Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

  FRONT PAGE Toronto Caribbean Newspaper SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE PARTY By Stephen Weir On Saturday night, the Harbourfront Centre and Theatre in Toronto was abuzz with excitement as it hosted the Battle of the Bands and a celebration of Jean Augustine’s 87th birthday. The event, held under the banner of the #CaribbeanTales Film Festival ( #ctff ), attracted a lively crowd eager to celebrate both music and a distinguished figure in Canadian history. The evening featured performances by two renowned musicians and the screenings of two Toronto Caribbean Carnival films. The highlight was the screening of “Iconography: Mungal Patasar,” a Trinidad documentary directed by Mikhail Gibbingsand Teneka Mohammed. The film delves into the life and career of Indo-Trinidadian musician Mungal Patasar, celebrated for his unique fusion of sitar and steelpan, blending Eastern and Western musical traditions. Patasar, who traveled from Trinidad for the event, performed a captivating set accompanied by p...

  Toronto’s Youngest DJ to Showcase Talents at Twilight Family Restaurant and Bar on Sunday, October 6th On Sunday, October 6th, Toronto’s youngest DJ - DJ Tyson -is set to showcase his remarkable skills and talent at Twilight Family Restaurant and Bar. The event is part of an ongoing effort by a dedicated team working to foster a sense of belonging, pride, and recognition for young talent in the community. "We're working diligently to show these young people that someone cares, that they are worthy of being recognized on a big stage," said the event organizer. "It takes courage to keep this going for six years without any backing from groups or organizations, but we're doing it for the future leaders of tomorrow." The event is entirely community-funded, and organizers are asking for public support to continue this mission. Whether attending in person or making a donation, all contributions will go directly to support the youth. "Even if you can't ...

  Open the Door and Where are all the People by stephen weir If it wasn’t for the model in a sexy Mas costume standing in the window of the Caribbean Tales Film Festival’s Dundas Street West storefront, you wouldn’t know that inside, new movies and short films were being shown in what looks like an old store then a movie theatre. Dubbed the CTFF Hub, the space was used last Thursday night for the Wednesday night launch of the 19th annual Caribbean Tales Film Festival. Judging from the size of the audience, Caribbean Camera wasn’t the only one that had trouble finding the Dundas Street location (near Bathurst). In years past, the opening night of the CTFF was something you wouldn’t miss if you were in the neighborhood of the designated movie theatre or Harbourfront. Loud music, models and TV crews, mainstream media, and even the odd TIFF refugee were present. Big names, from the Mighty Sparrow to Machel, made a point of being out on the street with the rest of us, waiting to get in ...

  Festival stalwart has passed away Written by Stephen Weir for the September 5, 2024 Caribbean Camera newspaper. Amidst all the hubbub of the August carnival and its Grand Parade, the passing of Calvin Robert Taylor, one of the stalwarts of past parades, was missed by many within the carnival community. He died just days before the parade at the age of 70. Calvin was deeply committed to the carnival community, both in Toronto and his hometown of Burlington/Hamilton. “Calvin was a carnival stalwart,” reads his online obituary. He began his involvement in Caribana as a promoter, bringing music bands from Trinidad and managing their performances in North America, and ended his stint as a festival parade manager, responsible for parade logistics and the procession of bands along the parade route. He was particularly involved with the Caribana Parade Committee under the Festival Management Committee (FMC). Mr. Taylor was born and raised in Trinidad. As a young man, he came to Canada in...

  The Curtain Rises, The Show is About to Start. Cue Marcus Garvey’ Ghost         Greeter in Mas costume welcomes people to the start of the CTRR opeing party By Stephen Weir Caribbean Camera Sept. 4 If all went well last night, after The Caribbean Camera was put to bed, the 19th annual Caribbean Tales Film Festival (CTFF) is now well underway. Get ready, Toronto— from now until late night on Sunday, September 25th, the city will be buzzing with virtual movies, short films, and several not-to-be-missed in-person events. This is not your typical film festival. Unlike previous years, most of the 50 or so movies, short films, and television shows will be screened online. However, there are still several in-person events that are expected to pack the Harbourfront Centre’s film theatre and the CTFF West Studio at their Dundas Street West headquarters. Last night’s opening was held at the CTFF Hub, featuring films from Canada, St. Lucia, and France, including the...

  Not the last carnival of the summer B y Stephen Weir   It didn’t stop their parade last weekend, but that province wide Saturday’s rainstorm soaked the city of Belleville almost as much as what happened in Toronto. The third annual Belleville Caribbean Parade had a start time of 1 p.m last Saturday and according to weather reports on the day, that’s just about when it started raining on the small city. By 2 p.m., there was fog and a full-blown thunderstorm.   It takes more than rain to stop a carnival parade, but it did impact the size of the audience that normally line the side of the road to cheer on the revellers and a number of King and Queen costumes conscripted from last month’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival competition. “Despite a little rain, the celebration was nothing short of amazing,” reported the organizers of the annual Belleville Caribbean Festival. “The vibrant culture, delicious food, and lively music brought our community together in the best way possible...

Life would be perfect for Canada’s famed hip hop man if ….. By Stephen Weir If it weren’t for PanMaster losing at Pan Alive by just 1 point, this would have been a perfect summer for Saukrates. His favorite B-Boy won an Olympic medal in Paris, his July release, My Pager Burnin' Up (Easide of Thangs), is blowing up on YouTube with his 1.1 million followers, he moved to new digs (don’t worry, he’s still in Scarborough), and he’s looking forward to his new release Bad Addiction, set for September. “I can’t talk about it.” There’s just one summer downer for Saukrates: PanMaster lost at the Pan Alive competition on August 2nd at the Caribbean Carnival outdoor stage at Exhibition Place. Saukrates has been a PanMaster fan for years and believes it’s time the Scarborough steel orchestra gets its proper dues. “There are some kids (in PanMaster) who have been playing for eight years without a win,” said the singer. He even designed the band’s performance T-shirts for the Pan Alive competit...

October 2, 2024 , Innocence Canada  and other innocence, and social justice groups worldwide will join together in our shared goal of spreading awareness about wrongful convictions. International Wrongful Conviction Day (IWCD) was launched by Innocence Canada on October 2, 2014.  In recognition of this special milestone year, Innocence Canada, and the International Wrongful Conviction Day Committee( IWCDC) are hosting a IWCD 10 th  Anniversary Gala Event.   This night provides us all the opportunity to recognize, acknowledge and honour the wrongly convicted, their families, advocates, and supporters Event:  10 th  Anniversary of IWCD Where: Ontario Bar Association (OBA), Grand Salon              20 Toronto Street, Toronto, Ontario. Time:    Reception: 5:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. followed by the evening’s programme! Exonerees from across Canada will be attending and part...

  Doug Ford Promises Carnival Will Have More Money From The Province in 2025          Mayor Chow in her Mas parade costume Premier Doug Ford By Stephen Weir No Toronto Star. No Globe and Mail. No Toronto Sun. It is a big secret, as the Caribbean Camera is the only print newspaper in town that knows all about the Carnival’s good news. We showed up at 8:30 a.m. last Saturday for the official opening of this year’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival. CP24 was there covering it too so we both got dibs on the scoop of the summer. Standing on the stage in front of the nearly empty bleachers were the premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, councillor Michael Thompson, and mayor Olivia Chow. There were two NDP MPPs, the Calypso Monarch (King Cosmos), and, of course, Jennifer Hirlehey, the head of the Festival Management Committee (which runs the annual parade). Doug Ford wore an overstretched, grunge-style green T-shirt and seemed in a very good mood. Smiling, he took to the mic...