Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Minister Audley Shaw  Jamaican Minister of Agriculture in Toronto To Meet Canada's Business Community Today By Stephen Weir / Caribbean Camera newspaper Audley Shaw Jamaica’s Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries will be speaking Thursday night to Canada’s business community about Jamaica’s move to become the Medical Marijuana Hub of the World. The Minister’s visit is being orchestrated by Timeless Herbal Care, a Canadian Jamaican producer of medical marijuana products and Bay Street’s Gravitas Financial Inc.    The Jamaican delegation will also be meeting with banks, the Federal government and companies involved within Canada’s medical marijuana industry. Minister Shaw told the Caribbean Camera yesterday that    “Medical Marijuana is one of the fastest growing sectors in medicine globally.    Jamaica must take its rightful place at the forefront of this significant industry with our own indigenous product that has outsta...

--> What A Jerk Al Foster Is These Days By Stephen Weir Photographs and story for Caribbean Camera What a Jerk.   Yes, Al “Alos” Foster (Pan Fantasy) has been a big jerk this month. Really. And if his new food truck takes off, it will be Mr. Jerk, thank you. Last week the Jamaican Canadian chef rolled out a new food truck. The Caribbean Camera missed his very first gig at the intersection of Rexdale Blvd and Islington Avenue, but, the paper did catch up with him on his second night on the streets of Toronto last Wednesday evening. He was selling his jerk chicken at the Winona Drive Senior Public School concert on Winona in midtown Toronto. There was a large line-up of students and parents when the Caribbean Camera first arrived. The large black truck was parked at the side of the road and had a large sign showing a list of low cost comfort foods. “Menu is elastic based on whatever event I am at.” Said Al Foster. “Tonight we did chicken fingers, chips ...

--> Make Way For Montano’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival Story and Photographs by Stephen Weir Forget Peeks, the name sponsor of the Grand Parade. This year the annual festival could well be called Machel Montano’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival. The 2018 Mas Camp Costume Launch season ended last Saturday evening at the Rebel nightclub when Atlantic Mas held the 11 th and final mas fashion show.   What a way to go -- the King of Soca, Machel Montano stood on stage and told Torontonians to go down the road with him this August 4 th .   “Get your costume from Atlantic Mas and join me as we party till 6 am” the Trinidad singer told the estimated audience of 1,000+ at the high-energy costume launch. The world’s most recognizable Soca performer jetted in from New York City on the weekend, to perform at the costume launch and introduce his own Atlantic Mas section. “I am going to be on the (Atlantic Mas) truck! And after the parade we party” he said from the...

70-year old Rachel Manley in the running for the $40K   Amazon Canada First Novel award. By Stephen Weir Author and Mayor John Tory at Word on the Street   Rachel Manley is a different sort of bird when it comes to the shortlist for this year’s   $40,000 Amazon Canada First Novel Award.  Not only is the 70-year old the oldest writer in the book contest, she is the only finalist who has won a Governor General Award for writing (nonfiction), and, her book –The Black Peacock - has   flown under the radar of the country’s book journalists. Since its publication in the fall of 2017, her book has gotten just a single major review in Canada and it was in the Caribbean Camera newspaper. And, oh yes, she is the only shortlisted author that has royal Jamaican roots. The Amazon Canada First Novel Award recognizes the outstanding achievement of a Canadian first-time novelist.   There are six authors in the running for this large award...