Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Brother Here. Brother There. Check out Netflix But Be Quick About It. First, there was the book. Then, there were many book prizes. Next? A movie based on his novel was showcased at TIFF, and it received numerous awards. Earlier, it was screened in theaters across Canada. David Chariandy's Scarborough-based story, "Brother," has made history in both the literary and cinematic realms in Canada. For Canadians who missed out on David Chariandy's "Brother," you have one last chance to discover the phenomenon. Netflix is now streaming the film made in the GTA. However, the streaming service warns that you only have a month to watch it, as the movie will disappear from its catalog on November 21. Chariandy holds the Toronto book prize - sweir pix The film stars Aaron Pierre as Francis and Lamar Johnson as Michael, with supporting cast members including Kiana Madeira, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Lovell Adams-Gray, Maurice Dean Wint, and Dwain Murphy. The screenplay was...

  Indigenous Man Returns to the Court in Winnipeg where He was Convicted 50 Years Ago ­­­­­__________________________________________   More than 49 years ago on March 5, 1974,  Clarence Woodhouse , a young Indigenous man, and a member of the Pinaymootang First Nation on the Fairford Indian Reserve in Manitoba, was convicted of the murder of Mr. Ting Fong Chan in Winnipeg, a crime he did not commit.   On July 18 of this year, two of Mr. Woodhouse’s former co-accused were vindicated in the King’s Bench Court by Chief Justice Joyal in Winnipeg. A fourth accused, Clarence’s brother Russell Woodhouse, sadly died in 2011 before he could be vindicated.   On September 13, 2023,  Innocence Canada  filed an application with Federal Justice Minister Arif Virani for a ministerial review of Clarence Woodhouse’s conviction pursuant to the provisions of the  Criminal Code.   We also filed a posthumous application on Russell Woodhouse’s behalf with the...

THREE WAYS INDO CARIBBEAN POEMS "The Tarragon’s Extra Space seats only about 100 patrons. And while they have a much larger theater in their midtown building (near Casa Loma), the size is of extreme importance to anyone contemplating seeing a new play that actually takes place in Guyana (well for part of the show). Don't think you can get away with waiting until the last minute to buy a ticket for this one! The play, "A Poem for Rabia," has its world premiere on October 25th and is already packing the theater during this week's preview performances. The piece, written by Nikki Shaffeeullah in her playwriting debut, runs in the Extra Space from now until November 12. "The play is an epic journey across time, oceans, and tectonic shifts in political history for three Indo-Caribbean women. 'A Poem for Rabia' weaves the stories of three queer women from the same bloodline: Zahra, a disillusioned activist in 2053, navigating a Canada that has just abolish...

  If You Ask, You Can’t Afford the House, Just Ask TV’s Eccleston and Wiltshire Next Monday evening Toronto TV watchers will see what Listing Large is all about. Home Sales? Men’s Abs? Real Estate Agents’ Fulsome Décolletages? After watching advance copies of the first two episodes of new CTV half-hour locally made programme I can say I am right on all counts, Listing Large is all about two beautiful well-dressed Caribbean Canadians who are very successful listing, selling and building homes in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). CTV Life Channel's new original 10-episode docu-reality series, Listing Large will premiere on Monday, Oct. 16, at 8 p.m. on CTV Life, CTV.ca, and the CTV app. This All-Black production follows the journey of Real Estate moguls and business partners Odeen Eccleston and Lamont Wiltshire as they navigate the challenges of their growing real estate empire while dealing with the demands of parenthood, friendship, and their past romantic relationship. Eccleston ...

The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time Walter Borden, the best Black stage actor in Canada, is currently busy performing in front of live audiences and educating people from the diaspora. At 81 he proclaims, "I am the mirror of your inner truth – I am you!" However, there was a notable issue at the Sunday matinee attended by the Caribbean Camera. Almost all of the individuals in the Tarragon Theatre audience were white, and a significant number of them were older than the octogenarian actor standing before them. The play is titled 'The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time,' and according to director Peter Hinton-Davis, "It is Walter's letter to the world. But instead of being a mere memoir, which looks backward, his epistle also looks forward to illuminating one's calling in life.” "It is an autobiographical 90-some-minute-long monologue. It is set outside of a parking lot ticket booth where a stooped-over attendant (Borden) opens the play by sitting down on a...

Paradise Lost is found on one side of PAMA the Brampton Art Gallery Yesterday, Brampton's Main Street received a striking makeover as a massive two-story art piece found its place outdoors on the side of PAMA, the public art gallery and museum located on Main Street, just across from Gage Park. This awe-inspiring creation, named "Paradise Lost," is the creative art of Caribbean Canadian artist Chris Louis and Dillon Douglas ( pictured ), and it promises to inject a new level of intrigue into the daily commutes of motorists. "Paradise Lost" is a triptych artwork spanning three outdoor banners, portraying a journey from a thriving, healthy Earth to a desolate wasteland. Bursting with repetitive and overlapping motifs, some whimsical and others peculiar, Douglas and Louis guide us through a humbling exploration of monumental human failures. Their intention is to serve as a stark warning of the grim potential for our own future. The official launch of "Parad...

ALBERT JACKSON’S FAMILY STAMP HIS NAME ON NEW SCARBOROUGH BUILDING   If you don’t know who Albert Jackson was or what he looked like, you probably haven’t been s If you don't know who Albert Jackson was or what he looked like, you probably haven't been sending letters home to Mommy. Tall, fit, and finely groomed with a mustache, Canada's first Black mailman cut quite the figure walking his route. So much so that Canada Post put his painted portrait on a stamp back in 2019. Born into slavery in the United States, Jackson was just a boy when his family escaped to Canada via the underground railroad. In Toronto, he pursued his education and won a position as a letter carrier in 1882. When he reported for work, he faced discrimination from his colleagues, who refused to train him. The debate over the situation raged for weeks until political pressure, especially from Toronto's Black community, triumphed, and Jackson was able to walk his route. He passed away in 1918 at the ...

BROUGHT IT BACK TO WEBISTE FOR MY APPLICATION FOR A THIRD YEAR CREATIVE WRITING COURSE - THEY WANTED PROOF OF LIFE      BRUCE'S SEVEN CRIMES OF THE LAST CENTURY (AND THEN SOME)   photo by Bruce Paton By Stephen Weir The first crime of the day was the sweetest. Black paint spray cans at the ready; Bruce and I had our way with the road sign that had stuck in our craw for years … “Renfrew, a beautiful town to live in, population 9,800.” We weren’t very literate back in the day, so we made it short and to the point. “Renfrew a beautiful town to die in, population 9,798.” Littering was our second misdemeanor that hot dusty August morning. We tossed the evidence – two spent spray cans - into the weed filled ditch just before we threw our knapsacks into the back of the pickup truck that had stopped to give us a ride. Squeezed into the cab, left knee getting pummeled by the vibrating four-on-the-floor gearshift, Bruce and I once again left town forever. We were too young to...

  Paradise Lost is found on one side ot PAMA the Brampton Art Gallery Yesterday, Brampton's Main Street received a striking makeover as a massive two-storey art piece found its place outdoors on the side of PAMA, the public art gallery and museum located on Main Street, just across from Gage Park. This awe-inspiring creation, named "Paradise Lost," is the creative art of Caribbean Canadian artist Chris Louis and Dillon Douglas, and it promises to inject a new level of intrigue into the daily commutes of motorists. "Paradise Lost" is a triptych artwork spanning three outdoor banners, portraying a journey from a thriving, healthy Earth to a desolate wasteland. Bursting with repetitive and overlapping motifs, some whimsical and others peculiar, Douglas and Louis guide us through a humbling exploration of monumental human failures. Their intention is to serve as a stark warning of the grim potential for our own future. The official launch of "Paradise Lost...

But Wait it isn’t Over (if You Have Access to the Internet) If you don't mind watching movies on your Iphone, Ipad or computer, there is good news. The annual Caribbean Tales Film Festival (CTFF) didn't end on Sunday. While the curtain has fallen for films shown at the Harbourfront, there are still movies to watch on the CTFF website for the next week. On Sunday evening, the final live screening for CTFF took place at the Harbourfront Centre theatre. The three-film lineup included "Dolapo is Fine," a 15-minute short about women’s haair from the UK; "Behind the Blue" as in the Blue Devils from Trinidad & Tobago; and "Yubism: Life and Art of Yubi Kirindongo" from Curacao. "All three films were wonderful... the first had you cheering for Dolapo, and the last two made you want to visit the countries to experience what you just saw in person," reported film fan Dorothy Abbott. "And those wonderful Oxtail Empanadas (served in the lob...

  Just in time for winter, new flights to Montego Bay New Airline, New Destination, New Price: Canada Jetlines Adds Montego Bay, Jamaica to Winter 2023-24 Schedule Canada Jetlines, Ltd., operating under the brand name Jetlines, has introduced Montego Bay, Jamaica, as one of its two new destinations for the upcoming winter season of 2023-24. "One-way tickets to Jamaica are priced as low as $299." Jetlines, a value-oriented leisure airline, is celebrating its first anniversary this week and continues to expand its reach with both scheduled and charter services throughout North America. In a recent announcement, the airline revealed its plans to broaden its network with new routes departing from Toronto to Montego Bay and Toronto to Orlando, beginning this fall. These new additions complement Jetlines' existing service to Cancun and Las Vegas. "We're thrilled to unveil our expanded winter flight schedule, offering travelers a wider array of options to escape the col...

Lakecia Benjamin'd Sax Schooling Toronto   Stand back. Don't sit down; Lakecia Benjamin will blow you out of your seat anyway. Jazz fans in the city have wanted to see and hear her since 2012 when she burst onto the world stage with her saxophone with the release of her first album, "Retox".  She has been in this country only a few times, playing backup alto sax for some of America's top performers, including Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys. But next Friday, she will take to the Meridian Arts Centre North stage, and it will be her music, her hip look, and her own band for the very first time on a Canadian stage. Although she wasn't sure which country the Caribbean Camera was calling from when we reached her at her home in NYC last week, she was excited to talk about her upcoming tour, which includes stops in Turkey, Germany, Norway, and this single Canadian performance, making for a busy fall schedule. She told us she was up for all the gigs that she will be pla...