Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

  I got a peek back backstage at the Soulpepper Theatre Distillery District at a rehearsal for Strange Loop Malachi McCaskill leads cast in rehearsal Award-winning Broadway musical A Strange Loop has its Canadian premiere on Wednesday. It tells the story of Usher (played here by American actor Malachi McCaskill). The musical follows the journey of Usher, a young Black queer writer working as an usher at The Lion King. This provocative, groundbreaking production brilliantly blends humour and heart as Usher battles the swirling voices in his head—personified as "Thoughts"—while writing a musical about his own life. The Canadian premiere of A Strange Loop is co-produced by four major Toronto arts organizations: Soulpepper Theatre, The Musical Stage Company, Crow’s Theatre, and TO Live. The production runs from April 22 to June 1, 2025.

TWO DIVERS DIE IN TWO DIFFERENT ST LAWRENCE RIVER INCIDENTS THIS MONTH PHOTO OF HASLIP - MSN NEWS On Friday, CTV News reporter Ted Raymond reported that Ontario Provincial Police say the body of a scuba diver who went missing in the St. Lawrence River west of Cornwall, Ont. has been recovered. “The diver was among a group of four who were diving near Lock 21 on the Long Sault Parkway around 7:45 p.m. Wednesday," Raymond reported. "Only three divers resurfaced that evening.” Police began a search for the missing diver with help from the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, the Hogansburg Akwesasne Volunteer Fire Department, the RCMP, and the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department. The body was found Thursday morning. Police have not yet released the diver’s identity. In a separate incident, another man died on April 13 after going into distress while shore diving in the St. Lawrence River at Kingston, according to the OPP. His body was found the next day. Well-known dive instruc...

"Black Voices Rise: Virtual Election Forum Predicts Record Candidacies" By Stephen Weir Warren Salmon isn’t saying who will be the next Prime Minister of Canada, but after organizing the Black Community Federal Election Meet and Greet Virtual Event last week, he’s predicting a record number of Black candidates will run across the country. The event was designed to showcase Black candidates and engage various political parties in a meaningful way. Salmon was one of the principal organizers of the event, which was supported by 17 organizations from across Canada. Held virtually, the event created a space where Black Canadians could connect directly with federal election candidates. It aimed to boost political engagement by offering a platform for dialogue, sharing community concerns, and securing candidate commitments. The goal: to encourage informed voting and increase representation in government. “It was an opportunity to learn more about each party’s platform highlights, as...

  Jamaican Canadian Writer Christina Cooke in the Running for $10,000 Prize Earlier this week, Rakuten Kobo announced the shortlist for its 2025 Emerging Writer Prize—and one Caribbean Canadian new author is among the finalists. With its Emerging Writer Prize, Rakuten Kobo aims to raise the profile of debut authors by recognizing exceptional books written by first-time Canadian authors in three categories: Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, and one of three types of genre fiction—Romance, Speculative Fiction, or Mystery. One of the nominated authors is Christina Cooke, for her novel  Broughtupsy . Cooke, a Jamaican Canadian fiction writer and essayist—not a con artist, she notes—is originally from Jamaica and now resides in New York City as a Canadian citizen. Broughtupsy  tells the story of Akúa, a young woman who travels to Jamaica hoping to reconnect with her estranged older sister, Tamika. Over the course of three fateful weeks, the sisters revisit significant places from ...

GO GREEN  IN NOVA SCOTIA WITH MARK EMBRETT! I really wish I lived in Nova Scotia’s South Shore—St. Margarets riding, because I would proudly vote for Mark Embrett, the Green Party candidate. 🌿 Mark is running to protect the environment and help communities thrive in a truly sustainable way—by making decisions based on evidence and the real needs of people. Throughout his career, he’s worked to improve healthcare access, equity, and innovation, always focused on making sure policies actually work for the people they’re meant to serve. Now he’s bringing that same dedication to government, to build a healthier, more prosperous future for all Canadians. South Shore—St. Margarets, you’re lucky to have him on the ballot! 🇨🇦💚 #VoteGreen #MarkEmbrett #SouthShoreStMargarets 

  NBA Star Jamaal Magloire’s Toronto Revellers Hit the Caribana Court in Style By Stephen Weir The Toronto Revellers, led by NBA star Jamaal Magloire, are dressed, hyped, and officially on the court warming up for the 2025 Toronto Caribbean Carnival. This past weekend, the Mas Cam[ held their highly anticipated costume launch and are promising a high-energy lead-up to the Grand Parade on August 2nd “Our launch was a rousing success and Jamaal is very happy with the turnout this year and the response we have received thus far,” said Tronja St. Omer of the Toronto Revellers Cultural Association. She told the Caribbean Camera yesterday, “Everyone had an amazing time, and we look forward to our Mas Camp opening.” The launch took place Saturday night at Parkview Manor, located at Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue. With a venue capacity of 1,350, the turnout was impressive. As one follower of reporter Stephen Weir wrote: “Boy, de launch did ram out!” The 2025 theme, Paradise: The Big R...

  First Fridays Event Gives Toronto Entrepreneurs a Chance to Get Funded Toronto’s entrepreneurial community will take centre stage on Friday, May 2nd , during a special edition of the First Fridays business networking event. “Get Your Big Idea Funded,” will run from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Real Jerk, located at (College Street, with a live Zoom stream beginning at 8 p.m. The event promises to blend business inspiration with practical opportunities, bringing together innovative minds and potential investors under one roof. Drawing inspiration from shows like Shark Tank, the program gives selected entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of investors. These decision-makers will determine if the pitches have the potential — and the spark — to warrant financial backing. The goal is not just exposure, but the real possibility of walking away with a commitment to funding that could take a business idea to the next level. Organizer Warren Salmon say this F...

  Ushering in the Perfect Thought Even Before It Starts By Stephen Weir It doesn’t happen often to me. In fact, this might be the first time I=ve been invited to and accepted a backstage sneak peek of an all-Black rehearsal. A Strange Loop, an award-winning Broadway musical, is what Toronto has been eagerly awaiting, and it is making its Canadian premiere later this month. I was one of a half-dozen journalists to enter the expansive Distillery District’s Young Centre for the Performing Arts, taking folding chairs just a few feet from the cast in a rehearsal space earlier this week. What a trip! What an experience to get an early look at A Strange Loop, the Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical that is a collaboration among The Musical Stage Company, Soulpepper Theatre, Crow’s Theatre, and TO Live Usher left “This is a musical that speaks to the Black community,” explains director Ray Hogg, a Toronto director with strong Jamaican roots. “Not just in the messaging but in the bea...

  Toronto gets schooled by BC Ballet dancers By Stephen Weir This past weekend, the internationally known Canadian dance troupe Ballet BC returned to perform in Toronto. It’s been six years since their last visit, and at Friday night’s sold-out performance, the audience yelled, stamped, and begged them not to board the waiting bus outside the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts by the end of the three-performance weekend. The 20-member troupe performed two dances: Pieces of Tomorrow and their 50-minute, sometimes humorous signature piece, Passing. Pieces of Tomorrow is a ballet choreographed by Ballet BC's Artistic Director, Medhi Walerski, which premiered a year ago in Vancouver. It is a 25-minute piece featuring the full 20-member company, set to a Bach Violin Concerto, on a cloud-covered stage. As the dance races to its conclusion, a glinting, gold-like shimmer flitters ghost-like behind a blackened screen made from found pieces of shiny metal by Lyle XOX, a Vancouver-based multime...

Grenada’s Spicemas Carnival Expands Flights from New York, Miami, and Toronto By Stephen Weir When are you going to jump up and party? It all depends on the calendar—and where you're going! Carnival day is chosen based on the Christian calendar, Emancipation Day, a bank holiday, or even when the sugar cane is about to be harvested! Grenada’s Spicemas Carnival announced last week that the island is expanding the number of flights from New York, Miami, and Toronto to bring revellers south for the annual Spicemas Carnival. But when is Spicemas this year? Grenada's Spicemas, the island's annual Carnival, is traditionally held on the second Monday and Tuesday of August. In 2025, these dates fall on August 11th and 12th. The festival’s scheduling was established in 1981 to avoid clashing with other regional Carnivals and to accommodate Grenadians living abroad, who can more easily return home during the summer months. Prior to this change, Grenada's Carnival was celebrated be...

  It wasn’t a mistake, and it wasn’t on purpose By Stephen Weir Last week, I wrote a story about the birthday party of the year PanMan Pat, the city’s master of the steelpan, is turning 80! A black-tie celebration is planned, featuring a special guest appearance by the celebrated Winston "Gypsy" Peters, the T&T-based World Extempo Champion. It was set to be a sure sell-out—unless you read my story. I originally stated that the event would take place on April 25 at the Rembrandt Banquet Halls in Scarborough. Right place, wrong date. By the time The Caribbean Camera hit the stands, PanMan Pat had changed the date of the party to May 3! “Because of election fever in T&T and Canada, I was forced to move the event to May 3 at the same Rembrandt Banquet Hall,” Pat McNeilly (a.k.a. PanMan Pat) told me. “Gypsy is a former T&T Minister of Culture and head of the National Carnival Commission. He’s a politician and can’t travel that weekend. I’m awaiting confirmation from hi...