Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Thursday’s Online Walk of Excellence for Jane and Finch. By Stephen Weir Mr JT on YouTube Last Thursday, North Toronto students got the online surprise of their lives while watching a live YouTube broadcast of the annual graduation Walk of Excellence.   Not only did community leaders, entertainers and family members take part in the 2-hour social media broadcast, so too did the Prime Minister of Canada and the Mayor of Toronto! In past years, Grade 12 students graduating from area high schools -- Emery, Downsview, Westview, CW Jeffreys and James Cardinal McGuigan have taken the Walk of Excellence from their schools to a grad party put on by York University.   In 2020, the year of the pandemic, the March was left to a small group of pan players while students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 took part on-line. The broadcast was a mix of live footage from musicians performing on Finch Avenue West and Jane, to taped messages and live student posts.   It was carried on Yo

                      7th Annual Walk of Excellence Pannist Will Perform at Jane/Finch This Thursday. Press Release What :  Jane & Finch graduates Walk With Excellence When  : June 18th., 2020, 10.00 am - 11.00 - Pannists play at designated spots throughout the community from Wilson/Keele to Shoreham and Jane. Earl LaPierre Jr. AfroPan Who  10.30 am - 11.00 am Earl LaPierre Jr. pannist travels from Westview Secondary home origins of Afro-Pan, Canada’s oldest steelband to the intersection of Jane & Finch. Where : 11.00 - 12.00 pm Pannists play at intersection York University Faculty Association gathers to symbolically mark the passage from high school to post secondary. 11.00 - 12.00 - Virtual Walk on Zoom, Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, Youtube This year’s 7th annual Walk With Excellence parade, will be virtual with some physical elements. Steel Pannists will create a day of celebration for the graduating students in the Jane & Finch C

By Stephen Weir, as published in the Caribbean Camera By all rights the Trinidad red, white and black flag should now have a small maple leaf stitched into it’s corner tin honour of Canada’s participation in the just concluded Trinidad Carnival. A large contingent of Canadians came to the island to supply costumes, pan music, inspiration, comedy and song to the world famous festival. From the King and Queen competition, to Panorama, to the J’ouvert and the actual parade, Canadian carnival experience was put to work. Hundreds more joined bands and jumped up in the street, or, simply stood on the sidewalk and took it all in. The annual event got off to a rocky start when reports of a possible terrorist plot became a much repeated news item across the Caribbean, The UK, and the US and in Toronto.    Last Thursday, according to the Trinidad Guardian “T&T Police Service revealed they had uncovered and prevented a threat to disrupt Carnival activities mere days before the fest

 . CTV / CP24: COLOUR OUR   WORLD W ITH CARNIVAL Over 60 mas dancers, pan artistes, make-up people and costume carriers came to Jamaal Magloire's Mas camp to shoot two commercials with CTV/CP24.  The shoot included a lot of paint throwing ( a tradition that is carried on in all Carnival parades), squirting water and having Soca (Soak-A ?) laughs. Hosts Colin D ' Mello and Andria Case were  the only people who managed to leave the Scarborough warehouse (home of Magloire's Toronto Revellers) dry and paint free. The shoot was a lot of fun as these pictures illustrate. What follows are a few photographs from the day long event at the home of the Toronto Revellers on Ellesmere Avenue here in Toronto. PANNING THE PERFORMANCE This is one performance the critics can pan!  AFROPAN - Canada' longest performing steel pan orchestras (they celebrate their 40th anniversary this year) sent five of their musicans to appear on camera in CTV/CP24's upcomi