Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

COMING SOON AN UNDERWATER SCULPTURE GARDEN OFF THE COAST OF CARRICOU! Thirty boats. Thirty young students, standing in stainless steel craft. You can look for them this fall off Carriacou's west coast, but don't look for them bobbing in the gentle seas of Carriacou and Petit Martinique. You need to look for them underwater! No, we aren't exposing some mass sailing disaster. We are talking about a new work of art by the world-famous underwater artist Jason deCaires Taylor (PICTURED BELOW) . His latest work, "A World Adrift," is set to create an underwater sculpture garden with the government's help. “I am setting them down near a small rocky outcrop to the west of Carriacou called Jack O Dan,” Taylor told the Caribbean Camera. “A local marine dive services operation will be contracted to deploy the works under my supervision this July.” “Crafted from high-grade stainless steel and pH-neutral green cement, each boat resembles paper origami to depict the fragil

 I Know What I Am Going to Cook For Dinner Tonight  Hope they used Canadian maple syrup! Just saw my first can of Maple Flavoured Spam (Saveur D'Erable) in a Toronto Superstore (Loblaw). Bought it and set up my little studio on the dining room table to take this picture. Will give it a taste test tonight. Will give a report tomorrow (if I live). Product made in the USA even though they use the English Cdn spelling of the word Flavoured, and a French language product name (Saveur D'Erable) too, on the label. BTW - this is the smallest item posted on my website ever. It is a copy of my very favourable posting on Facebook early today.

 No CNN or CBC, But the new Jane and Finch Grads Got a Parade and an Airplane to Mark Their Passage  BY STEPHEN WEIR On Thursday, the annual Walk of Excellence took place, marking a significant celebration for over 500 graduating high school students from the Jane Finch/Black Creek community. The event, organized by the Blackhurst Cultural Centre, local high schools, York-TD Community Engagement Centre , and the Toronto District School Board, aimed to honour the achievements of students from CW Jefferys, Westview, Emery, Downsview, and James Cardinal McGuigan High Schools. The festivities kicked off at CW Jefferys High School at 10am with a series of vibrant student presentations on the front lawn. Following this, the students, filled with excitement and pride, marched, danced, and walked north along Sentinel Road toward York University. Along their route, a small plane soared above, pulling a banner with words of encouragement for the graduates. This unexpected sight was a thrilling

1st First Friday Marks 30 tonight at Globe and Mail By Stephen Weir: I know what Warren Salmon was doing on Friday June 3rd1994. IT was early in the evening, and he was rolling the dice wondering if people within the Black community would come out to the Glass Bucket. It was a long gone Yonge Street lounge and it was hosting the launch of Warren Salmon's first First Fridays event. Salmon describes his vision for the monthly event he planned to run the 1st Friday of every month as the “premier networking event for entrepreneurs and professionals of African descent in North America and other parts of the world.” Back in the early days of the evenings, the Caribbean Camera called it an event that attracts Black businesspeople “who want to network, learn about new business endeavours, meet industry leaders and most importantly, socialize. And, on that spring even the dice rolled his way, people took to his networking concept. "Around 80 people showed up. It was hosted by Mike Pur

  One of CHUM-fm radio’s only Black voices has left his morning spot By Stephen Weir It is morning. You get into your car and turn on your radio for the latest traffic, weather, and your favorite tunes. But wait, something is wrong. That isn’t Jamar McNeil talking in your ear—the main man on Toronto’s leading morning station, CHUM-FM, isn’t there anymore. When listening to Toronto radio stations, when a voice suddenly goes missing, it often means that the host has been given the boot. Fired. No one retires. But that is not the case with the ever-popular Jamar. After six years of being the co-host of the Marilyn Denis and Jamar morning show, he has been moved to the afternoon shift where he is now the co-host with Josie Dye. Josie Dye (pictured at right) According to the Toronto Mike’d podcast, (which follows the comings and goings of Toronto radio hosts), Jamar was moved to the afternoon to replace Meredith Shaw “after Shaw's move to become a host on Breakfast Television on CITY-TV

 IT HAPPENS ON THURSDAY MORNING JUNE 6TH Now in its 11th year, the Walk with Excellence is an annual event that celebrates the achievements of graduating students from   high schools in Toronto’s Jane and Finch community. Signifying the beginning of their journey to post-secondary education, the event – taking place this year on Thursday, June 6 – will see over 500 graduating students walk from five local high schools onto York University’s Keele Campus. The students’ supportive teachers and administrators will be cheering them on along the way, and all York University community members are invited join in welcoming the students onto the Keele Campus in true York U style. “The Walk with Excellence signals new beginnings and a new season,” said Itah Sadu, founder of the Walk with Excellence and a York University honorary degree recipient. “Walking with the graduating students in this annual urban rite of passage is pure joy.” Organized by a coalition of community partners – including th

  DANCING IN THE DARK WITH THE QUEEN’S REPRESENTATIVE Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada is the closest thing to Royality in Canada except maybe for Drake. So it with some pomp and circumstance that she paid a visit to the Famous PEOPLE Players, in Etobicoke on Tuesday afternoon. Arriving at the Evans Avenue dinner theatre, she brought with her a sense of pomp and ceremony. As a piper played, the audience stood and cheered, TV cameras rolled, and the Governor General responded with a royal-like wave. Mary Simon ( left ) attended the Famous PEOPLE Players theatre to watch a dress rehearsal of the company’s new play, meet with the cast and crew, and enjoy tea with the standing-room-only audience. This visit was particularly special as the Famous PEOPLE Players are celebrating their 50th anniversary next month. The black light musical company has been a beacon of inclusion and integration for half a century, making it one of the longest-running the

  What came first, the Chicken or the Dog? In the case of Canadian art expert Chris Finn and myself, it was the pigeon. It was 1970—way back in my second year at the University of Windsor. I picked up a gig to pose for a sculpture class for a whole semester. I needed the money. The class of about 12 undergraduate Fine Arts students had a choice: sculpt me or a live pigeon (I lied about the chicken). Everyone picked me. Only Chris Finn picked the bird. Probably a wise choice. The next year, my wife and I moved to Toronto. I got my degree in Journalism and didn’t see Chris again until I got some part-time work at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. It was 1999, and I kept the gig for 16 years. Small world—Chris was the resident expert there on Canadian Art. I promoted a number of shows he was involved in. No end of fun, no end of pigeon jokes. I moved on and took on some work with the Brampton Art Gallery after that. Chris eventually retired from the McMichael and moved back to his ho

MEDIA ALERT For Immediate Release The Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada To Take Tea With Famous PEOPLE Players Famous People Players OTTAWA, Ontario (May 9th) — Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, is set to partake in a delightful afternoon tea with the renowned Famous People Players on May 28th in Etobicoke. This special occasion coincides with an anniversary luncheon and the dress rehearsal of the Players' latest production, "Believe in Magic!", commemorating the esteemed theatre company's 50th anniversary. Event Details: • Date: May 28th • Time: Tea Luncheon at 12.:30 PM • Location: Dine and Dream Theatre, 343 Evans Ave, Etobicoke, ON This unique visit will provide Her Excellency with the opportunity to meet the exceptional cast members, dedicated volunteers, high school students, educators, and trailblazers in the theatre community. As a key figure in raising awareness of significant issues and r

  OCPA will sing for you supper (err your brunch) By Stephen Weir. The Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA) is kicking off the 2014 summer carnival season with a delectable meal and captivating live music to complement the feast. It all begins at noon on Sunday, May 19th, at Scarborough’s Spade Bar & Lounge and Calypso bar located at 3580 McNicoll Avenue. OCPA’s second annual "Fun Raising" Brunch will be hosted at an establishment renowned for its Caribbean cuisine and passion for live Calypso music. The $35 meal will be served from 12 pm to 3 pm. The official launch will take place a month after this week’s Brunch. OCPA performers will be part of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival Festival Launch on June 15th at the Scarborough Town Center. Earlier this week, OCPA distributed a poster detailing all the events the Calypsonians plan to host this summer. This poster includes all ten events scheduled by OCPA and is expected to be posted online on the OCPA website (