Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

  Beaver Bra one of 42 hand-decorated bras on display at the EX New to the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) this year is the Art Bra project. Forty-two one-of-a-kind hand decorate bras are now hanging in the Queen Elizabeth Building (beside the McMichael's Marilyn Monroe Show).  The town of Parry Sound is showing these pieces of hand-crafted lingerie to support their Health Centre's purchase of a digital mammography unit.  The Beaver Bra was made by Josephine Hazin from Windsor Ontario. Hazin is recovering from a double mastecomy.

Ashworth by the Sea means blue skies, comfy rooms and renowned food and services. Simply a seaside heaven.  Come Sea - Ashworth By The Sea - And Sea Hampton Beach For almost a century the Ashworth by the Sea has been a destination for New Hampshire seaside visitors.   Located in Hampton Beach , on the beautiful Seacoast , the Ashworth offers the best in comfortable, oceanfront accommodation. The Ashworth is tastefully appointed to reflect the New England traditions and charm. www.ashworthhotel.com/ This comfortable hotel has maintained the historical aspects of this Hampton Beach landmark. Historic yes, but modern too, the 95-year old hotel has been updated with all the modern conveniences and latest technology.  Ashworth by the Sea offers the best views overlooking New England's nicest beach. Ashworth has 98 spacious guestrooms and seven suites. All rooms are air-conditioned and have spectacular ocean views.   There is a coffee shop and the ...

Justin Trudeau stopped by the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival BBQ One Year Later,  One Liberal Learns To Dance To A Soca Beat It is carnival time in the city of Toronto.  Soca Music. Mas. Calypso. A million people in the hot and hot streets. More media than at the G20.  For Federal Liberals,  the world famous Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival, has always had a  huge publicity attraction.  It is sometimes their PR Waterloo. And while Martha Reeves does say that  summer is here and the time is right for dancing in the street, it doesn't mean that a politician just has to show up to be instantly seen as being one with the people. It was a year ago, that Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, rented a bus and rolled into town for what was then called Scotiabank Caribana.  He had a steel pan orchestra and champion calypso singer,  Macomere Fifi in tow.  They barnstormed the festival, entertaining the crowds with long speeches, soca and...

 THE 44th SCOTIABANK TORONTO CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL IS OFFICIALLY JUMPIN' UP !!! Successful Media Event: 75 media registered.  35 costumed Mas Dancers.  50 musicians. 15 cameras (TV, film makers and web based broadcasters), 5 radio stations and just one daily newspaper -- the Toronto Star!  Big Events? Mayor Ford danced with Mas Dancer and cut a special cake.  Michael Chan and Chief Bill Blair spoke at the opening. There was a silent protest by the Caribana Arts Group, owners of the Caribana trade mark.  Their protest signs didn't really explain why they were there (and the typos got a few laughs) giving it a minor role in a big event. Councillor Michael Thomson, Chris Alexander, Mayor Ford and Denise Herrera Jackson Jamaican Sprinter was introduced to auidence The CEO of Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival, Denise Herrera-Jackson, is interviewed by  Nathan Downer (CP-24)  live from Nathan Phillips Square  This pres...

 Moonzir Butt Wins! Mr. CHIN International Bikini 201l chosen today at the Scotiabank CHIN International Picnic,  the Bandshell, CNE Grounds, Toronto. WINNER: This year’s winner is 22-year old Moonzir Butt.  The Oakville native beat out 14 other contestants in this evening’s outdoor competition. Second prize was awarded to 29-year old John Burdo and third place went to Troy Campbell. Immediately following the crowning of Moonzir Butt, the winner and two finalists were joined on stage by Serena DiMillo, the winner of yesterday’s Miss CHIN International Bikini contest.  Pictured above are, from left to right: John Burdo, Moonzir Butt, Troy Campbell and Serena DiMillo. The 3-day Scotiabank CHIN International Picnic is produced by CHIN radio /TV international; a Canadian radio and television broadcaster that produces and airs programming in over 30 different languages. The contribution of CHIN Radio to the cause of multiculturalism, understanding and tolerance b...

Miss CHIN International Bikini 201l chosen today at the Scotiabank CHIN Picnic, CNE Grounds, Toronto. WINNER:     SERENA DI MILLO is 26 years old.  Her background is Italian and she lives in Toronto. Serena has a BA in Accounting from the University of Guelph. She recently won Re-Max Rookie of the year for her work in real estate and said she hopes to be a role model for young girls if she wins Miss CHIN. (pictured). 1ST RUNNER UP: KATIE GIMON-VALENCIA is 21 years of age.  Her background is Colombian & Venezuelan and from Mississauga.  She speaks 3 languages including Italian, Spanish & French. She loves traveling and recently graduated from the Schulich School of Business at York. 2ND  RUNNER UP:    CRISITINA ŌDORICO. She is 25, her background is Italian and she lives in Toronto. Cristina is a fitness enthusiast and she recently competed in the Fitness Star Expo. She currently works as a full-time pe...

Media Tent Is Now WEST of the Bandshell (tent moved this morning - sorry) For Immediate Release: June 29, 2011 • Assignment Desks / Photo Editors (some of the Bikini Contest entrants attended a Friday afternoon VIP party at the Scotiabank Picnic and somehow ended up in the swimming pool - photo by Craigg Slowly)   MEDIA ADVISORY – PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES BANDSHELL Stage - FREE 12noon –– Miss CHIN International Bikini Pageant 2011, featuring MC Frank Spadone, and music entertainment by Abby Tobias & Sole Power, and Ashley Martinez 2:00pm – PORTUGUESE Festival, featuring PACO BANDEIRA, direct from Portugal;   and the first ever, Johnny Lombardi Portuguese-Canadian Singing Contest, featuring some of the most talented singers from the Portuguese community in one amazing show -   Lindsay Camara, Miguel Domingos, Maria dos Anjos, Paulo Filipe, Soraya Mejdoubi, Tony Ferreira, Stephanie Tavares and Steve Vierira, accompanied live by the band “Unique Touch”.  ...

  Lenny Lombardi and this year's contestants in the Scotiabank CHIN Bikini Contest Pick Up Your Press Passes for  Scotiabank CHIN Picnic Friday July 1 (Canada Day Program Below), July 2 (Bikini Contest) and July 3rd (Caribbean Programming) at the Media Tent. Please visit the media tent pitched just east of the Bandshell Stage.  11.30 - 7pm (and yes, this is not one of my articles, but, because of Tweet problems I had to post this release on my writing blog) Below is the line-up for Friday MEDIA ADVISORY – PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES Scotiabank CHIN International Picnic – Day 1 Canada Day – Friday, July 1 -   HIGHLIGHTS FREE ADMISSION BANDSHELL Stage -   FREE 12:00pm - Canada Day Flag Raising Ceremony and National Anthem presided by Commander Davies Of The Canadian Navy, and Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, Board Director of the Royal Canadian Military Institute in Toronto 12:15pm - Chinese Festival with headliner Kenneth Ma Kwok Ming 3:30pm - South Asia...

Auto Road and The Cog let you reach for the top Historic picture of the Cog Railway. Trains continue to climb Mt. Washington. Choose Which Way to   Challenge Mount Washington!     Mount Washington is very high; it is the tallest peak in America's North East. Hiking, running, biking, driving and even taking a Cog Rail ride up the 6,288 ft slope feels like an act of defying the force of gravity. Every spring and summer for the last 150 years world travellers have come to the mountain known as Agiocochook ( Home of the Great Spirit) to do just that. The Mountain is located in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains , in Coos County, New Hampshire . Mount Washington is one of the most prominent peaks in the country.   There are many ways to get to the summit, the two most popular are the Cog and the Auto Road , and there are events throughout the late spring and summer to help motivate people to use them to reach for the top. This is the 150 th...

William Doyle Marshall tours Scarborough Mas Camps in Toronto's East end. BRING A FLASHLIGHT The Empty Factories of Scarborough are ablaze for just 2 months   Costumes on display in the Blues Carnival Mas Camp, Howden Rd, Scarborough There are  mothballed factories and warehouses in Toronto's east end (Scarborough) that stand empty for most of the year. But in June and July these empty spaces are filled with colour, music and art.  There are 17 Mas Camps up and running in Toronto in preparation for the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival ( i.e. Caribana). On Thursday night journalist William Doyle Marshall (CHYR, Indo-Caribbean Journal etc) toured three of the Mas Camps to talk to the Mas men and women running the camps. The Camps are where the costumes that dancer wear while playing mas at the street parade are constructed.  As well the camps are gathering spots where people interested in Carnival can order costumes, volunteer their help and generally Lime...

WORLD'S NEWEST (FOR NOW) SHIPWRECK ALREADY HAS VISITORS - KITTIWAKE AN EXCLAIMATION MARK OFF CAYMAN'S SEVEN MILE BEACH By Stephen Weir, Diver Magazine For the dive industry Santa Claus rode into Grand Cayman on December 25 th , not in a sleigh but on board a barely floating 251 ft long WW2 US warship pulled by an ocean going tug. After seven years of planning, the retired USS Kittiwake was scuttled a few days after arriving at Grand Cayman Island. Live on the Internet, the Submarine Rescue vessel (ASR-13) was sunk upright in the sand just north of the famous Seven Mile Beach. The ship was scuttled to take pressure off the reefs of one of the world’s most popular island dive destination. Two months after she went down, the ship (donated by the US Navy) has begun to attract divers and snorkelers in large numbers. “I dived the wreck one month after her sinking,” said Suzy Marfleet, diver concierge with the Reef – a Seven Mile Beach dive operation. “ I have had a very posit...