Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

The Best Carnival Film Gets Its Redux This Weekend    Stephen Weir -  It was the best movie almost no one saw at the opening night of September’s Caribbean Tales Film Festival (CTFF).  The good news is that the Bell Fibe TV service is delivering a Christmas present to subscribers and showing the movie on December 23 rd  and the 25 th . Toronto Caribbean Carnival: Fun and Free , is  an hour-long documentary about the annual Caribana festival. When it kicked off the annual Toronto CTFF it got a long and loud standing ovation from the audience in a mostly empty Carlton Cinema theatre. Now Bell subscribers in Ontario and Quebec can catch the TV movie film premiering on their One Caribbean Channel twice over the Christmas weekend. It is showing at 8pm on Friday and again at 9pm on Sunday night. Toronto Caribbean Carnival: Fun and Free   is an hour-long documentary about the annual how Torontonians celebrate Caribana, be it as performers on as part of the million-person audience crowding the

I thought he had quit. Woulda ended the Art Bar Poetry Series record breaking 30-year run Paul Edward Costa at the Clinton House mike @sweirsweir It all began with former Mississauga Poet Laureate  Paul Edward Costa at the mike at the conclusion of last Tuesday night's Art Bar Poetry Series. Two real poets had read their work followed by an hour long Open Mike - ten cell phone readings by members of the 30+ audience. Costa was there to close the show, beg people to put away their trash/chairs, settle their tabs and pitch next week's $10 2-hr show. It was held, as always, in Toronto's Clinton House's (Clinton /Bloor Street) seedy backroom. Perfect for free form poetry; grab your own seat, serve yourself a beer from the stand-up cooler, and try not heckle or jeer the talent.   The weekly volunteer run event has been going for over 30 years. Thought I might have witnessed the last show of this impressive event run - longest in Canada. Costa, the organiser, the photogra

WARREN SALMON Now it is all about the Holidays By Stephen Weir After 28-years the Black Business community should be getting ready to spend an evening networking and celebrating Christmas without being poked and prodded. Just in case they’ve forgotten, Wa rren Salmon , the founder of First Fridays just sent out an all-encompassing Social Media reminder that this Friday evening they will be  holding a hybrid Black Business Holiday Showcase gathering at the ScottHill Caribbean Cuisine Restaurant   on Avenue Rd in North Toronto .   Founded in 1994, First Fridays describes itself as Toronto’s  Premier networking event for entrepreneurs and professionals of African descent. Taking place, the first Friday of each month in popular restaurants around the city, the often-sold-out event attracts Black business people who want to network, learn about new business endeavours, meet industry leaders and most importantly, socialize.  “We did have to go on-line during the pandemics but we haven’t miss

Heritage Toronto Bangs The Drum Slowly For Caribbean Canadians   By  STEPHEN WEIR   The voices and pictures of the heroes of Toronto’s steel band community has come to the Internet.  Earlier this year Heritage Toronto posted an audio and  written  experience that   explores the contributions and importance of the steelpan to Toronto's music and Caribbean community through the first-hand accounts of four leading steelpan artists.   Andre Rouse, Earl LaPierre Jr, Thadel Wilson and Wendy Jones are the stars of this online history that has recently been made by Heritage Toronto. It is posted on their popular website under the title of  Timbre from Trinidad to Toronto. Heritage Toronto is an agency of the city that celebrates the heritage and the diverse stories of its people, places, and events here in Toronto. This high-profile department tells the city’s story through a number of popular programs, including tours, plaques, and online exhibits now including the story of pan in the GTA

Toronto fashanistas cheer long and loud for Patricia Jaggernauth It was a given that Patricia Jaggernauth would be back in the spotlight again. After resigning from TV station CP24 and taking the broadcaster to Canadian Human Rights Commission with claims of systemic racism, fans of the popular Caribbean Canadian announcer took to social media to say they were in mourning. Well Toronto, you can put away your veils and black clothing Patricia is back and Howdy.    Last week the former weather announcer was on the cat walk looking anything but FAT dressed to the nine’s as a star model at the Fashion Art Toronto festival’s (FAT). “That moment (when I stepped out) was the celebration of a new chapter” she posted.”That moment was everything.” 30 fashion designers took part in this November’s FAT. For over ten years the fashion part cultural arts fete has presented the city's designers, creators and models with this multi-day happening. Held at the    Parkdale Hall on Queen Street West i

" Whatz The Day Trump Goes Away (For Good)?”   Author STEPHEN WEIR's business card FICTION: A Windsor U Creative Writing Assignment by STEPHEN WEIR The gentle tap tap quickly birthed a knock knock followed by a kick kick at the base of my front door. Someone wanted me wide awake, like yesterday. “Hey Dream Boy,   rise and shine,” barked a loud voice from the other side of my solid oak front door. Was that   a faint French accent lurking in that military staccato? “ Mange la merde”, I screamed back.     I wasn’t going to give up on my disturbing nightmare without a fight and I knew this man. “ It’s Justin, he knows.” My unrequested wake-up service out shrieked me. This wasn’t going to end well. “What does his majesty know? And why does he suddenly want to speak to me after the last time? “I took it down a notch. “The PM knows about you and Monsieur Trump. Aussi Mr. Joe.” ‘How could this be?’ I asked myself.     I only finished the dream when he started kicking the door minutes

Best Ideas Are Being Thrown At The Wall Big Rig comes in at night on Bloor Street to work on new Mirvish complex photo Herman Silochan By Stephen Weir While you are mixing some outdoor paint, turn on the Calypso music real loud and then throw it against a blank wall. If luck is with you, you might have created Toronto’s next downtown mural, which will make Itah Sadu very very happy. The Caribbean Camera has been following how her  Blackhurst Cultural Centre, formally named A Different Booklist Cultural Centre to lead a project which will create a large outdoor mural devoted to calypso in the City of Toronto.  The proposed outdoor wall mural will be in the new Mirvish Village currently under construction where the iconic Ed’s Warehouse once stood at Bloor and Bathurst St.  Sadu’s bookstore and culture centre is directly across the street from where the mural will be installed. Earlier this week reporter Stephen Weir brought along some photographs of both Toronto and Bogota, Columbia mu