves—or dive in—to clean up in Marley’s honor. Whether wading, snorkeling, or scuba diving, teams will be removing everything from plastic waste to hurricane debris—and in some cases, even abandoned vehicles. While Marley’s family has organized clean-ups in Jamaica before, what makes BOB special is its regional reach. The clean-up now extends to other Caribbean nations, turning this into a wider movement. This yea...

 Caribbean Camera Shortie By Stephen Weir Scholarship for Young Writers Yesterday the Giller Foundation and Mantella Corporation announced the return of the Giller Mantella Scholarship which is dedicated to supporting underserved Black, Indigenous, and racialised students across Canada. Building on the success of 2024’s three inaugural $10,000 recipients, and responding to a high demand, the program now expands to include second and third-year undergraduate students alongside high school graduates. Applications open February 17, 2025, and close April 2, 2025. The Scholarship is speci/cally for students with an interest in creative writing and literature who often face a range of challenges in pursuing their careers. Challenges often include limited access to resources, mentorship opportunities, and exposure to the literary world perpetuated by economic disparities, cultural biases, and a lack of representation in literary institutions. African Film Festival 2025 "Garvey’s Ghos...

  Put On Your Caribbean Shorts   Carnival_Jouvert. Mas Domnik NEW WINGS TO MAS DOMNIK By Stephen Weir Air Canada and United Airlines are Star Alliance partners, which allows for smooth connectivity between the two airlines for Torontonians planning to attend Dominica’s Mas Domnik Carnival on March 3. Dominica Tourism has announced that United Airlines has added a second direct flight from Newark, New Jersey, to the island’s recently upgraded Douglas-Charles Airport. When does it all happen? Dominica promises these new flights just in time for the 2025 Carnival. ALL THAT JAZZ Earlier this month, the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival released its 2025 lineup. The annual music festival runs from April 30 to May 11 this year. It features an exciting lineup of global talent, including Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and pianist John Legend; 70s pop, soul, and funk icons Earth, Wind & Fire; and dancehall and reggae superstars Beenie Man and Bounty Killer.

  THIS CALPYSO SHOW WILL BE HOT HOT HOT seven-time Canadian Calypso Monarch Macomere Fifi By Stephen Weir Given the weather of late, the Toronto Symphony has landed on a warm winning theme for its February 15th and 16th Hot Hot Hot concerts in Toronto and Brampton. Of course, it helps to have Calypso and Pan royalty performing center stage! Calypso Monarch King Cosmos (Henry Gomez), seven-time Canadian Calypso Monarch Macomere Fifi, and Canada's Steelband champions, Pan Fantasy—led by the queen of Pan in Toronto, Wendy Jones—will be on a very crowded stage with Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for a series of Caribbean music concerts. Bartholomew-Poyser is a Canadian orchestral conductor from Calgary, Alberta, with strong T&T and Jamaican roots. He has been the Barrett Principal Education Conductor and has conducted performances that blend classical music with genres like reggae, aiming to make orchestral music more accessible to a broader audience. ...