Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

  The Cancellation Virus Hits Toronto AGAIN  In Time For Caribana Weekend These days buying a ticket to an event does not guarantee that you will get to go to the event. And, when a concert or show is postponed, you might not get your ticket refunded as quickly as you might expect.   The event scene in Toronto and many other major cities in Canada and the US has been hit by two nasty trends since Covid. Ticket prices have gone up and more and more ticketed events are getting cancelled – usually with little warning.   This summer alone in Toronto concerts by Justin Bieber, the Weeknd and New Kids On the Block have been postponed or outright cancelled. Bieber pulled out of a June concert because of illness, the Weeknd cancelled when the Rogers network collapsed, Mendes pulled the plug on a few days before and New Kids on the Block gave a week's  notice they were not going to perform in Toronto.   This past long weekend two significant events slated for the Exhibition Place and Ontari

  Meanwhile at Scarborough Town Centre                        NDP leader MPP Andrea Horwath tours Carnival Flavours with two Mas Models                      - photo by Herman Silochan    Following the late afternoon ending of the Emancipation Day happening along Bloor Street, many of the participants piled into cars and made their way to the Scarborough Town Centre for the windup of the last Toronto Caribbean Carnival event scheduled for 2022.   Called  Carnival Flavours ,  the three-day fete was held outdoors at the  Scarborough Town Centre .  Pan. Calypso. Dance. Food.  Costumes. Every form of Carnival Arts was on stage performing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings on the mall’s huge parking lot. Carib Beer, one of the Carnival Flavours had a large beer tent on site.   “We had an incredible turn-out, and for the most part the weather held up,” said Carnival COO Chris Alexander. “Because of Covid restrictions we were limited to how many people could come in.  Basically we were so

All things Carnival will be on stage at Toronto Caribbean Carnival last hooray weekend.   By Stephen Weir   There is a saying amongst Toronto carnival lovers, “It never rains on the Caribana Weekend”. With a good forecast from the Weather Network and a lot of finger crossing on the part of the Festival Management Committee, it looks as though that 54-year old adage is going to ring true for at least one more summer.   This Friday, Saturday and Sunday the wrap-up to the 2021  Toronto Caribbean Carnival  will be held outdoors at the  Scarborough Town Centre .  Pan. Calypso. Dance. Food.  Costumes. Every form of Carnival Arts will be on display for three-days.   When the Carnival first announced its plans for the month of July, this weekend’s fete was earmarked to be a Caribbean Food Truck round up in the  Scarborough Town Centre’s  parking lot.  That idea was scrapped two weeks ago because another Food Truck festival –  Street Eats  – had already locked into the Scarborough Town Centre f