Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Hope the other festivals won’t get into a tiff over Yardie's Canadian premiere tonight in Toronto thanks to Caribbean Tales Festival First time director Idris Elba By Stephen Weir Don’t tell TIFF but The Caribbean Tales Film Festival (CTFF) has scored a big one! Thursday night – July 4th - the CTFF is showing Yardie at the downtown Royal Cinema. This is the Canadian debut for a feature length thriller that was directed by British film star Idris Elba. “We tried for it last year, but, they wanted to make a big splash and tie Yardie into a screening with a distributor, it never happened” explained Dianne Webley Co-Director of the CTFF. “We continued to push to get the movie for Toronto and a year later here we are having the Canadian premier at the Royal Cinema this evening (Thursday July 4th). We are using the showing to introduce the line-up of films for this year’s Festival, so Yardie will get a terrific splash!’ The movie’s plot takes viewers from Jamaica to E

Forget Kodachrome Colour, Photographer Jenny Baboolal will be Green all over at City Hall and at this summer’s Grand Parade By Stephen Weir Jenny Baboolal Photographer and long-time film maker Jenny Baboolal is not only showing her photography in Toronto’s City Hall, she will also be talking about her environmental concern around carnival celebrations at the Toronto Caribbean Carnival official launch at city hall and at the Grand Parade.  The traditional Nathan Phillips Square launch for the annual carnival and parade usually attracts 5,000 to 10,000 fans who are interested in the Carnival Arts.   As well the annual parade can attract up to a million spectators gaga for all things Caribbean, takes place on August 3 rd this year along Lakeshore Blvd and at Exhibition Place.   “ Everyone is aware of the climate change crisis and wants to make a difference,” Jenny Baboolal told the Caribbean Camera. She is going Green during Carnival and has already formed a Go Green M

Festival goers tell me that after the past weekend Mississauga Celebration Square MUST be renamed Irie Place (we will get on that sir) By Stephen Weir Happy. Exhausted. Full up to here with doubles and roti. Thousands and thousands of people spent two days soaking up the Soca and riding the Reggae wave at Mississauga’s TD Irie Music Festival. And for those that couldn’t get enough of headliner Farmer Nappy there was a perfect weather Sunday cruise aboard the Yankee Lady 111 out on Lake Ontario. The music was free.   The parking was free.   About the only thing you had to pay for was the sunscreen, the food and drink. People of all ages, filled the Celebration Square, next door to the Square One supermall in Mississauga.   Phil Vassell’s TD Irie Music Festival has grown into a keystone event for Mississauga’s summer.   How much did people love this weekend’s festival?   The Caribbean Camera received a letter demanding that the public park   “HAS to be

Not the way Fitzroy Gordon would want it to Groove   By Stephen Weir The first time a grieving Marvette Gordon knew there was serious trouble at her late husband’s radio station was when a letter appeared in her mailbox a few weeks ago. She learned that the Ontario Supreme Court of Justice had placed G98.7 FM under investigative receivership and a Toronto law firm was temporarily running the ship. The late Fitzroy Gordon’s FM station is now under attack. A former shareholder has convinced the Provincial Courts that there are serious financial problems at the only Caribbean Canadian owned radio station. The law firm Farber and Associates is, for now, managing the affairs of the FM station and examining closely its books. The Insolvency Insider news-site first reported that Gordon’s Intercity Broadcasting Network, the company that operates radio station G98.7 “was placed in investigative receivership on June 3 on application by Jamrock Broadcasting and Delford Blythe.” As a

Phillip Vassell Signs Farmer Nappy In Mississauga this weekend, everyting is Irie By Stephen Weir   It is a new Mississauga tradition. Reggae on Friday. Soca on Saturday.    And a last lap Boat Cruise on Sunday to cap off an Irie weekend. The music is free.  The parking is free. People of all ages, yes including families, are welcome at this weekend’s TD IRIE Music Festival (June 21 to June 22), 2018.  It takes place at Celebration Square, next door to the Square One super-mall in Mississauga and then wraps up on Lake Ontario on the Yankee Clipper June 23 rd . “We started this festival a long-time ago in Toronto in a variety of locations from Queens Park to eventually Nathan Phillip Square,” explained Festival founder Phillip Vassell. . “ We had to leave for the Pan Am Games and when that was over we came back to find out the cost of being at City Hall had risen like a rocket!   We moved and took a chance on being in the heart of Mississauga, and we have not looked bac