Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

By Stephen Weir, photographs by Dan Moreland Wave after wave of junior masqueraders showed off their moves and their wildly colourful mas costumes to an audience of parents, friends and members of the press.   The Toronto Caribbean Carnival’s Junior Parade media launch was held indoors at the Malvern Town Centre mall over the lunch hour on Tuesday. Ahead the July 21 st Junior Carnival, a preview of costumes and performances was put on display for the cameras. The hour and half launch was a mixture of entertainment by young costumed revelers and speeches by adult politicians, sponsors and organizers giving the media information about four coming events for children taking part in the 2018 carnival. “ This year we really want to bring it back to the kids and to the families,” said Kevin Carrington, the MC for the media launch. “We have the Junior Carnival King and Queen Showcase taking place on stage at the Woodbine Centre in Etobicoke on July 15th (2:

--> The late Charles Roach, Mas Model and the Honourable Jean Augstine at 2011 Caribana Gala, Toronto City of Toronto is naming St Clair West laneway after the father of Caribana By Stephen Weir In two weeks times the late Charley Roach will have his name immortalized on a mid-town Toronto alley.   The City of Toronto is about to give name to a small laneway in the St. Clair Avenue West neighbourhood where the late prominent human rights lawyer, artist, musician and a founding father of Caribana, worked. The City will be holding the laneway celebration in the memory of Charley Roach on Wednesday, July 18th at 7pm.   Hosting the event will be local Councilor Joe Mihevc. The soon-to-be Charles Roach Lane, is just north of St. Clair Avenue and runs from Feel Good Lane east to Rushton Road. Charley Roach was born September 18, 1933, in the community of Belmont in Trinidad and Tobago. He and his first wife, Hetty, immigrated to Canada in 1955 and settled in Saska

Book on its way for the summer of 2018 Moreland (l) and Louis Saldenah - Mas-K-Camp By Stephen Weir Caribbean Camera readers know the carnival pictures of Don Moreland.   All this spring the paper has been featuring his pictures of   both children and adult Mas Band Camp costume launches for this year’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Right now the longtime Carnival photographer is making the rounds visiting the Mas Camps to get support for his new project – publishing a photography book of revelers “on the road” playing Mas in the Grand Parade on Lakeshore Blvd along Toronto’s waterfront. He and his team of photographers will be working with the 11 mas camps taking part in the parade. He wants to make sure that bands’ presentations are beautifully captured by his cameras as they perform to the throng of spectators who will be taking in the festival. With some of the large bands expecting thousands of costumed players to take part, Moreland has his work cut out for

Sheffield's first parade in over 20 years By Stephen Weir for Caribbean Camera Photos courtesy of the Sheffield Carnival Rise of the Phoenix - photo courtesy of Sheffield Carnival The list of world carnival cities grew by one on the weekend. Sheffield, a British city of close to 1.6 million people staged its first carnival in over 20-years and English media outlets are reporting it was a success. “ This was the first Carnival event held here since the early 1990's,” Sheffield Carnival spokesperson Andrea Risden told the Caribbean Camera. They were aware of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival and other North American festivals, but decided “not to focus on any overseas carnivals at present. This was an event representative of carnivals around England and unique to Sheffield.”​ We had approximately 150 people playing in our mas,” continued Risden. “There were 3 bands in total, Sheffield (split into several sections), Mahogany and a small band from the Leeds West