Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Sophomore band plans to paint Caribana Green in 2020 Last year photographer and long-time filmmaker Jenny Baboolal was a little green behind the ears when it came to starting a new Mas Band. Now almost a year later, not only is she going green again but also plans to be bigger and better than in she was in 2019. “My belief is that Going Green is a win-win proposition for everyone” Baboolal told the Caribbean Camera. “Everyone is aware of the climate change crisis and we all want to make a difference.” In 2019, Baboolal, and Calypsonian Roger Gibbs led a mini-parade of 20 masqueraders wearing green costumes, around Nathan Phillips Square during the City Hall Launch of the annual carnival. “This year I’d love to have enough people in green to encircle the Square.” The Going Green group has a message to the world. “ We must reduce our carbon footprint!” To that end the masqueraders will be at the launch and the parade having fun and spreading the world about their environme...

Canada’s best Caribbean Canadian Photographers To Be Featured in City Hall Exhibition By Stephen Weir A new Toronto City Hall photography show isn’t part of this year’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival, but, the photographers who belong to the Canadian Caribbean Photography Arts Collective (CCPAC) couldn’t have a picked a better time or place to show revellers their award winning carnival inspired work. The free week-long exhibition,  Beyond the Carnival – A Photography Exhibition Edition 2  – will be hanging when the Toronto Caribbean Carnival has its very public noon-hour July 9 th  launch on Nathan Phillips Square, right outside of their exhibition!   The show will hang in the foyer of the Queen Street City Hall from July 7 to July 14. The artists will be available throughout the one-week run of the exhibition to talk about their work.    Last summer the group had a show at the Scarborough Town Hall as part of the annual Toronto Caribbean Carnival – t...

  Pet Marchan and Justin Trudeau talk Caribbean food TRUDEAU COMES TO CARNIVAL BOOT CAMP By Stephen Weir Last Friday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to Toronto to meet with Mayor John Tory at City Hall. When he finished the tete-et-tete and went out onto Nathan Phillips Square, he got 45-minutes of Carnival boot camp training that touched on all aspects of the carnival arts, from pan, to costume making to carnival food! “I met the Prime Minister of Canada this morning!” said Noel Audain, a longtime costume maker for Louis Saldenah’s Mas K Camp. “ It was exciting to show him the art of wire bending.” “ I set up a display to show the Prime Minister the fresh fruit and vegetables that are grown in the Caribbean and used in our cooking,” explained long time Carnival associate Petronilla Marchan. “ I had it all. Peppers, mangos, yam, casaba and something he had never seen before. Caribbean Tamara,” continued Ms. Marchan. “ He was very pleasant and took his time looki...

One Love. For One Day. In Toronto By Stephen Weir for the Caribbean Camera For the 27th year in a row, the City has declared February 6th as Bob Marley Day in Toronto.   In a special ceremony a proclamation from Mayor John Tory was read out, Bob Marley Day Awards were presented to community leaders and a Jamaican surfing reggae star performed to a small group of Marley supporters. Bob Marley Day began in 1991 with the first proclamation made by the former mayor of Toronto, Mayor Art Eggleton. This year, Mayor Tory signed the Bob Marley proclamation and had councillor Michael Thompson read it out at the Friday noon hour award ceremony and mini reggae concert.   Pictured left: Jamaica reggae star and owner of the island's surf club, Billy Mystic performed at the City Of Toronto's Bob Marley Day proclamation ceremony. On Friday at noon the city proclaimed February 6 as Bob Marley Day in the city.. Organizer Courtney Betty (l), Billy Mystic and councillor...