Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Mayor Chow and councillor Michael Thompson officially open the 2024 Grand Parade  at the start line in front of a sea of empty bleachers Shared with Public Broke Again! Sign the petition Stephen Weir Well, the rumour mill that I reported on last week turns out to have been churning out the truth. Apparently, it’s official—the Toronto Caribbean Carnival is broke, with numerous bands, performers, and creditors still waiting to be paid. How much is owed? A cool $2 million—and perhaps more. And how do we know? The Festival Management Committee (FMC), the organization responsible for putting on the annual summer carnival, has just launched an online petition addressed to the three levels of government, calling for the “Immediate Emergency Funding of $2 million to cover the operational costs from the 2024 Carnival.” And, in that petition the ask for $1.5 million for the next couple of years to keep the parade going. When my article about the carnival’s financial issues appeared in print...

  A Return to Bermuda Deep Caves. Little Islands. Big Thrills By Stephen Weir Photographs by Jim Kozmik On a square mile basis there is no other country that has devoted as much of its land to golf as Bermuda. While the likes of Ross Perot and Michael Douglas spend their days slapping a white ball around Bermuda’s terrraformed greens, one wonders if these famous duffers have ever lain down on the manicured grass and listened to the other side of Bermuda.   If their timing is right, and if the tin cup is deep enough, they will hear the sound of Andrew Mello’s bubbles percolating through the ground.   When the president of the Bermuda Cave Diving Society isn’t building period furniture he is underwater mapping and studying the environment beneath the cleated feet of the well heeled!   Bermuda is a 181-island chain, 600 miles east of North Carolina. The British Colony is best known as a holiday haven for the well-to-do. It is so popular more than 95% of the 22-mile...

 WHO NEEDS A BIRTHDAY CARD  COMPANY FOR CREATING A BIRTHDAY LIMMERICK? By Stephen Weir My sister-in-law turned 60 today. she lives in Peterborough and I live in Toronto. Much too late to buy a card and mail it off.A happy birthday on Facebook is oh so  My sister-in-law turned 60 today. she lives in Peterborough and I live in Toronto. Much too late to buy a card and mail it off.A happy birthday on Facebook is oh so passe and absolutely unoriginal. Bet she gets 100 or more Facebook Happies.  My sister-in-law turned 60 today. she lives in Peterborough and I live in Toronto. Much too late to buy a card and mail it off. A happy birthday on Facebook is oh so passé and absolutely unoriginal. Bet she gets 100 or more Facebook Happies. What to do? As is done in 2024 I turned to AI and asked CHATgpt to come up with a clean limerick. Thirty seconds later, Mr CHAT came through. Its below. And the illustration? It is  a 20 second creation by Mr CHAT. And so as they say, "rea...

For one evening it will be a man’s world By Stephen Weir The city is gearing up to celebrate the 25th anniversary of International Men’s Day (IMD) on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, with a special event in Toronto. The Consulate General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago will be hosting the milestone celebration at their Toronto headquarters at 185 Sheppard Ave West, North Toronto. IMD, founded in 1999, is now observed in over 80 countries worldwide. This year's event in Toronto will focus on the theme of positive male role models, an important issue in today’s society. Dianne Ojar, an organizer for IMD Canada, shared that the evening will bring together inspiring leaders, advocates, and supporters dedicated to addressing the well-being of men and boys. “This year, we are focusing on the theme of positive male role models," Ojar explained. "The event will bring together leaders who are committed to discussing the issues that affect men and boys in our communities, helping...

The Same Old Story About FMC Finances By Stephen Weir It has been a few years, but here I am in October, and once again, the Caribbean Camera is running this story I have written about the financial woes of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. This time, it’s based on rumours and innuendos because the Festival Management Committee (FMC) isn’t talking—for now. Word on the street is that the FMC doesn’t have the money to pay off its stakeholders: the Mas Bands, the Steel Drum orchestras, and Calypsonians who took part in the 2024 annual festival. The band leaders have apparently received letters telling them of this year’s cash crunch. The FMC managed the 57th annual Toronto Caribbean Carnival, which they touted as “North America’s largest celebration of Caribbean culture.” According to their website, “The Toronto Caribbean Carnival remains a key economic driver, generating nearly half a billion dollars in economic impact. We are calling on the government, the business community, the broader...

  "It is for all the marbles" $23 Billion and climbing By Stephen Weir Even though very little news has surfaced in the press about a forthcoming Black Action Lawsuit in Toronto on October 28, that doesn’t mean it isn’t huge. A class action lawsuit has been filed in the Federal Court of Canada on behalf of Black Canadians working for the Public Service of Canada, and it’s for all the marbles—$23 billion worth and growing. “This lawsuit is seeking long-term solutions to permanently address systemic racism and discrimination in the Public Service of Canada,” explains Toronto lawyer Courtney Betty, the lead counsel for the Black class action lawsuit. The lawsuit addresses systemic racism in the Public Service of Canada, targeting self-identifying Black individuals who either applied for employment with the Public Service and were denied entry due to their race or those who were employed but denied promotions on the same grounds. This includes current employees as well as those w...

 J ay Douglas Movie Turns Up the Volume at the Royal Theatre for One Night Only By Stephen Weir It is only fitting that the city of Toronto is getting a sneak preview of a documentary about one of its favorite sons—Jay Douglas. Play It Loud! – How Toronto Got Soul is coming to The Royal Theatre with a special advance 6:30 p.m. screening on October 23. Given his long history performing in Toronto, perhaps this new movie, made for television, should be called Play it Long and Loud because the Jamaican-Canadian performer has been taking the stage since the late 1960s. He’s still very much a part of the reggae scene, having performed a major concert in late August at the CNE. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Toronto's Caribbean, Jamaican, and reggae music scene was almost unrivalled in North America in terms of quality and talent. Jay Douglas, the lead singer of The Cougars and one of the biggest and brightest stars of that era, is the subject of this new TVO Original documentary...

  WONDERFUL JOE HAS MANY STRINGS ATTACHED by Stephen Weir In these turbulent times of 2024, leave it to the puppets to show us how hard life can be for penniless seniors living downtown, as they're displaced from a soon-to-be-demolished rundown apartment building to make way for a high-rent tower. You almost don’t notice the strings when "Wonderful Joe," a weary, weathered senior, takes the stage at the Jane Mallet Theatre in downtown Toronto. With his wrinkled face, stooped back, and clothes likely scavenged from dumpster dives, Joe is the star of a one-act play that will run for the next month in the city. Wonderful Joe is written and performed by longtime puppeteer Ronnie Burkett. The cast of marionettes includes a community butcher, a nasty landlord, Mister the dog, and even Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and Jesus Christ. “The play tells the story of an elderly gay man living in a fifth-floor walk-up in an urban centre,” says Burkett, considered one of Canada’s top p...

  Roger Gibbs is Alive and Singing By Stephen Weir For Calypso scholar and singer Roger Gibbs, every day is Calypso Day. On Oct 15, however, he will be moderating a symposium titled Calypso in Canada: Past, Present, and Future, as part of the official Calypso History Month. The Organization of Calypso Performing Artists (OCPA), in collaboration with the Blackhurst Cultural Centre and Kaiso Street Society, is presenting a series of talks and discussions exploring the rich history and evolution of Canadian Calypso. The first event will take place on October 15, 2024, from 7:00–9:30 PM at the Blackhurst Cultural Centre, 777 Bathurst Street, Toronto, next to Another Booklist store. Prominent Calypso artists and experts—including Jesse Ryan, Rhoma Spencer, Henry Gomez, Lindy Burgess, and Macomere Fifi—will share stories and insights into the Canadian Calypso scene. Roger Gibbs, who will moderate the discussion, told Caribbean Camera that “this discussion will be the first of several pla...