Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Toronto fashanistas cheer long and loud for Patricia Jaggernauth It was a given that Patricia Jaggernauth would be back in the spotlight again. After resigning from TV station CP24 and taking the broadcaster to Canadian Human Rights Commission with claims of systemic racism, fans of the popular Caribbean Canadian announcer took to social media to say they were in mourning. Well Toronto, you can put away your veils and black clothing Patricia is back and Howdy.    Last week the former weather announcer was on the cat walk looking anything but FAT dressed to the nine’s as a star model at the Fashion Art Toronto festival’s (FAT). “That moment (when I stepped out) was the celebration of a new chapter” she posted.”That moment was everything.” 30 fashion designers took part in this November’s FAT. For over ten years the fashion part cultural arts fete has presented the city's designers, creators and models with this multi-day happening. Held at the    Parkdale Hall on Quee...

Hurricane warning at the CP-24 weather map   Say it isn’t so Patricia Jaggernauth. Say it isn’t so.  Toronto’s TV world got a shock last week with the announcement that the community’s favourite weather announcer had just quit, and the details aren’t pretty.  The 40-year-old Caribbean Canadian journalist worked as a weather specialist a  fill-in host of the CP24 morning show.  The Emmy award winner also hosted lifestyle and celebrity talk series, Patricia J Show on  Bell Fibe TV1.  She was also  a staple at the best of the best Caribbean events in the city appearing ob behalf of the station.  With Jamaican and Guyanese parents, she was raised in Scarborough and is Caribbean to the bone. She was a fixture reporting from Caribbean Carnival events including the Grand Parade. Jaggernauth was so much a part of the parade she actually volunteered to put on the feathers and sequins and was the showstopper at a late night costume ...

Front Page News: CTV Face of Toronto Nathan Downer’s TV Career Takes An Upward Turn He is one of the good guys and he is a good friend of the carnival. Long time CP-24 stalwart Nathan Downer has been bumped up to the big times and is now delivering the news to a much much bigger Toronto TV audience on a much bigger screen! CTV News Toronto (CFTO) announced that as of yesterday Nathan Downer has taken over from veteran announcer Ken Shaw as the co-anchor of CTV NEWS AT NOON alongside veteran newsy Michelle Dubé. Downer will also co-anchor CTV NEWS AT SIX beginning in early January when Shaw retires. “I’m very excited to join the anchor desk of Canada’s most-watched local newscast, to be part of this incredible team, and to work alongside an exceptional journalist in Michelle Dubé,” said Downer. “I’m tremendously honoured to uphold Ken Shaw’s legacy of guiding Torontonians through the biggest events unfolding in our wonderful city.” For news watchers, the move from channel 24 down the...

 . 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 up...

Justin Trudeau stopped by the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival BBQ One Year Later,  One Liberal Learns To Dance To A Soca Beat It is carnival time in the city of Toronto.  Soca Music. Mas. Calypso. A million people in the hot and hot streets. More media than at the G20.  For Federal Liberals,  the world famous Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival, has always had a  huge publicity attraction.  It is sometimes their PR Waterloo. And while Martha Reeves does say that  summer is here and the time is right for dancing in the street, it doesn't mean that a politician just has to show up to be instantly seen as being one with the people. It was a year ago, that Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, rented a bus and rolled into town for what was then called Scotiabank Caribana.  He had a steel pan orchestra and champion calypso singer,  Macomere Fifi in tow.  They barnstormed the festival, entertaining the crowds with long speeches, soca and...