Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

2024 King and Queen and Panorama leaving Lamport Stadium? There it goes! Or is the Caribbean Camera reading this correctly? Is the annual Toronto Caribbean Carnival King and Queen competition a goner after over twenty years at the Lamport Stadium? Earlier this week, the Festival Management Committee sent out an update on what is planned for this summer’s carnival. A copy landed on the desk of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, implying that the premier evening event of the Carnival, the King and Queen competition at the King Street stadium, might not be held there this year; instead, it will be incorporated into the daytime parade. The King and Queen competition has been selling out the Lamport Stadium since the last century. Politicians, entertainers, VIPs — this has always been the hardest ticket to get during Festival week. “The King and Queen show has traditionally kicked off the Toronto Caribbean Carnival weekend every year since the beginning. The leaders of Caribana Mas Bands will ...

TAKING IT TO THE STREETS  By Stephen Weir  Photographer Anthony Berot is taking his art to the streets, even if it means that he and his Mas Model must be prepared to dodge cars, bikes, and bell ringing streetcars.     For the past 12-years Berot has been the official photographer of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival taking pictures of it all, costume launches to the Grand Parade. And now as of Sunday night as the last costume launch ends, Berot is posting samples of all of the 2022 costume events. Pictured above is Mas Model and NBA Dancer for the Toronto Raptors Mohogany Brown poses for Berot on Queen Street West outside of the LuLu Lounge after the end of Sunday night’s SugaCayne costume fete. The portrait was taken without flash, instead he used street lights, shop window reflections and the glare of oncoming traffic did get the trick done.   “It is SugaCayne on the road!” explained Berot. “ Mohogany is wearing  one of the beautiful designs showed ear...

Brampton debut for the Freedom  Mas Band of the Toronto Carnival By Stephen Weir. Pictures by Des Photography This early bird didn’t get any worms, Johanna Grant, got something significantly better.  By holding her new Freedom Mas Band costume launch on Sunday she won bragging rights to being the first Band to hold a launch for Carnival 2022 and also the first band to open their Mas Camp doors and start making masquerade outfits. She set a couple of other milestones on the weekend. Her new band is the only group that will be based in the city of Brampton, and proudly waving the Black, Green and Gold down Lakeshore Blvd in Toronto's Grand Parade on Saturday July 30 th. “After a 16 years hiatus, the Jamaican Band is back, fully equipped with costumes to give revellers the full  carnival experience ,” said Johanna Grant shortly after the day long fete ended. “   We are excited to bring back the Jamaican culture to the Toronto Carnival formally known as Caribana!” “...

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...