Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

  According to recent Caribbean reports and military tracking of the U.S. naval buildup in the southern Caribbean and off   Venezuela’s coast  the US is stepping up its presence in the waters aroune Venezuela. US destroyers sail from the Gul f west to the Caribbean Sea On Wednesday morning President Trump  said the waters around Venezuela are now “completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the history of South America,” and that the U.S. has ordered a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers as part of a major naval buildup aimed at pressuring the country over alleged criminal activities and to reclaim what he described as stolen assets. Although these ships so far  are not destined for Trinidad and Tobago waters the American military have reportedlyincreased their air traffic through the Tobago airport. STEPHEN WEIR    USN aircraft carrier Ford.

 From the Caribbean Camera November 2025  Stephen and his wife Maria                                         Photo by Rose Embrett You can reach me at  STEPHEN WEIR Stephen Weir & Associates | stephen@stephenweir.com  swear 4509@rogers.com 109 Castlefield Avenue, Toronto, ON CANADA. M4R 1G5 Tel: 416-489-5868 | cell: 416-801-3101  www.stephenweir.com  twitter:  sweirsweir 

  Today, the new Minister of Justice, Arif Virani, and his predecessor, David Lametti, announced that Tim Rees’s conviction for the 1989 murder of 10-year-old Darla Thurott was to be sent back to the Ontario Court of Appeal to be reviewed. Darla was strangled in her bed at her home in Etobicoke on March 16, 1989.  She was found by her mother in the morning.  Tim Rees, then 25 years old, who had visited Darla’s parents the evening before and stayed overnight, was convicted of the murder on September 15, 1990, and sentenced to life imprisonment.  His appeal to the Court of Appeal was dismissed on June 16, 1994, and the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear his case.  After 26 years in prison, he was released on parole in October 2016, and he remains on parole today.   Innocence Canada  adopted Mr. Rees’ case in 2016 and in 2018 filed an application claiming that he had been wrongly convicted with the then Minister of Justice, Jody W...

The Kamala Harris Jape That Wasn’t a Joke It started as a University of Windsor Creative Writing application. But in my mind, it was also a master plan to save the Auto Pact, fix international trade, and maybe even rejig the White House seating chart. My assignment to myself was simple: Write a story so good it saves the Windsor–Detroit auto industry from Trumpian-style tariffs. Hand Kamala Harris a shiny new PhD while I’m at it. Nothing too ambitious. Here I am, back on campus after 53 years. Most students worry about essays or midterms—I’m plotting a geopolitical coup disguised as creative writing homework. My plan? Write something that knocks the professor’s sandals clean off. Save the auto industry. Rescue Canadian–American relations. Maybe even get tenure while I’m at it. Clearly, I needed backup. So I formed a  secret committee —half Canadian writers, half bewildered classmates, and one smug ex-PMO trade policy influencer whose big idea was to form a tri-city consortium with ...

  Who Put the Dogs on Ice? By Stephen Weir In the frozen land of Iceland, there is a quirky little café where the literary-minded gather to devour train-sized breakfasts and admire a surreal display: more than a dozen dog-head masks mounted on the walls. The café, known as the White Cat, is tucked away in Reykjavík and offers a strange yet magnetic mix of books, visual art, and conversation. Has Trinidadian-Canadian playwright André Alexis—author of the acclaimed novel Fifteen Dogs—found a following in this country that seems to adore all things Canadian? “Who let the dogs out?!” sang a loud tourist in a Maple Leaf sweatshirt as he entered the café. The waiter rolled his eyes and sighed, “Oh no, another Canadian.” Then, spotting my raised eyebrow, he added, “Yes, we know all about Fifteen Dogs.” Indeed, the wall of canine heads is more than decorative oddity—it’s a conceptual art installation titled The Dog Within, created by Icelandic artist B/. Known for her surreal and humorous ...

  "One Step at a Time": Students to Celebrate 11th Annual Walk With Excellence By Stephen Weir Hundreds of graduating high school students will step into their future on Tuesday, June 11, as they take part in the 11th annual Walk With Excellence — a spirited and symbolic procession from local schools to York University. This year’s walk, themed "One Step at a Time," was developed by the students themselves and reflects their resilience, growth, and optimism as they move from high school into post-secondary life and beyond. The walk begins at 10:00 a.m. with a kickoff rally at C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute, located at 340 Sentinel Road, near Finch Avenue West. At 11:00 a.m., the students will begin their parade to York University’s Vari Hall, where an outdoor celebration awaits. In case of rain, the event will move indoors. P articipating schools this year include: C.W. Jefferys Westview Centennial Downsview Secondary Emery Collegiate Cardinal McGuigan Catholic ...

The 75th question of the day at Windsor's new  streetcar museum By Stephen Weir   "We get that all the time," say the welcoming staff at the City of Windsor’s newly opened Streetcar Museum. So, what do they hear all the time? First-time visitors see the streetcar under glass and ask: “Is it the Streetcar Named Desire?” “Not quite—but we get that question all the time!” (75 times as of yesterday—and still counting!) Windsor’s beautifully restored Streetcar No. 351 is now proudly displayed at the Legacy Beacon on the riverfront. This historic 1918 streetcar, once part of the Sandwich, Windsor & Amherstburg Railway, has been meticulously restored and now serves as a stunning centerpiece of the city’s rich transit history. Visitors and staff often chuckle when asked if it’s that streetcar. While it doesn’t hail from New Orleans, the charm and stories it carries are undeniably captivating. The Streetcar Named Desire   was written by   Tennessee Williams . It's a famou...

  HECK NO They WON’T GO                                            Wendy Jones at Toronto's Harbourfront with Pan Fantasy By stephen weir According to Stats Canada, fewer Canadians aren’t travelling much to the United States this year including Pan Fantasy, Canada’s top Steel Drum orchestra who have decided to give next summers. Mammoth New York Caribbean streetCarnival, a pass. The festival including its New York Panorama is the largest steelpan competition in North America. This annual steelband competition takes place in Brooklyn, New York every year during Carnival Week. The Panorama competition brings together participants from all around the world to compete against each other for the title of Champions held annually over Labour Day weekend in Brooklyn, is one of North America's largest Caribbean cultural celebrations. The Panorama steelpan competition is held at the ...

              ALL BLACK MUSICAL OPENS WEDNESDAY and runs from April 22 to June 1, 2025 at the Soulpepper Theatre in downtown Toronto's Distillery District. WOWIE. ZOWIE. and Slap My Fanny—ONE OF BROADWAY’S MOST SUCCESSFUL BLACK MUSICALS HITS TORONTO Four Theatre Companies Unite to Bring A Strange Loop to Canadian Audiences By Stephen Weir The all-Black, all-bold, all-out A Strange Loop has landed in Toronto, and it’s making noise—both on and off the stage. Four of the city’s top theatre companies—Soulpepper Theatre, The Musical Stage Company, Crow’s Theatre, and TO Live—have teamed up to present the Canadian premiere of this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical. The curtain officially rose last Wednesday at the Soulpepper Theatre in the Distillery District to a full house—standing room only (though to be fair, all that standing happened during the thunderous standing ovation at the end of the two-hour show). Like the name suggests, A Strange ...

  WHERE HAVE ALL THE AMERICANS GONE - NEWS STORY BY STEPHEN WEIR WHERE HAVE ALL THE AMERICANS GONE?? BY STEPHEN Stephen Weir Thea. Jackson had a terrific opening last week. Standing amongst her section at the Epic Carnival costume launch she is happy, signing up new revellers who want to Walk De Road this coming August 2nd Toronto Carib bean Carnival Grand Parade.. Still with only 5 months to go the consumer designer/creator is troubled. Where are the Americans. Jackson has long been making costumes for Americans, be it here in Toronto, or at carnival festivals in Miami, Atlanta and in the Caribbean. ”Epic has really got it all together, they are a fantastic (Mas Band). We assume that many American and people from the Caribbean will come to Mas Camp to order new carnivals and jump up with us on the road. But it is a guessing game,will our fans in the USA be concerned about border crossing into Canada and then returning back to the USbecause of the Trump issues While specific data ...

 Question of  the Decade  Who Owns the Name "Caribana"? By Stephen Weir On the job at the Caribbean Camera I received a head-scratching question recently (not uncommon): "could we answer a shipping inquiry?" An aging ocean-going cargo ship named Caribana Express was sold a few months ago, and the reader wondered if the seller had any connection to Toronto’s annual Caribana festival. We gave a quick “No,” and zoom — the email sank to the bottom of our trash bin. A week later, we spotted something curious on the Caribana Toronto website. Even though Toronto’s 2025 carnival season has only just begun with the launch of Mas Bands, the site was already advertising that 85% of its "3 Night Quad Packages" at downtown hotels had been sold. The package — priced from $545 to $765 per person — includes a three-night hotel stay and three event tickets per person (four people per room, luxury accommodations with two double beds). Obviously, the website (which is not ...