Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Mayor Chow and councillor Michael Thompson officially open the 2024 Grand Parade  at the start line in front of a sea of empty bleachers Shared with Public Broke Again! Sign the petition Stephen Weir Well, the rumour mill that I reported on last week turns out to have been churning out the truth. Apparently, it’s official—the Toronto Caribbean Carnival is broke, with numerous bands, performers, and creditors still waiting to be paid. How much is owed? A cool $2 million—and perhaps more. And how do we know? The Festival Management Committee (FMC), the organization responsible for putting on the annual summer carnival, has just launched an online petition addressed to the three levels of government, calling for the “Immediate Emergency Funding of $2 million to cover the operational costs from the 2024 Carnival.” And, in that petition the ask for $1.5 million for the next couple of years to keep the parade going. When my article about the carnival’s financial issues appeared in print...

St Lucia – a lesson in selling tourism to willing, winter-hating Canadians.   By Stephen Weir St Lucia, like many other Caribbean Island nations is deft at first breaking the spirit of winter-hating Canadians and then magically opening their wallets to spend, spend, spend.   The Caribbean Camera was at the swanky Hotel X at Toronto’s CNE grounds earlier this week and watched as the hex was put on willing travel agents, travel writers, airline reps and crazy jazz fiends! St Lucia does it just right. Their formula? Fill a room with beautiful people in an equally beautiful room. Turn up the temperature so that it feels almost tropical. Serve rum cocktails and cold cold green label beer. Then stand in front of a big ass TV screen showing gorgeous images of fun loving white millennials frolicking in a moon pool against a backdrop of the world famous twin Piton Peaks. Next, play some live funky music, give away a couple trips (no we didn’t win) and warn depar...

Miss CHIN International Bikini 201l chosen today at the Scotiabank CHIN Picnic, CNE Grounds, Toronto. WINNER:     SERENA DI MILLO is 26 years old.  Her background is Italian and she lives in Toronto. Serena has a BA in Accounting from the University of Guelph. She recently won Re-Max Rookie of the year for her work in real estate and said she hopes to be a role model for young girls if she wins Miss CHIN. (pictured). 1ST RUNNER UP: KATIE GIMON-VALENCIA is 21 years of age.  Her background is Colombian & Venezuelan and from Mississauga.  She speaks 3 languages including Italian, Spanish & French. She loves traveling and recently graduated from the Schulich School of Business at York. 2ND  RUNNER UP:    CRISITINA ŌDORICO. She is 25, her background is Italian and she lives in Toronto. Cristina is a fitness enthusiast and she recently competed in the Fitness Star Expo. She currently works as a full-time pe...