Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Strange Masks For The New Times By Stephen Weir Noel's homemade hat mask There was a time not that long ago when wearing a mask into a bank was not the done thing.  This week?  Some local banks require clients to wear masks if they want to enter the building to do their finances. Suddenly the mask – if you can find one – has become an important part of one’s anti-virus wardrobe.  Attempting to buy a mask has become an expensive and often fruitless exercise, so much so that people are making their own, using material they might have on hand! The  Caribbean Camera  has been noticing that many of our readers are using their ingenuity to overcome supply shortages. And while they are using bits of old clothing, odd bits of linen and reclaimed elastic to handcraft personal maks, a few are putting a bit of Caribbean influence into their designs too. Noel's masks at left “ I made one of my masks using one of Saldenah’s caps,” said veteran Mas costume-mak

I don't write editorials for the Caribbean Camera. But I did this week.  Explanation: I have had clients who have earned Order of Canada medals, so I always take note when the Governor General announces her Christmas list of winners.  So, I wrote this editorial. The Caribbean Camera did edit it down a bit - and they removed the names of people who should never receive an OC -  you know who you are. Dear Readers (and we include Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette amongst our readers), please don’t close the book on the Canadian heroes of the last decade just yet. Just before year’s end, the Governor General (GG) released her list of the last 120 Canadians of the decade who have now earned the Order of Canada (OC).  In our mind there are a lot of names missing from the list. The Governor General’s website explains that the “Order of Canada is how our country honours people who make extraordinary contributions to the nation. Since its creation in 1967— centenn

THE KIDDIES PARADE - ANOTHER BIG WIN FOR THIS YEAR'S TORONTO'S CARIBBEAN FESTIVAL --> By Stephen Weir  You could tell that everyone was pumped to cheer on the children.   A city ambulance stuck a Trinidadian flag on its hood. A Caribbean man donned a banana costumes and walked the parade route handing out bananas to the junior revellers.   Local politicians waved and cheered and parents cried for joy when they saw their kids play mas on Neilson Road in Malvern! If you can ignore the punishingly hot sunshine and the lack of a cooling wind, Saturday’s Junior Carnival Parade and Family Day. There were over 2,000 little masqueraders wearing costumes belonging to nine competing bands. An estimated 8,000 people lined the parade route and sat in the stands to wildly clap and cheer at one of Canada’s biggest children’s costume parade. On Saturday morning Mayor John Tory and Deputy Mayor, Michael Thompson, along with other councillors and MPPs cut a ribbon to

Primary School in Barbuda About To Be Reborn With Toronto Help Photo by Horace Thorne By Stephen Weir Toronto help is on its way to a still battered island of Barbuda.   A shipment of building supplies and an airlift of windows and doors will soon be on its way to help in the rebuilding of the Holy Trinity Primary School. Hurricane Irma passed directly over Barbuda in September 2017. Irma was the fifth strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, and it reached peak intensity just before landfall, when 180 mph winds damaged almost every structure on the island, flattening many of them. Just days later, a mere “normal” hurricane, Jose, also passed over Barbuda. “ Most people think that life has returned to normal on Barbuda said Toronto volunteer Eric Delfish. “But that is not the case. Some are still in temporary housing, so while this shipment does answer a need, help is still needed.” The 20ft long container is currently in an Etobicoke forwarding company a

Junior Carnival Parade Gets Adult Carnival Sized Numbers   By Stephen Weir The rain held off, the junior revelers wore beautiful costumes and the Junior Carnival Parade and Family Day notched the largest audience ever. The annual kiddies parade and family fair was held Saturday in Malvern and organizers are reporting a record turnout of spectators. “ We had about1, 800 children playing Mas on Saturday,” event organizer Eric Delfish told the Caribbean Camera. “In terms of spectator numbers, it could be more, but, I am going to stick with pegging it at 20,000 people. It was the largest turnout with many impressed first-timers coming out to cheer on the kiddies.” The parade kicked-off at 11am Saturday morning with an official opening ceremony at the Malvern Community Centre.  Toronto Mayor John Tory had the help of many Federal, Provincial and civic leaders to cut the ribbon and get the kids as young as 2-years old, out on the road. Among the dignitaries helping launch th