Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Christmas Comes Early for Toronto Festivals—But Not the Caribbean Carnival BY STEPHEN WEIR More than 80 Toronto festivals received $1.6 million in funding through the city’s new Special Events Stabilization Initiative (SESI). Announced two weeks ago, the program supported major events like the Santa Claus Parade, Toronto Pride Festival, Beaches Jazz Festival, Luminato, JerkFest, and the Toronto Jazz Festival. Last week, reporter Stephen Weir obtained the full list of funded events. While festivals like Afrofest ( $44,080 ), JerkFest ( $91,450 ), and Afro-Carib Fest ( $22,370 ) made the cut, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival—a massive cultural draw and one of the city’s most financially strained events—received nothing. Signature Carnival events like the Grande Parade, King and Queen competition, and Pan Alive were all excluded. In contrast, the Pride Parade and Santa Claus Parade each received $ 100,000 , while Luminato was granted $83,000. Even the Harbourfront Centre’s Canada Day Soul ...

The Same Old Story About FMC Finances By Stephen Weir It has been a few years, but here I am in October, and once again, the Caribbean Camera is running this story I have written about the financial woes of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. This time, it’s based on rumours and innuendos because the Festival Management Committee (FMC) isn’t talking—for now. Word on the street is that the FMC doesn’t have the money to pay off its stakeholders: the Mas Bands, the Steel Drum orchestras, and Calypsonians who took part in the 2024 annual festival. The band leaders have apparently received letters telling them of this year’s cash crunch. The FMC managed the 57th annual Toronto Caribbean Carnival, which they touted as “North America’s largest celebration of Caribbean culture.” According to their website, “The Toronto Caribbean Carnival remains a key economic driver, generating nearly half a billion dollars in economic impact. We are calling on the government, the business community, the broader...

                 Rated R!!! Section Thinks So   by Stephen Weir It is not as though section leader Thea Jackson didn’t warn people who attended the weekend Revellers Costume launch that her section was going to be an “adults only” catwalk show. In the days leading up to the Park View Manor fete she sent social media notices saying that “When you just know you are everything I will be presenting to you the Rated R!!!! (section),” she wrote. “For 2023 my section is NOT for the weak!”   It turns out she wasn’t kidding! Picture four models snapping whips as they came onto the stage. Black and purple skimpy S&M inspired fish net costumes with black taped breasts, and small silver codpieces to keep it all legal, they put on quite the full contact performance. “The 500+ crowd went crazy when my section came out on stage,  it Is not seen in Toronto  so they loved it,” reported Jackson, “ It was well received, I...

  Ajax lawyer Jennifer Hirlehey is now chair and King and Queen star Mischka Crichton is the Festival CEO.    By Stephen Weir Just  as the Caribbean Camera was readying this week's paper the Toronto Caribbean Carnival (TCC) delivered a press release announcing several key management changes. The annual festival has been without a CEO and Chair since the early Fall with the departure of last year's CEO and Chair Laverne Garcia. Ajax lawyer Jennifer Hirlehey has been appointed the Chair and last year's Fesitval Manager  Mischka Crichton has been named Chief Executive Officer (CEO).   Hirlehey is described as an established community leader who is serving in her first year as a Board member for TCC. She is quoted as saying she is “excited and proud to make a contribution to this grand tradition that has given so much to our Caribbean community and all Canadians for 56 years. I’m humbled and honoured to serve the festival’s mission in the role of Cha...

The Winds of Change Blow Through the Offices of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival An edited/rewritten version of my story appeared on the  front page  of last week's  The Caribbean Camera newspaper Goodbye to Aneesa Oumarally. The Caribbean Camera has learned that the 40-something lawyer is no longer at the helm of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Veteran carnival administrators Denise Herrera-Jackson and Chris Alexander are now running the annual festival. In a conversation with me (Stephen Weir) Ms. Oumarally explained that she had not been fired and that the decision to leave the Festival was made after discussions with the Festival Management Committee Board about the future of the 53-year old festival. Oumarally, a well-respected Mississauga lawyer is returning to the practice of law but will keep her hand in Carnival by re-joining the Festival Board. The Festival Management Committee (FMC) Chair, Joe Halstead, confirmed her comments.  “ She wasn’t terminated,” he s...

CARIBANA STALWART JOHN KAM DIES AT 68 Long considered the soul of Caribana and the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, John Kam, 68-year former bandleader and festival executive, passed away last Monday after a lengthy illness. The funeral will be held on Friday (tomorrow) November 22, at 10 am at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Sheppard Avenue East in Scarborough, followed by the burial at the York Cemetery. There will be also be a Thursday afternoon and evening visitation for Mr. Kam at the Highland Funeral Home on Sheppard Ave East in Scarborough. John Kam was born in 1951 to Wah Chew and Jean Kam in St. James, Trinidad, and immigrated to Toronto when he was 18 years old. He worked for Toronto City Hall as a budget analyst where he had a successful career for 34 years. He retired at the age of 52. Mr. Kam will be best remembered for his involvement with Toronto’s Carnival, be it the original Caribana, or the current Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Over the years he did it all ...

Poster for Swiss Caribana Music Festival By any other name would Caribana smell so sweet? By Stephen Weir Toronto’s annual Carnival has had many names since it burst out of the gate in 1967as Caribana.   Since then the summer street festival has been called, Scotiabank Caribana, Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival, Peeks Caribbean Carnival and the current Toronto Caribbean Carnival. No matter what you might see on the official logo, for the past 52 years the citizens of Toronto and visiting carnival tourists call this amazing festival and parade simply Caribana. Caribana Swimsuit Caribana is the name that just won’t go away. So embedded is the name in our collective psyche the first Monday in August is always been called the Caribana holiday.   There are Caribana parties, cruises and concerts.   Stores have Caribana specials; hair dresses have stay open late for Caribana treatments. There are even Caribana porno movies! So pervasive is the ...

WRAP UP OF CARNIVAL 2019 - GREAT FESTIVAL BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PARADE ANYWAY? By Stephen Weir (for the Caribbean Camera) Three months ago, plans for the 2019 Toronto Caribbean Carnival (Caribana for all us old timers) had all the makings of a plan for a funeral parade. The festival had lost Peeks, its name-sponsor, and behind the scene sources said that the Smart Phone App had not ponied up the total monies promised for 2018 – meaning the Festival was already in the hole before the first Mas camp opened its doors. With no new major sponsors infusing big dollars into their empty piggy bank the FMC was broke. The owners of the festival were also hit by staffing issues early in 2019. The new CEO, Richard DeLima, only 6-months into the job, was dismissed even though he had been brought in to save the festival. Shortly thereafter, the number two man, Trinidad’s Gerard Weekes suddenly left the organization and the country (but he did come back to Toronto in time to be a spec...