Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Toronto Carnival Is Losing One Of Its Originals. Roger Gibbs Sings Goodbye. By Stephen Weir When September rolls around the Toronto Caribbean Carnival’s Festival Management Committee (FMC) will lose one of its original members. Bajan-Canadian Calypsonian Roger Gibbs has reached the end of his formal board term.  After years of giving sage advice to Carnival, Gibbs will no longer be part of the management team and will not be involved with the 2020 Festival in an official capacity. “ It's been 14 years!” Gibbs told reporter Stephen Weir. “I was invited to join in 2005 by (the late) Charles Roach.” Gibbs grew up in a musical family and began his career in Barbados singing with Caribbean dance bands in the 1970’s. He joined as lead singer of the Sandpebbles and toured extensively throughout the Caribbean, Canada and the USA. He came to Canada in 1986, and since then Gibbs has worked non-stop within the arts industry. From 1993 until 2013 he was a performing member of COB...

Family and Friends of Charley Roach hold up the Charley Roach Lane sign   Massive turnout for unveiling of Charley Roach Lane  By Stephen Weir, Caribbean Camera The City held an early evening traffic stopping celebration in the memory of the late community activist Charley Roach on Wednesday, July 18th. Over 400 people jammed a small laneway stopping traffic on Rushton Road and briefly on St Clair Avenue West, to take part in the unveiling of the newly renamed Charley Roach Lane! Charley Roach was born on September 18, 1933, in the community of Belmont in Trinidad and Tobago. He and his first wife Hetty, immigrated to Canada in 1955 and eventually in Ontario where he studied law at the University of Toronto. Councillor Joe and Sunset take cover off sign As a newly minted human rights lawyer, he quickly became a leader in Toronto's growing black community. He defended the rights of Caribbean nannies, challenged racial pr...