Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

MEDIA ALERT For Immediate Release The Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada To Take Tea With Famous PEOPLE Players Famous People Players OTTAWA, Ontario (May 9th) — Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, is set to partake in a delightful afternoon tea with the renowned Famous People Players on May 28th in Etobicoke. This special occasion coincides with an anniversary luncheon and the dress rehearsal of the Players' latest production, "Believe in Magic!", commemorating the esteemed theatre company's 50th anniversary. Event Details: • Date: May 28th • Time: Tea Luncheon at 12.:30 PM • Location: Dine and Dream Theatre, 343 Evans Ave, Etobicoke, ON This unique visit will provide Her Excellency with the opportunity to meet the exceptional cast members, dedicated volunteers, high school students, educators, and trailblazers in the theatre community. As a key figure in raising awareness of significant issues and r

  OCPA will sing for you supper (err your brunch) By Stephen Weir. The Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA) is kicking off the 2014 summer carnival season with a delectable meal and captivating live music to complement the feast. It all begins at noon on Sunday, May 19th, at Scarborough’s Spade Bar & Lounge and Calypso bar located at 3580 McNicoll Avenue. OCPA’s second annual "Fun Raising" Brunch will be hosted at an establishment renowned for its Caribbean cuisine and passion for live Calypso music. The $35 meal will be served from 12 pm to 3 pm. The official launch will take place a month after this week’s Brunch. OCPA performers will be part of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival Festival Launch on June 15th at the Scarborough Town Center. Earlier this week, OCPA distributed a poster detailing all the events the Calypsonians plan to host this summer. This poster includes all ten events scheduled by OCPA and is expected to be posted online on the OCPA website (

Costume Creators Unveil "A New Hope" for Toronto Caribbean Carnival 2024 By Stephen Weir, Photo by Anthony Berot Costume Creators Cultural Art showcased its much-anticipated "A New Hope" costume collection on Sunday, May 5th, in preparation for the upcoming Toronto Caribbean Carnival. The event, held at Mystic Resto & Lounge on Kennedy Rd South in Brampton, drew enthusiastic participants eager to join the festivities of the July 20th junior carnival parade and the August 3rd Grand Parade along the Lakeshore. The evening was a spectacle of colour and creativity as models of all ages graced the Mystic stage, showcasing this year's vibrant designs brightly coloured festival. From elaborate ensembles for adults to whimsical costumes for children, Costume Creators left no stone unturned in ensuring a memorable experience for carnival-goers. "A New Hope" received rave reviews from attendees, with many expressing admiration for Costume Creators founders W

 The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb The evil that befell us after diving the Salem Express annoying the guardian of the Egyptian pyramid (Creative Writing assignment - fiction based on True Diving expedition to the Red Sea) FARSIDE CARTOON BY STEPHEN WEIR © The thing about worn-out tropes and stale-dated figures of speech, is that life doesn't get any better when you drop one of these oft repeated yawn bombs. Might even make life worse. Yeah, there are always a few exceptions. I’ll give you that if you are ambling through an orchard, it is useful to remember that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. Heed the word or you may soon be wearing a Granny Smith crown on your head. "The only old-fashioned meme that I pay any attention to these days is the Mummy’s Curse," I whispered to the young secret agent who was lying beside me under my wobbly desk. "You know, the curse is that death or misfortune will fall upon those who disturb a pharaoh’s tomb.” I

  Carnival Nationz Saturday Night Launch by Stephen Weir Photos by Gilbert Medina They won last year. Can they do it again? Judging by last Saturday night’s costume launch, Carnival Nationz has a good shot at the Band of the Year title when they hit the road at the August 3rd 2024 Grande Parade. Band leader Curtis Eustace told the Caribbean Camera that about 1,000 people came out to the Tam Heather Curling Club to watch the late-night costume show. To say that the presentation was out of this world is not far from the truth – the theme this year is The Metaverse. No worries, while computers and AI make up the metaverse, the models on stage at the launch looked very human in their brand new skimpy costumes. With the carnival’s perennial launch host SKF and CHUM FM morning host Jamar egging on the crowd to scream, the section models kept the hall rocking till almost 3 am as they danced down the catwalk nonstop. This year, Carnival Nationz will have 11 sections on the road during the Toro

Louis Saldana’s One Two Grand Parade Costume Punch by Stephen Weir Early last week, Louis Saldenah promised the Caribbean Camera that he was planning to put on a “HUGE Launch Party” on Saturday night. When the doors opened at his 2024 costume launch at the Grand Cinnamon Banquet & Convention Hall in Scarborough, it was obvious he had kept his word (and then some). SECTION TAKE A BOW AT SATURDAY'S COSTUME “We had approximately 1,100 people attend our costume launch last Saturday night,” Saldenah told the Caribbean Camera. And Saldenah hasn’t stopped thinking big. Tonight (Thursday), Part Two hits the boards with the official opening of the Saldenah Mas Camp in Scarborough. This year, Saldenah Carnival has over 15 sections, and most had males and females showing their stuff at Saturday night’s event. The theme for the evening was Sky High, so it was fitting that the models who came flying were, for the most part, bedecked in colourful feathers. KING COSMOS ON STAGE (RIGHT) There

  Bloom into Power With the Soca Queen Dr. Alison Hinds You may want to address Alison Hinds ( PICTURED ABOVE ) as Dr. Hinds if you are a woman attending Toronto’s May 19th “Bloom into Power" luncheon. Hinds, the famed soca singer from Barbados, received an honorary degree from the University of the West Indies last November and is still embracing the title of Doctor. The Bloom into Power luncheon is an annual event staged exclusively for Caribbean women (no men allowed through the doors of the St. Clair West ADV Boutique Venue). "This is more than just an event; it's a testament to the indomitable spirit of Caribbean women,” explains the lower luncheon host Kerra Denel. She is also the founder of the Caribbean Women's Network The Caribbean Women's Network is a leading organization dedicated to empowering, celebrating and knitting together women from the Caribbean diaspora. Through events, workshops, and community initiatives, the network fosters connections, grow

Parade des Caraïbes is back on the books for 2024 in Montreal The release of a much anticipated Friday press release quickly got the Montreal media buzzing about the return of the carnival to the city this summer. Last year, the annual Carifiesta parade was cancelled by the city due to funding issues, but as of April 12th, it is back. However, instead of calling the event Carifesta, it will be known as the Montreal "Carimas" Festival — a blend of "Caribbean" and "masqueraders." According to the Montreal Gazette daily newspaper, "This year’s event, which will include four separate activities culminating with the parade and after-party on July 6th. The parade route and the location for the Caribbean cultural festival afterward have not been determined yet." The 2024 festival is being organized by The Caribbean Coalition Network of Montreal (CCNM). The CCNM aims to create opportunities for cultural exchange, foster community pride and unity, empow