The War On Cash

Helping the community tap into their creativity

Whether it is photographs or works of art, images create a memory of people, places, and things that we hold with us forever. For Black women art has created a new space of recognition and has presented an opportunity to both celebrate and immortalize their contributions. It has created a new space of recognition.

Art does not show people what to do, or how to feel; great works of art create synergy between your senses, body, and mind. It can help you navigate your emotions, and this can spur thinking, engagement, and even action.

Most of us know the feeling of being moved by a work of art, whether it is: a song, a play, a poem, a novel, a painting, or a spatio-temporal experiment. Most recently I met a young woman, and upon seeing her work, I was transported to a new place that was, nevertheless, strongly rooted in a physical experience. I became aware of a feeling that I do not actively focus on. This transformative experience is what art is constantly seeking.

Quietly, Chika O has been experimenting with her artistic ability, finding ways to express herself, and help others express their innermost feelings. She specializes in curating inspirational and expressive paint events that enable those who are open to doing so tap into their creativity.

I was introduced to Chika O through a mutual friend of ours Nigel Birch; upon meeting her I knew that she was a phenomenon. It was on Friday, March 24th, 2023, that I saw the extent of her magic. She was the art curator at the LEGUP Secure your Wealth Symposium, and to see what she was able to do with the space, to turn a hotel common area into an art gallery; it was incredible. I decided right there and then that I wanted to share her talents with the world, so we sat down, and I went on an artistic journey with her.

“I went to school for the arts, but I didn’t do anything for myself,” Chika tells me. “I didn’t use my talent for anything. One day, I realized something had to change.

I was born in Mississauga, then my parents moved out to Newmarket. After my parents separated, myself, my four siblings, and my mother moved to Markham.

As a child, I was very vocal about what I wanted to do: be creative or play outside. All my gifts were focused on art.

Give me paints, give me crayons, and give me a pencil crayon that is what I wanted. It was like this until I was 12 years old. School takes art seriously, so I used school as an outlet for my art.

They would spend more money on art supplies, and it allowed me to do more. There is basic art, but I wanted to be challenged. I wanted to learn techniques. From 10 to 12, that urge to learn more came up. My mom put me in art camp, and there I learned colour theory, sculpting, and how to work with clay.”

There was no denying; she was born an artist.

“I would win competitions at church because of the detail that I put into their work. There is so much that can be told by looking at a child’s art. You can learn so much from their world.”

She was very detailed explaining what art does for a child, and I knew that there was a story there.

“I was seven or eight when my parents separated. I learned a lot during that time. You never know what a child has to deal with. When I was younger, I was very attached to my dad. I copied everything he did. When my parents separated, the picture of my life was destroyed. When I had to shift to the new picture, I resented it. I didn’t like this new picture. Single mom, going to school, with the absence of my father; my world had revolved around him. I didn’t know what to revolve around anymore.

There was a gap, a hole. I woke up unhappy. Now I know that it was depression. My mom did the best she could. She would keep us connected to our community as much as possible, but it never filled the void.

It is only now that I am older; I realize why I focus on women in my art so much. It can be very difficult for us, especially when dealing with the opposite sex. Back then, I didn’t even have the words, so I put it in my art.”

Chika O takes her responsibility as an artist seriously; the idea that artists have responsibilities may come as a surprise to some – it is to help people not only get to know and understand something with their minds but also to feel it emotionally and physically. By doing this, art can mitigate the numbing effect created by our daily experiences. So, what she has done is find a way to bring art to the community in an interactive and engaging way.

“I curate events for organiza

tions, and I also have fun with my paint nights. This gives me an opportunity to engage with individuals on another level. I want to inspire people to keep that creative muscle in their brains moving. Art is what I do so that I do not self-inflict. How you process pain is unique for each person. When I am in my artistic space, I am reliving my pain, but in the way that heals me. When you don’t have the words to express how you feel, it can be really frustrating. My paint nights are special to me. I am given complete creative control.”

Each month Chika holds a themed paint party; her next one is themed the Green Garden happening on Saturday, April 1st, 2023, from 7:30 PM 9:30 PM. Whether you are looking for a fun bonding activity for a group or a more personal experience, her events offer a perfect blend of social interaction and individual exploration. As your host, she is there every step of the way, guiding you towards creating a beautiful work of art that you can be proud of, and there is more…

I don’t want to give away too much about what Chika told me, but on May 6th, 2023, Toronto is going to be formally introduced to Chika O. A group of us will be working alongside Chika on a project that reflects the unique experiences of Black women. We will be fusing art and words to tell the story of a Black woman’s experience living in the diaspora. Her struggles, her joy, her pain, her celebrations; it will be a recognition of Black women all over the world.

“I have been working on things for a long time, and now is the right time to showcase what I have to the world. I am really excited about it, and what I will tell you is to start looking out for event details in the first week of April. For now, you can FOLLOW me on Instagram @ paintwithchikaoh, or @artby.chikaoh.”

Privacy is one of our fundamental human rights, and for some reason, over the last few years, it always feels like this right is being violated. There have been reports of storekeepers holding a scanner above shoppers’ driver’s license or ID cards. A video recently surfaced where a shopper had to scan her ID card in order to gain access to items in a refrigerator. This concern may have you thinking: what exactly do stores see when they scan my ID?

I am going to start by saying that as consumers, we have to do our due diligence and take the time to read a store’s privacy policy. It is the only way to determine what a store sees from an ID. Your ID does contain personal information, and stores can potentially see all of this data when they scan it. They can see information ranging from your name to your date of birth, everything on the ID, and sometimes more.

The most concerning part is that stores can legally store all of this information in a database under the context of “fraud prevention.” While your name and age should be sufficient for any use they

ID? What do stores

may have, it is up to the store to decide if they limit the information to that small set.

There was an investigation opened on January 23rd, 2020, due to widespread privacy concerns in the media after Alcanna announced the launch of an ID-scanning pilot project at three liquor stores in Edmonton. The project would use the Patronscan technology operated by Servall Data Systems Inc. The project required individuals to scan the barcode on the back of their driver’s license to enter liquor stores and was aimed at addressing the increasing incidents of thefts, robberies, and violence at Alcanna’s stores.

In a statement they shared, “We are confident that this partnership with the Calgary Police Service to introduce controlled entrances in Calgary will show the same drastic reduction in thefts and robberies as our pilot program in Edmonton has demonstrated.”

The Patronscan device collects a customer’s name, age and photograph. The information is then stored on Patronscan’s secure server for 21 days. Store personnel cannot access the information and police officials can only do so if a crime has been committed.

This obviously did not sit well with certain individuals, and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OPIC) of Canada published the findings of their investigation into Alcanna Inc.’s retail liquor stores in Alberta. The investigation found that Alcanna’s use of ID scanning technology violated the Personal Information Protection Act of Alberta (PIPA) by col-

they scan my ID?

lecting more than the reasonable extent of personal data.

The OPIC noted that while Section 69.2 of the Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Act of Alberta (GLCA) allowed the collection of a person’s name, age, and photograph before allowing a person to enter a licensed premises, Alcanna was collecting additional information on gender and partial postal codes for “more accurate identification.”

Although the system did not retain all the information on the driver’s license barcode, it did initially decode and process it to extract the relevant information.

The OPIC found that the limited period of time that it collects such information and the additional: collection, use, and disclosure of gender and partial postal code information is beyond the extent reasonable to meet the stated purpose of identifying individuals involved in criminal activity.

This stretches back further than 2020. In 2017, an Edmonton man raised concerns about privacy rights after his ID was scanned while buying cigarettes.

Naturally, some of us will be uncomfortable if someone takes our ID and scans it, so if you’re not comfortable letting out all the information on your ID to a store, I repeat; you should go through their privacy policy before shopping with them.

I did some research to see some of the rules that are enforced on stores who use ID scanners, so that you can intelligently call a store out if you are uncomfortable

with their practices.

To use an ID scanner in Canada, a venue must do one of the following:

1. If the data is not being stored in a database, then using an ID scanner is not an issue at all because it’s just like the bouncer looking (and immediately forgetting) the personal data on the ID.

2. If the data is being stored, then a sign should be displayed at the ID scanning location which says something like:

• We are using an ID scanner to check age or

• We are using an ID scanner to check age and for marketing purposes

• We do this to protect our business and the patrons who visit our business

• The information collected will not be sold or rented

• Optional – We will delete this information after X days – Optional

• You have the right to opt out by simply not visiting our facility and we have the right to deny you admission to the facility

• If you allow your ID to be scanned, then you agree to let us use your driver’s license data for the use(s) specified above

You have the right to your privacy; never forget that.

Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada offers free financial literacy webinars for Canadian newcomers

• The Canadian banking system and why a bank account is required

• The basics of credit and taxes and building credit history

• How to file an income tax return

• Understanding a pay cheque

• Where to get support if needed

There has been an emphasis on the importance of financial literacy among Canadians from elementary schools to high schools in the education systems. Attention is now focused on newcomers to Canada by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) to ensure that they achieve a high level of financial literacy.

According to the website: https:// www.cpacanada.ca, CPA Canada is a notfor-profit national accounting organization whose mission is to enhance the: influence, relevance and value of the accounting profession by: acting in the public interest, supporting CPAs who are members of the CPA Canada, and contributing to economic and social development. It is source of up-to-date information regarding Canadian tax, new and changing tax laws and works in conjunction with the Canada Revenue Agency to provide clear answers to any tax-related questions,

CPA Canada offers several virtual sessions focused on navigating around the Canadian banking system and helping new Canadians learn how to successfully manage their money.

There was a free financial literacy webinar held on Wednesday, March 29th, 2023, from 12:30 - 1:30 pm for Canadian newcomers. It focused on everything you need to know about banking, taxes and credit. The webinar was available ondemand and captioning was available for two weeks after March 29th, 2023, to April 13th, 2023. There were two speakers who presented in the webinar: Nancy Russell, Senior Vice-President and Chief Internal Auditor at Great-West Lifeco Inc., and Amy Lin, Associate Manager with Canada’s Life Internal Audit team.

At the Financial Literacy Webinar, Canadian newcomers learned about the following:

In preparation for the tax season, there will be a “Slay Your Taxes,” webinar planned for April 1st, 2023. The presenters will be Amy Lin and Bertram Richards (Director of Finance at Canada Life). The webinar intends to answer questions such as: Do you understand your taxes, and how do you file tax returns? Are you a student or recent grad wondering about tax-saving options?

Registered participants will learn about:

• What are taxes, why we file them and where they go

• Credits, deductions and special rules for students

• The difference between an RRSP and a TFSA

• The benefits of filing taxes and how to successfully file an income tax return

• Top questions asked by other young adults

Another virtual session, “Disability-accessing your benefits,” was held on March 8th, 2023. In this webinar, registered participants learned all about the eligibility criteria, and requirements when it comes to accessing disability benefits. The speakers were Amy Lin and Ann Hebert (Manager at Fidelity Canada’s Fund Tax Group).They learned about:

• Criteria for qualifying for benefits

• How benefits are applied to an income tax return

• How to determine which dedication are of greater benefit to taxpayers

• How to claim medical expenses

• Registered Disability Savings Plans, including contributions and benefits

• Preparing for critical events and steps to set up and maintain

Anyone interested in learning about CPA Canada can check the following social media: www.cpacanada.com

Study reveals better edtech procurement practices lead to better learning outcomes

There has been interest among education stakeholders with respect to how best to help students improve their learning outcomes. The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) is a not-for-profit, national centre that is at the forefront of researching strategies to heighten Canada’s digital advantage in a global economy.

On Monday, March 6th, 2023, they posted a press release as part of its third report in its edtech series, “Buying into Learning Outcomes: Education Technology in Canada.” The study focuses on the increasing challenge of technology procurement in K-12 schools.

This report explores the differences in procurement practices across provinces and territories, and offers a road map for governments and school boards to improve their purchasing processes leading to better student learning outcomes around technology use in schools.

This revolutionary study posits that Canada requires a balance between centralized, decentralized, and divisional procurement, which would ensure that with increased partnerships between diverse regional procurement stakeholders and the involvement of procurement teams it would be possible to standardize and systematize their purchasing processes. The following four areas were explored by the study:

• Procurement approaches that promote successful integration with a school’s existing technology infrastructure and risk to data privacy and security

• Innovative approaches to budgeting, including the role of charity, private sector grants, and fundraising in the context of demographic considerations

• Improving edtech procurement outcomes through multidisciplinary procurement teams, including specialists in pedagogy, curriculum, technology, accessibility, cyber security, privacy, Indigenous student realities, digital equity, diversity, and inclusion

• Staying abreast of edtech market developments beyond form RFI (requests for information), including learning about edtech solutions from end users, other schools, vendors,

edtech conferences, professional developments, etc.

This 80-page study notes that there has been an increase in educational technology or “edtech” purchases from kindergarten to grade 12 (K to 12) all across Canada. This process is a complex process that involves identifying a need, researching what the market can provide, selecting a solution, and making a purchase. It may take the form of an informed pilot or trial, direct purchase from a single vendor, or competitive bidding process, or request for proposals (RFP). The overall purpose of the study highlights: commonalities, differences, challenges, and strengths in edtech procurement practices.

The study is divided into three sections. They include the following:

Section 1: Introduction to Edtech Procurement

• Including what types of technology schools purchase, who in education is involved in technology purchases, and the benefits and challenges associated with centralized, decentralized, ad divisional procurement

Section 2: Stage of the Process

• Highlights various approach to staying on top of the edtech market,

launching a procurement process, assessing vendors and making procurement decisions, and implementation and process management

Section 3: Navigating the Procurement and Strategies for Improving Canadian Edtech Policy

• Assesses strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in Canadian edtech procurement from the perspectives of the public and private sectors, before turning to a set of strategies for enhancing K-12 edtech procurement

This new study by ICTC is timely and relevant due to the COVID-19 pandemic. School systems have increased their purchases of educational technologies to deal with the lack of in-person classes. By getting feedback through semi-structured interviews as well as from public and private sector policy roundtable, it provides a good overview of what is required to ensure there are better learning outcomes for students.

It reminds us that with millions being spent on edtech procurement, there is a need for greater collaboration between diverse regional procurement stakeholders and vendors. This is essential to standardize procurement purchasing processes and strategies.

PAUL

Some can actually steal your property from you; Property title fraud is a 300 million dollar a year business in Ontario

MICHAEL THOMAS

michael@carib101.com TC REPORTER

“Title insurance is a fraud because you should not have to insure something that you don’t own. The Ontario government owns that data, but that’s the only way that you can insure yourself if somebody else steals your property.”

These words came from Mr. Martin McDermott, an expert in databases and electronics who became aware of the land title racket when his own mother’s property was stolen, and who is now in the business of exposing the people behind this grand scheme.

He has also been assisting the victims of title fraud, but of course, the mainstream media has little interest in carrying this story.

Imagine living in Ontario or Manitoba, where there is a structure in place that enables title fraud, allowing criminals to steal properties from their rightful owners. In Ontario alone, this equals 300 million annually in stolen property through title fraud. According to Will Dove of “Iron Will Report”, the rightful

owners have very little chance of ever recovering their titles again.

Here is how this grand theft is accomplished.

Any licensed lawyer with the Law Society of Upper Canada who understands this system can steal your property.

The only thing he or she needs is to make an application to the “Teranet,” company to receive credentials. They will receive a floppy disk and a special encrypted key-coded password, and they can represent both buyer and seller. The crooked lawyers would just transfer the properties to themselves.

Mr. McDermott said that by 2005 the law society had 72 lawyers under investigation for multiple properties each in their possession.

Let us have a look at who and what is responsible for making all this theft possible.

Have you ever heard of “Teranet,” the privately owned land title corporation, which handles all land transfers in Ontario and Manitoba?

According to McDermott, Teranet was created some 20 years ago and is the brainchild of an Iranian immigrant named Fred Kastrevi who came to Canada in 1966. The company is also said to have offshore connections in the Cayman Islands.

Teranet runs the complete title data software independent of the gov-

ernment and this applies to every residential property in Ontario and Manitoba.

What’s more troubling is that there is no one from the government overseeing who is monkeying with that data.

McDermott said when he explained what happened here, he was told that many Americans would be appalled at the level of non-protection these Canadian provinces offered property owners.

As I listened to this interview, I got the feeling that with the system in place, any lawyer who knows how to use this layout can steal someone’s property in these two provinces without the person having any knowledge or recourse.

The process of trying to recover your stolen property can be very tedious and expensive, because all the Land Registry Offices across the provinces have been shut down.

McDermott was asked how property owners could protect themselves from this to which he answered, “You have to go through a lawyer, you have to get your documents printed and once that’s verified, then you’ll need what is called title insurance. There is no way to lock your property down in the system to prevent it from being stolen, because everybody’s property is for sale in the system.

When I reverse engineered the

process, I found a vital character flaw in the system of whoever developed it. It is then I said whoever developed this needs to come to trial. We will never find those people; we will never bring them to trial. The only other option is to buy title insurance.”

“Another one is the liens,” McDermott said, “If you have a contractor friend, a contractor can put a contractor’s lien on your property, and that lien would have to be removed through that contractor, which would give you some protection and it would be cheaper than buying title insurance.

The Land Titles Assurance Fund is supposed to supply people with the information, and you do not need a lawyer, but Jeffery Lem who is the “Director of Titles” blocks this process and so everyone has to go to court and spend a lot of money,” Mc Dermott shared.

Again, as I listened and watched this interview it was like watching a bad movie that just kept getting worse. McDermott named one lawyer, Howard Greenspoon, who because of his golf country club membership and Synagogue affiliations had his $64,000 fine against him reduced to just $15,000.

Home and property buyers please be aware and do your homework before and after purchasing any property in Ontario or Manitoba. A word to the wise is enough.

A trip to the doctor’s office can be filled with anxiety, but our doctor’s do their best to make sure that we are comfortable. One way they do this is by promising that whatever information is disclosed to them, they will keep it private, so we disclose deeply personal information about ourselves to them so they can help us.

Our private information is then recorded in our patient chart by our doctor for our benefit. We trust that the information divulged to our doctor is safe in his or her hands. We also know that this information remains private unless we ask for it to be disclosed, again for

our benefit. The disclosure of our private medical information requires our permission, which usually is given by written or verbal consent, or if we have a complaint against our doctor, we must provide written consent for the agency that is responsible for regulating a doctor’s conduct to pursue it.

Using the declaration of a pandemic as an excuse, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) has started a new and unprecedented attack on Canadian citizens and their privacy. They are targeting Ontario doctors who provided patients with information about exemptions, or treatment and prevention of illness related to mask mandates or COVID19 shots. The CPSO began its own investigation - without the patients’ knowledge or consent - even though there was NO patient complaint.

Some Ontario doctors have been forced to hand over their patients’ records, breaching their patients’ privacy. A few, very brave doctors have defended the rights and requests of their patients to keep their reports private. One of

those doctors is Dr. Kustka. In a hotly contested legal battle, the CPSO has rejected Dr. Kustka’s request to protect the privacy of her patients’ personal information by redacting information that has nothing to do with COVID. Due to this they have threatened to suspend her medical license.

The CPSO claims the doctor is “harming” and “injuring” her own patients and demands the release of all patient records for “investigation.” The investigation is not to protect any patient, otherwise there would be a patient complaint and there would be some form of patient harm or injury. There has been neither harm nor injury reported!

Some of her patients have spoken out, concerned about the abuse of power, and the lack of CPSO transparency and accountability. In November 2022, they filed a case against the CPSO, and asked the Court to review the lawfulness and constitutionality of the CPSO demands. Instead of trying to get their consent, or giving them an opportunity to be heard, the CPSO brought a motion to quash (remove) patients, saying they

have no “interest” in their own medical records, and no legal rights, including the right to be heard in Court! The CPSO also claims that the doctor must abide by the demand, even if it is unlawful and unconstitutional, because the Charter does not apply!

The right to be secure from government intrusion on individual privacy is a hallmark of a free and democratic society. This right is under threat in Canada and few Canadians know about it.

One of the eight predictions by the WEF for 2030 is that we will not have privacy! Unless we defend our right to privacy, our privacy will disappear much earlier than 2030. It will vanish within this year!

You can join the patients on March 30th, 2023, at 10:00 A.M. as they argue the right to be heard in court regarding the invasion of their privacy, and the unlawful seizure of their own information. Court location: Divisional Court

- Osgoode Hall 130 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5H 2N5 Courtroom: TBA

Ontario doctors have been forced to hand over their patients’ records, breaching their patients’ privacy

Finally! Finished my shopping. I made my way up the aisle to check out. I was tired and wanted to get home and get some work done. As I neared the register, I was taken back by the fact that instead of people, I saw a row of machines, neatly lined up beside each other, waiting to take my payment. I saw two cash registers open that had two lovely smiling women waiting to help. I made my way over to them and the young lady gave me a big smile.

“Did you find everything okay,” she asked?

“I did, but I must say I am surprised that there are so few cashiers.”

“Yea, it is a little weird, but this is just the direction of the world.”

We spoke for a few more minutes as we were checking out, and that alone made me question the cashless revolution.

We’ve all heard that we’re moving towards cashless societies, but we’ve all probably brushed it off as doomsaying or too-far-into-the-future technology. Unfortunately for those who thought or are thinking that we’re getting closer to that reality. A cashless society doesn’t mean just a major shift from cash to electronic payments, it means a complete shift in that cash is no longer used for anything.

Canadians: the war on cash is real, and Canada ranks as one of the top 10 countries who will be looking to go completely cashless. Speed and convenience are driving the way Canadians are choosing to pay, but it all comes with a price — cash as a payment option is steadily declining. The spike in digital usage was fueled in part by the pandemic, as Canadians turned to virtual, mobile and online payment transactions.

According to Payments Canada, credit cards remain the top method of payment followed by debit, with Canadians reiterating ease, speed and convenience as the reasons they opt for plastic over cash.

A recent Global Payments Report projects that by 2025, cash will only make up three per cent of all point-ofsales transactions in Canada — one of the lowest cash payment rates in the world. In some developing countries, cash is still the undisputed king of payments. The countries (out of 46 in the survey) where the least people were in favor of cashless payments were the Philippines and Egypt at 33% each and Morocco at 34%. One of the biggest reasons for people preferring cash in developing countries is not having a bank account and thus no bank card. In the Philippines, only 29% of adults had a bank account in 2019.

Outside of Canada, there are some countries who are welcoming the idea of having a cashless society. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Sweden

With a date set in 2023 to go completely cashless, Sweden is arguably the closest country to achieve this. It is currently not

uncommon to see signs that say “No Cash Accepted” in various shops in Sweden.

A recent study from the European Payments Council showed that cash transactions accounted for only 1% of Sweden’s GDP in 2019 with cash withdrawals steadily declining by about 10% a year.

According to an article in SmarterTravel.com, some banking experts are predicting that Sweden will eliminate cash as a payment method by this year, and all of their transactions will use a digital payment method, such as: credit and debit cards, RFID signals, digital wallets, and so on. Should this happen, this would make Sweden the first cashless country in the world.

China

China is leading the charge in eCommerce and is the biggest eCommerce market in the world. With annual online sales of $672 billion and an annual growth rate of 27.3%, China doesn’t show signs of slowing.

In 2022, Zhongguancun Bank, which serves customers in the capital of Beijing, said it would suspend cash services, including over-the-counter deposits and withdrawals as well as cash services on ATM machines, starting from April.

Its decision comes after a similar move by another regional bank, NewUp Bank of Liaoning, in the northeastern province of Liaoning, who reported that they would stop cash services from March of 2022.

United Kingdom

The UK has embraced technology, including the digitization of money. London, specifically, has done the most so far. The country has a strong presence in online banking and it is currently in second place to just the United States when it comes to financial tech areas. This is correlated with the increase in merchants accepting more card and mobile payments.

Let’s segway a little from all the countries who feel that going cashless will be better. There is a country that did try this, and it did not turn out well for them.

In November 2016, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprised his country with an announcement banning 500 and 1,000-rupee notes — worth about $7 and $15 respectively — in a bid to tackle corruption and terrorism.

His thought was that forcing people to exchange the country’s largest currency bills for new banknotes would allow the government to crack down on “black money” — unaccounted for cash holdings that haven’t been taxed but, under the law, should be.

He also argued that it would strike at domestic terrorist financing operations by capturing counterfeit money and rendering the legitimate cash they kept in the shadows worthless.

This initiative caused chaos across the country. People wanted new banknotes, but the current supply of them wasn’t close to meeting demand. That created headaches for people as they waited in long lines outside ATMs and banks, which routinely run out of cash. What did this mean for people who relied on daily cash earnings to survive? Well, these people were unable to take care of their basic needs.

The temporary shortage of banknotes had other far-reaching effects.

Farmers looking to sow their next set of crops couldn’t buy the full quantity of seeds they needed. Property sales, which typically requires huge cash investments, slowed. The cash shortage was particularly hard on destitute Indians, many of whom don’t have bank accounts. Some of them had to choose between waiting in line for a day to exchange their defunct currency or work for a day’s wages. Many poor people ended up losing their savings because of their mistrust of financial institutions and concern about being harassed about where their cash came from.

Now that we have had a look at how the cashless revolution has impacted certain countries, let’s take a look at some pros and cons. This will paint a clearer picture for many of you.

Pros of a Cashless Society Convenience:

It is convenient for consumers and for merchants, especially when those are traveling and dealing with currency exchange.

Lower Crime Rates: Going cashless would mean there would be no tangible money to steal, reducing crime.

One country that has utilized this as one of their main reasons for going cashless is Jamaica. In light of the recent attacks at automated banking machines, conversations about Jamaica moving towards being a cashless society have become prominent again.

There are even talks that commuters will soon start using cards to pay for rides on buses and trains owned by the Jamaican Government as it digitalizes the $1.8 billion generated in fares annually.

Decreased Money Laundering: It is harder for people to launder money without cash as it is much easier to track electronic payments/spending with digital paper trails.

Time:

A lot of time will be saved from not managing cash for both businesses and consumers.

Health Benefits:

In general, cash is dirty. The spread of viruses and other illnesses can be greatly halted when germs aren’t being spread through cash.

This one I questioned a little, so I did some research to see what was being said about credit cards and debit cards.

LendEDU.com, a finance website, tested various items for their germ scores and found credit and debit cards to be near the top of the list — not as dirty as New York City Park benches and rentalbike handles, for example, but more so than a urinal handle at Penn Station and more than the city’s subway poles.

Something to think about. Let’s move to the cons.

Cons of a Cashless Society Security:

Should your bank account get hacked, you wouldn’t have any additional funds until it’s cleared up.

Spending Habits:

Some may have trouble saving money when physical cash isn’t leaving their wallets. Think about how many times you tap

without thinking about the money that is coming out of your account.

Tech Problems/Glitches:

Should there be glitches or outages, merchants may have trouble accepting payments, leaving you without the ability to purchase goods when needed. Does everyone remember not too long ago when we were unable to use our debit cards; I have never seen panic like that. People were lined up at bank machines frustrated that they were not able to use their cards.

Digital Paper Trails:

All transactions would be easy to track, and this could be something that frequent cash users won’t like. Who wants all of their business on the street like that. I know I don’t want everyone knowing what I am spending my money on.

We might be moving towards a cashless society in the future, but today, there are still many people who are unable to make digital payments because they don’t have a bank account, credit card, debit card or smartphone.

These people are known as the “unbanked,” meaning they don’t have access to affordable banking products and must instead rely on fringe services such as check cashing and payday loans. Distrust of banks is one reason why some households are unbanked, but more often, it’s because they lack access to affordable services.

Some don’t have the income and assets necessary to meet the requirements for fee-free bank accounts, while others live in banking deserts, the communities where banks have closed branches due to low profitability. Guess which communities this tends to happen in most; Black and Hispanic communities where the households make up a disproportionate number of the unbanked and underbanked.

It doesn’t help that the banking industry has a long history of discrimination. Moving to a cashless society could potentially increase this and allow retailers and restaurants to discriminate against segments of the population by up charging or denying service completely.

Another way to think about it is this, when people want to use a card to pay, that costs the business money. So, every time you go to a restaurant and pay with your card, that business is losing money. One thing some businesses have done to oppose the idea of a cashless society is to make their business “CASH ONLY.” What they will do is put an ATM in their stores so that people can use it. Some businesses own this machine themselves or they have a profit-share agreement. That way every time someone uses the ATM, you are supporting two small businesses: the business makes money, and the ATM provider makes money.

There is so much that can be said about the society that we are being forced into, but

we do have a choice. It is up to us as citizens of our individual countries to speak up; if you don’t want to go cashless, let your local representatives know. Support businesses who do take “CASH ONLY,” and start keeping cash on you.

We all have a choice, and our freedom to spend how we want should not be taken away from us.

A cashless society is imminent, but that is not necessarily a good thing!

“It is time that Jamaica becomes a republic. For us, the process is not simple, and we have known this since we started on this journey, and we are making sure that we check every box as we move deliberately in that regard.”

Prime Minister Andrew Holness

For some Jamaicans this is a long time coming. This is not breaking news, but it is interesting; I am curious to see how this will shift the direction of the Caribbean.

As the monarch looks ahead to his coronation in May, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness insists that “Ambitious timelines” are in place to move towards the “Road to republic.” Prime Minister Holness instructed his nation’s

government to “Move ahead with speed” in abolishing the country’s constitutional monarchy – he final move in erasing the island nation’s formal connection to Britain, along with the colonialism and racialized past that comes with it.

There has been no formal apology from the monarchy or the British government for the atrocities committed against enslaved people on the island of Jamaica, as well as the Caribbean at large, and the long-term abuses of members of the Windrush Generation. During his visit there last year, Prince William expressed “profound sorrow” for Britain’s history of slavery in the Caribbean, after facing demands from protesters for reparations, but he faced criticism when he failed to apologize on behalf of the monarchy for slavery.

It is for this reason that many see the move to make Jamaica a republic as part of the natural order.

With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in late 2022, Jamaica’s haste to become a republic comes at a time when Buckingham Palace is attempting to find footing under a new monarch while battling multiple allegations of racism.

In 2020, the royal family’s silence over the Black Lives Matter movement did not go unnoticed. Many of us are privy to the tell-all interview that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry did with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. It was during this interview that they brought to the forefront the topic of racism in the monarchy. Harry spoke strongly to the fact that racism was a large part of why the couple left the UK. One of the claims was that a member of the royal family raised concerns over how dark their son’s skin would be before he was born.

Buckingham Palace released a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II at the time stating that the whole family was saddened to learn how challenging things had been adding, “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”

A couple of days later, Prince William said, “We’re very much not a racist family!”

That sounds nice and everything, but there are generations of people who would disagree with his state -

ment, hence this move to remove the British monarchy as the head of state.

Barbados acted as a catalyst when they removed the British monarch as head of state a couple of years ago, and Jamaica will likely become the second Caribbean nation to claim its complete independence from its colonial power. The nation of Belize also signaled its interest in abolishing the monarchy and becoming a republic.

Holness added on Twitter: “The goal is to ultimately produce a new Constitution of Jamaica, establishing the Republic of Jamaica and affirming our selfdetermination and cultural heritage.”

He is quoted by the Jamaican Observer as saying, “There may be the view that it is a straightforward and simple task of just changing the name of the country from that of a constitutional monarchy to a republic – that is not the case. There are many legal steps that we have to go through and there is the matter of a referendum, the outcome of which no one can predict.”

Do you support Jamaica’s plans to remove the British Monarch as head of state?

Immigrant Settlements and Adaptation Program (ISAP)

• Helps new immigrants settle and integrate into Canadian society so they may become participating members as soon as possible

Job Search Workshops (JSW)

• Gives newcomers to Canada a cutting edge in their pursuit to find suitable employment

It has been over 45 years that the Peel Multicultural Council (PMC) has been at the forefront of addressing issues, concerns and challenges of the immigrant communities in the Region of Peel. Since its launch in 1977 it has provided resources, programs and services that have helped racialized and marginalized communities excel and thrive.

The mission of PMC is simply to promote a harmonious multicultural society in Peel. March 17th, 2023, Rahul Mehta, consultant with PMC contacted the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper with respect to the findings of an anti-racism project. PMC has been doing important work, which has made a difference in the lives of many racialized minorities in the Region of Peel (Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon). The motto of PMC is “Helping people reach their goals.”

Some of the FREE services offered by PMC to newcomers in the Region of Peel are:

Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC)

• Teaches English to newcomers while learning how to integrate into the community

Enhanced Language Training (ELT)

• Assist internationally trained professionals in entering and remaining in their field of work

HOST- Newcomer Mentoring Program

• HOST program partners newcomers’ families with a mentor to help them settle into society and create lasting friendships

HYP - Host Youth Program

• Newcomer youths will gain the emotional and social support through matchmaking and by participating in social group activities

The PMC’s Anti-Racism Project was made

possible largely due to funding from the Canadian Heritage, and prepared by the Amplify Engagement. The final report was dated August - December 2022. The report is titled, “Empowering Racialized Communities in Peel,” and it was largely conducted to counteract racist and stereotypical stereotypes that was perpetrated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Peel Region was labelled a “hotspot” due to the disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases. The purpose of the project was to “Enhance Peel’s Region’s racialized communities, capacity to challenge negative attitudes and narratives during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Information was obtained from: three focus groups, three educational webinars, and social media campaign that contributed to the findings.

The 34-page project clearly delineates the context in which it arises due to the prevailing negative stereotypes that were promulgated during the throes of the pandemic.

The project highlighted the following changes, which are needed to create a more equitable and respectful society:

• Create avenues for community voices and leaders at decision-making tables

• Report responsibility in mainstream media

• Understand the importance of politi-

cal messaging

• Increase public health education and transparency

• Improve cultural literacy to change attitudes

• Provide better opportunities for immigrants and newcomers to integrate

• Responsible governance

• Support each other within our value systems

I interviewed Jagdeep Kailey on Thursday, March 23rd, 2023, regarding the antiracism project. He told me that the most important aspect of the project is that it will be a means of building bridges of understanding in order to overcome the negative stereotypes that were perpetrated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was important that we tell the stories from the common man.” This speaks to the grass-roots nature of the PMC, which has been directly committed to capturing the essence of the Peel region. He states that the Project validates the experiences and voices of Peel residents, and counteracts the stereotypes that were perpetrated by those in mainstream media.

Details of the anti-racism project can be seen in its entirety with the infographics at: www.peelmic.ca/amti-racism-project/

Counteracting stereotypes during the COVID-19 pandemic; Peel Multicultural Council releases timely anti-racism project

Who is the media’s news aimed at, and what is the goal of their content?

of these so-called conspiracy theories have proven to be right. It does appear that anytime something is said that goes against what the world governments have planned for their citizens, it is flagged as fake-news, or misinformation.

simone@carib101.com

“Conspiracy theories” about 15-minute cities are “false”, “unhinged”, “dangerous” and “not to be believed,” declared the mainstream media in a unified chorus.

“Anyone who has ever faced a long and painful commute will immediately see the appeal of having the daily essentials at their fingertips.”

These were the claims reported in an article titled “Inside the 15-minute city conspiracy theory sucking in gullible Australians.” The reporter states that in recent years conspiracy theories that were once almost unheard of have spread like wildfire, with people looking skeptically at things like: vaccines, 5G and election results.

I am not sure where this reporter has been in the last few years, but many

Thankfully, the glaze that was over the eyes of many has started to lift, and people are now asking questions.

In a survey released in February 2023 by Gallup and the Knight Foundation, the level of distrust that the public has for mainstream media was exposed. The survey goes beyond others that have shown a low level of trust in the media to the startling point where many believe there is an intent to deceive.

Participants were asked whether they agreed with the statement that national news organizations do not intend to mislead, 50% said they disagreed. Only 25% agreed. Similarly, 52% disagreed with a statement that disseminators of national news “Care about the best interests of their readers, viewers and listeners.” It said 23% of respondents believed the journalists were acting in the public’s best interests.

Clearly there is a problem here. What has been the media response to the distrust of a fairly significant swathe of the population? Well, they have typically: belittled, insulted and defamed them, ad infinitum. Which makes one wonder –who is the media’s ‘news’ aimed at, and what is the goal of such inflammatory content?

Let’s not forget that the western governments have just spent the past three years abusing their powers with gross overreach and wanton disregard for their citizens’ will or wellbeing. This has made some people nervous about giving the government more control over: movement, commerce, energy consumption and their human rights. Any news that does not parrot what the higher powers deem as necessary is flagged as “false information” on Facebook, so that really settles it; the news is definitely false.

I want us to stop for a moment and really think about this; at the same time as raising the alarm about ‘conspiracy theorists’, the media have relentlessly and without a hint of self-awareness published the most scientifically dubious theories themselves. Some of these false theories include: natural immunity is not

effective (even though it has proved to be), your vaccine keeps you and others safe(long after the high level of breakthrough infections were documented); Covid vaccines do not affect reproductive health, when the evidence of adverse events points in the other direction; masks reduce the spread of Covid (no high quality study has found this to be true), and there are no safe or effective early treatments of COVID-19 (when numerous studies identified benefits from repurposed drugs).

Mainstream media reporting rarely, if at all, addresses the role of the Government in seeding distrust, or of the media’s own role in facilitating the marginalization and even radicalization of mentally unstable people. Instead, it seems that most news organizations are more concerned with supporting an ideology, or political position than with informing the public.

So, readers, what are your thoughts? Do you trust what your favorite news source is telling you? If you do, have you ever considered the fact that they might be wrong? There are always three sides to every story, and the truth eventually comes to light, just wait for it.

The upcoming mayoral debate on Thursday, May 31st, at the Ted Rogers School of Management (located at Toronto Metropolitan University) will be an opportunity for the mayoral candidates to address key issues raised by Torontonians.

In addition to TMU, the debate will be hosted by the Toronto Star (The Star) and the United Way Greater Toronto (UWGT). Members of the public are invited to attend and share their views on what are the essential issues, concerns, and needs that they face in Toronto. Issues such as: poverty, homelessness, affordable housing, transportation, jobs, rising

crimes, and public safety are expected to take front and centre of the debate.

The mayoral election of June 26th, 2023, was triggered by the sudden and unexpected resignation of former Mayor John Tory after he confessed in February 2023 to having an illicit affair with one of his staff members.

In a press release published on Monday, March 13th, 2023, by the UWGT, states that this debate will be a pivotal forum to address the critical issues that impact residents across the GTA, and how we build vibrant and inclusive communities where everyone has: an affordable place to live, a good job, access to services they need, and a voice in shaping the city.

UWGT is the largest non-governmental funding of community services in the GTA, and through its initiatives, it aspires to ensure that everyone has access to the programs and services they need to thrive.

Daniele Zanotti (President and CEO of UWDT) states, “Civic engagement

is critically needed now. We need to drive solutions to poverty and inequity now, as Toronto is growing. UWGT is working hard to make affordable housing, good jobs and strong neighbourhoods a priority for this by-election. This debate will help foster a dialogue on solutions, so whichever civic leader is elected as the city’s next mayor, they know where to start.”

Jordan Bitove, Publisher of The Star states, “Our readers depend on us to address the issues they face in their daily lives. During this mayoral campaign, The Star is committed to engaging the entire city in a conversation about the future, and pushing the candidates to lay out a roadmap for a stronger, more cohesive, more caring Toronto for all.”

Mohamed Lachemi, President of TMU states, “We are thrilled to be welcoming the candidates, students and the community to our campus. The mayoral debate will provide a space for Torontonians to share their vision for the city, and help in determining the next leader of Canada’s

largest city. Voting with confidence means being informed on the issues and candidate platforms that impact our day-to-day lives.”

Although the mayoral debate is a collaboration with the three parties, TMU’s Democratic Engagement Exchange plays an integral role. The mission of the Exchange is to build a vibrant and inclusive democracy, where everyone living in Canada can contribute to creating healthy communities and solve our most pressing challenges. The Exchange is involved in pursuing the following activities:

• Championing policies and programs that foster democratic engagement

• Providing strategic advice to organizations, government agencies and funders interested in fostering democratic engagement

• Partnering with community organizations and government agencies to provide training and resources to engage communities

The Mayoral Race is on: Mayoral debate intends to address key Issues facing Toronto

Canadian consumers face shrinkflation in grocery stores and the impact is greater in racialized communities

PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

There is no doubt that average Canadian consumers are feeling the cumulative effects of inflation in their pocketbooks. Rising energy costs, food prices, and housing expenses have taken a financial and economic toll on Canadian’s income and savings.

In an article by Corne van Hoepen, it notes that shrinkflation is defined by business experts as, “A tactic companies use to

A study by Dalhousie University, the University of Guelph, the University of British Columbia and the University of Saskatchewan estimated that food prices will go up between five and seven percent in 2023. The report states, “In 2023, it is expected that Canadians will continue to feel the effects of high food inflation, and food insecurity; affordability will also be a big issue with rising food prices. Canadians will still need to be prepared to spend more in the coming year.” The report attributes the higher food prices to climate change, transportation and energy costs,

A family of four that is made up of a man between 31- 50, a boy between 14-18, a girl between 9-13 and a woman between 3150 will have spent about $16,233.41 on food in 2023, which represents a jump of $1,065.60 from 2022 (24% increase). The report notes, “Vegetable prices are expected to increase between six and eight percent in 2023, the most of all the food categories. Meat, bakery and dairy items will see jumps of between

five and seven percent next year. Fruits will see prices increase between three and five percent.”

With respect to shrinkflation, the article mentioned that it is a strategy that companies have adopted because they think shoppers are less likely to notice a change in a product’s net weight, one they often disguise with new, brightly -coloured labels. Consumer items that reflect shrinkflation include: household cleaning and personal hygiene products. Dustin T tweeted at @stzirulin that chicken wings, “Went from 740g for $14 to 600g for $15.” Many people may wonder about the legality of this reduction in package for a greater price, but it is legal as long as the package is labelled. In fact, the advice experts give to shoppers is to examine the price per gram, or millilitre to help consumers find the most affordable option.

Many individuals that I spoke to within the African Canadian community have commented on the high prices for items that they buy at stores that cater to Black, African

or Caribbean communities. Many who frequent stores such as: Niceys, Danforth Food Market, Fokak African Foods, New World Food Market or Mosaic Wholesalers can attest to the higher prices for basic food items, as well as meats and food products.

One of the most popular grocery stores that African Canadians shop at is Danforth Food Market which has six locations in the Greater Toronto Area. When I checked the prices for basic food items, you can see a steep rise in prices from October 2022 to March 2023.These are the prices that I observed from flyers during this interval:

1. Fresh cassava increases from 99 cents per pound to $1.19 cents per pound

2. Fresh Costa Rica sweet potatoes went up from $1.39/pound to $1.99/pound

3. Fresh cooking banana jumped from $1.19/pound to $1.99/pound

4. Fresh chicken leg quarters jumped from $44.99/18 kg box to $55.99/18 kg box

More importantly, why are prices still extremely high while inflation continues to drop? Greed and shrinkflation of course. Any manufacturer knows the marketplace in Canada and the US has rebounded since mid-summer 2022. Supply chain problems aside, the decline of needed products that once were earmarked for North American markets have been redirected to China and India.

Products within the retail sector have gone up in price while the product has been reduced in size. After 2020-2021, most retailers did increase their prices, realizing that our markets were prepared to purchase what was needed, so they retained their higher prices until forced to change their pricing structure.

Has this increase in slowing the economy worked? North America’s economy has been booming since mid-summer 2022. Growth rates in the US show promise, and Canada’s economy has benefited from the boom to the south. America’s President Biden continues to sell its America First

purchasing policy putting Canada’s Liberal Government into a fear fest spin. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” has been followed by Biden’s “Purchase American 1st.” Federal agencies must purchase American manufactured products and services first, before giving foreign firms a chance to bid. Canada’s begun to apply taxes upon various products in an effort to pay down their massive public debt. Beer and most forms of booze and other items that fall into the luxury tax sector are being targeted.

Have you noticed that most media outlets have refused to offer any clarity with regards to higher prices and inflation? Why are prices so high? Most so-called specialists claim various reasons why, while others insist grocers are not making loads of money, surviving on a 2-4% profit margin.

Would it not be nice to see a media broadcaster or journalist come out with something like this...

“The public is being taken for a ride by basically everyone within the retail-

manufacturing sectors.”

“It’s a greedy baby, with a side of massive profiteering.”

Canadian and US corporations are taking our funds to the bank, and we are letting them do so.

The government is so comfortable that it will pursue a policy of taxation which strikes at the most vulnerable, our elderly, who also have within their bank accounts 3.2 trillion Canadian and much more in America. The average Canadian boomer is worth $206,000 and the government and many corporations want some of that.

Like Premier Ford said last year, “Ontario is back in business,”

Why do our governments allow corporations to blind us with advertising propaganda while their hands are in our pockets, robbing us blind? The very basics of food stuffs, energy demands, housing needs are pushing many towards a credit crisis never seen before. If the public fails, so to their public governments.

Petition demands better access to healthcare for Indigenous infants in northern communities

PAUL

The state of health of Indigenous infants in Northern communities in Canada has been of great concern. In order to address this crisis, a petition titled, “Justice for Northern Indigenous Infants: Demanding Equal Access to Life-Changing Health” was launched by Ashley Shaw along with a group of Ontario nursing students. As of Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023, it had garnered 55 signatures out of an expected 100.

Canada must respond to this crisis!

In a report released on November 17th, 2017 (Statistics Canada) it was found that, “Infant mortality rates were more than twice as high for each Indigenous group, compared to with the non-Indigenous population. Post neonatal deaths made up nearly half of all infant deaths in the Indigenous population, compared with about one-quarter of all infant deaths in the non-Indigenous population.”

The report was based on data obtained from the 2004 - 2006 period and included 17,547 Indigenous and 112,112 nonIndigenous singleton births.

In many ways Indigenous people living in northern communities in Canada face enormous hurdles. Some remote Northern communities such as Eabametoong First Nation are mainly accessible by plane. Bonnie Schiedel revealed details about these experiences in an article in the November 15th, 2019, issue of Today’s Parent. The article indicates that about 40,000

Canadian women have to make the trek from rural and remote areas in the North to places such as Thunder Bay, Ontario to deliver their babies. Dr, Patrick Lafleche, a family physician, is aware of the challenges these pregnant Indigenous women face. He states, “Travelling for birth is absolutely stressful. The further women have to travel and be away from families, the more complications there are, in particular, higher rates of prematurity.”

The petition at change.org highlights the vital issues and concerns addressed. It states, “The Northern communities in Canada are being disproportionately impacted by the high rates of infant mortality. This issue has a significant and devastating impact on these communities, as it takes away the lives of their most vulnerable members. It also has a ripple effect on families and communities, causing profound grief, trauma, and loss of potential.” One of the tragic cases that was reported in the media involved the

death of a Manitoba infant.

The petition maintains that it is imperative that the status quo change in order to ensure that no more infants lose their lives under these circumstances. It states further, “The stakes of this issue are high. If things do not change, the lives of countless Indigenous infants will continue to be lost unnecessarily. The perpetuation of this healthcare inequity also undermines the fundamental values of fairness, justice, and equality in Canadian society. The failure to address this issue not only affects the Indigenous communities themselves, but also the wider society, as we all have a responsibility to ensure that everyone has access to adequate health care.”

The petition concludes, “This is a matter of urgency, and we must act now to ensure that all Indigenous infants have access to the life-saving health care they need and deserve.” The federal government needs to take immediate action!

The public is being taken for a ride by basically everyone within the retail-manufacturing sectors

SIMONE SMITH

simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

It’s a frequent complaint that cities in Canada are too congested, and that housing is unaffordable. Additionally, accommodating more people requires extra space to be developed.

It is why there are some Canadians who are anxious about the announcement made by the federal government in November 2022, announcing an aggressive plan to take in 500,000 immigrants a year by 2025, with almost 1.5 million new immigrants coming to the country over the next three years.

This plan would see Canada welcome about eight-times the number of permanent residents each year - per population - than the UK, and four-times more than its southern neighbor, the United

States. Canada has historically had very high support for immigration, but a recent poll shows that there is also anxiety about welcoming in so many newcomers.

Statistics Canada has finally shown what’s been obvious for a long time: the actual numbers of people coming in are a lot higher than what’s publicly talked about. Specifically, over one million people came to Canada on some kind of visa in 2022.

The usual disclaimer needs to be added: this is just the official numbers, and they are estimates. It’s difficult to get information on how many people have left or died.

One source of immigration that is expected to grow is from Ukraine.

Geoffrey Cameron, a political scientist at McMaster University, said that while many countries, like Canada, face lower birth rates and an aging population, the success of any immigration system relies on popular support.

“The limiting factor for most countries is public opinion,” Geoffrey commented.

Of the 943,730 applications for CUETAs, Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel, 616,429 have already been approved. That’s about two thirds.

Some 133,323 have already arrived, according to Government statistics.

There also seems to be a growing number of people from the islands immigrating to Canada. In 2021, some 21,215 Jamaicans acquired permanent resident status in Canada, accounting for 45% of the 47,265 Caricom nationals who have immigrated there since 2015.

Haiti followed with 12,885 nationals immigrating, Guyana 2,605; Trinidad and Tobago 2,525; St Vincent and the Grenadines 2,310; St Lucia 1,970; Barbados 985; The Bahamas 845; Grenada 615; Antigua 455; Belize 380; Dominica 215; St Kitts and Nevis 185; while Suriname accounted for 55.

The IRCC data showed that most Jamaicans immigrated through sponsorship from a spouse or partner under the Federal Skills Trade Program or the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

The Federal Skilled Worker Program is for skilled workers with foreign work experience who want to immigrate to Canada permanently, while the Federal Skilled Trades Program (Express Entry) caters to skilled workers who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade.

The question: Is Canada able to bear the burden of having so many new immigrants at such a high rate, in so little time? Here are some thoughts to keep in mind:

• Advocates for affordable housing are typically silent on immigration, and the concept of supply and demand. More people vying for the same number of spots drives prices up

• Advocates for “the living wage” are typically silent on immigration, and the impact on salaries. Having more people compete for the same amount of employment tends to drive wages down, as demand for workers is pushed down

• Environmental advocates are typically silent on the topic of immigration. Yes, they will oppose the development of undisturbed lands, but few will publicly make the obvious connection

In any event, get ready for more changes. This trend isn’t likely to be reversed anytime soon, as there are too many with vested interests in seeing it continue, and that is a whole other report…

Toronto District School Board launches revised African Heritage Curriculum in Toronto

International Languages who was the previous principal at the Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement. Also present at the launch were: Grace Ocloo, Elementary & African Heritage Program officer, parents and students.

The African Heritage Program (AHP) has been an integral part of the Continuing Education Department of the Toronto District School for over twenty years. The new African Heritage Curriculum was launched at Rawlinson Community School, which is one of the schools where the AHP is offered. Other schools that parents and students can attend the AHP are: Driftwood Public School and Firgrove Public School.

In attendance at the launch was Karen Murray, System Superintendent for Equity, Anti-Racism and Anti-oppression,

The African Heritage - Elementary 2022-2023 program is offered in-person and has several benefits for students. It connects students to the: contributions, histories, legacies, cultures and traditions of people of African descent through inquiry and experiential learning. The principle of Nguzo Saba (a Swahili word) is celebrated for seven days from December 24th - January 1st.

It is through student inquiry and classroom learning that four content areas are taught:

• Early Civilizations of Africa

• Celebrations and Traditions

• Achievements and Contributions

• Rights and Equality

Classes are held once a week, after regular day school, from Monday to Saturday. There are about 30 classes/week over the duration of the program, which runs from September 2022 to May 2023. Students do not have to enrol in TDSB’s schools to participate in AHP. All they need is their 9-digit Ontario Enrolment Number (OEN) that can be found on their school progress report. There is a $20 cost for materials upon registration. Parents, caregivers or guardians can download and complete the registration form on www.ileprograms.ca and if they want more information at: ile_@tdsb. on.ca

“The curriculum is enquiry-based so that students can engage in so many different ways to express themselves, to share their lived experiences, to learn what it means to keep their legacies and their histories, and to also read about the achievements and contributions of people of African descent,” shared Grace Ocloo.

She is particularly pleased with

the feedback that she has received from parents about the Afrocentric curriculum. She elaborates, “So far the African Heritage Program curriculum seems to be what they want for their children and they’re looking forward to the program being opened in more schools.

TDSB has been very intentional in sending information to all the principals, where we already have international languages’ programs, to try and create awareness that African Heritage is also a program in the Continuing Education Department.”

Karen Murray, System Superintendent of TDSB expressed her excitement about the curriculum content of the updated AHP. “There are a lot of identityaffirming books in this new revised curriculum.” She believes that students who are enrolled in AHP will “Feel they can see themselves in the curriculum” and “feel like they belong.”

Is Canada able to bear the burden of having so many new immigrants at such a high rate, in so little time?

simone@carib101.com

“It is inconceivable that the federal government would spend millions of dollars fighting Black public service workers in court, when the government itself has concluded that the very institution designed to address discrimination, is discriminatory.”

Nicholas Marcus Thompson, Executive Director, Black Class Action Secretariat

It is hard enough being a person of color and living in a society that looks at you as less then, imagine being excluded as a Black employee from opportunities for training and career advancement; being subjected to negative differential treatment in the workplace; summarily having your concerns about anti-Black racism within the institution dismissed; being continuously denied access to managerial and senior roles, and being routinely targeted if you spoke out against the discriminatory institutional environment.

On March 6th, 2023, the Office of

Justice Counsel (AJC) and the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE). The decision held that the CHRC –the federal body responsible for resolving allegations of racism and other forms of discrimination – had itself been subjecting its Black employees to “Anti-Black racism, sexism, and systemic discrimination.”

What this did is affirm much of what many Black and other racialized individuals have been saying for decades. Unfortunately, the decision is unable to remedially address the economic and health impact of a decades-long discriminatory culture that undoubtedly denied employment opportunities and career advancement for countless Black individuals. It is important to note that workers opted to use the anonymous “policy grievance” option rather than individual or group grievances due to feeling unsafe and fear of retaliation.

What raises concerns is the CHRC’s capacity to offer justice to the broader experiences of Black workers across the entirety of the federal public service for the last 50 years. Even more concerning is that the Treasury Board Secretariat, the very department responsible for overseeing the public service and rendering this decision, is itself mired in historic and current allegations of systemic racism against its own Black employees.

Undoubtedly, the processes that the government wants workers to turn to for redress are broken and plagued with anti-Black racism. The Black Class Action calls on the Government of Canada to immediately begin discussions with them to

find a pathway to addressing the impact of over 50 years of anti-Black racism and discrimination for thousands of workers. Indeed, the CHRC is not the only government institution or body facing such allegations. Many lives, careers, and families have been left decimated by systemic antiBlack racism that permeates the entirety of the public service. Further attempts to deny and dismiss these accounts only add to the culpable negligence of our leaders and erode the critical trust that Canadians expect from our institutions and elected officials.

“Enough is enough. Our members deserve justice, they deserve respect, and they deserve to be made whole. It’s time for this government to make things right so we can move forward in creating a more equitable and diverse federal public service, free of anti-Black racism,” stated Chris Aylward, PSAC National President.

Jennifer Carr, National President, Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada had this to say, “This important legal action shines a light on systemic racism and discrimination within our workplaces, and it is a vital step towards fostering a more equitable and inclusive environment for all employees.

It is our collective responsibility to ensure that every individual is treated with fairness, respect, and dignity, and we must address the root causes of inequality in order to build a more just and compassionate society. We demand the government end its delay tactics and work with Black Class Action to bring equity and justice to public service workers.”

Accusations, racism, what is really happening in our society?

STEVEN KASZAB

steven@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

mother accuses the teacher and principal of anti-Black attitudes. Many people seem to believe the accusations without hearing the evidence of what happened, why the child was treated as he was. The mother is shouting racism, and her message is the only message the media and public are hearing. Why?

Are public servants, teachers and others frightened of such accusations and are these accusations warranted? Was the child unruly, difficult to communicate with, disruptive, possibly violent? How else has the system stepped in to see what the child, or parent needs? Does racism exist in our school boards? Will a mother defend her child no matter the perceived or real situation? Did the child act out and be difficult?

Years ago I was raped by a distant relative. I tried to tell the immediate family what happened. My accusations were

heard, but I was punished for telling stories about their beloved son, husband and brother. Accusations, whether real or imaginary, need to be dealt with properly. If a false accusation is made, deal with it. Accusations can result in horrendous things: tearing a family or community apart, suicide and violence. The destruction of reputations and careers can and do happen. Paranoia can create situations where a person feels persecuted and fearful of others, their race and colour of their skin imagined as the very reasons for others actions. While the accuser acquires media fame, the accused are sent home, with their careers and future prospects in jeopardy. An immediate investigation is needed, with objectivity paramount. If the child was acting badly, announce it. The public deserved to know. Justice requires it.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission has been subjecting its Black employees to racism, sexism, and systemic discrimination

Photo Credit: @blackclassaction On Facebook

Toronto was LIVE on Saturday night; Sold out SATURDAY NIGHT ROCKERS KICK-OFF PARTY

migrated to Canada in the 50’s and 60’s, and since then have somewhat determined the tenor of Toronto’s black community while spreading their music to a multicultural fan base in Toronto, all the while maintaining possession of it.

bands will be presented on a proper reggae sound system - HIGHER HEIGHTS HI-FI - alongside some of the city’s finest record collectors and DJs.

Oh, what a feeling, Wonderful feeling…

There is something about hearing the smooth, silky voice of Gregory Isaacs that sets my soul at ease. It brings back pleasant memories of Saturday rising.

You knew when you heard the music what it meant. It was time to start Saturday rising cleaning. Somehow it was always a little easier, because even though it was work, you were in a good mood, shoot, everyone was in a good mood.

It was the perfect way to start the weekend. I know that Gregory Isaacs is more considered lovers rock, but this era of reggae will always be remembered by the uniqueness of its sound. It is a sound that immigrated with Jamaican’s when they im-

This long-standing, and beautiful relationship Jamaica has with Toronto has helped shape our unique, local sound and continues to do so to this day. You can find its fingerprints all over our: HipHop, R&B, EDM, Jazz, and even our Rock/Indie music.

This is a good thing. Something that the team at BSMT254 feel should be celebrated, encouraged, and preserved. I received an email from Jay Cleary inviting me out to BSMT 254 (254 Lansdowne Ave) on Saturday March 25th, 2023. When I received the email, I was thrilled, a Saturday night listening to my favorite genre of music yes please. I also found out that my good friend Lord Fury was going to be there, so it was supposed to be a yes for me.

Well, life happened, and I could not make it to the launch of a new monthly live reggae music series SATURDAY NIGHT ROCKERS - that will feature the great torchbearers of this proud history on the last Saturday of each month. Rotating local

Saturday was their opening night and they decided to offer up an extraspecial, rare treat to set the vibe right - the legendary Jamaican crooner Mr. Carlton Livingston graced the stage with Toronto’s own trio of brothers The Dub Chronicles laying down the rhythms.

I was happy to hear that the local legend/vanguard of reggae history Lord Fury and his Sound Crew Supreme Genes would be holding down the DJ sets with Koolie Hi at the helm.

I had a chance to catch up with Lord Fury, and he took time to share his thoughts on the night.

“I was the opener for the night. I did a song and then I called up Ras Yunchie to do a song, and he flattened the place. I think he freestyle the song, but anyhow, it was called ‘Well run dry.’

Then I called up the legend Papa Levy (Barrington Levy’s cousin), and he tore down the place. The first intermission DJ Koolie Hi played a series of tunes to keep the crowd warm, and then myself, Yunchie and Papa Levy gave them the traditional

sound system style live performance. The sound system was in the back and the band was in the front. It was crazy. After we were done, we went back up to the front, and called up the legend Carlton Livingston who gave the crowd a history lesson on every song that he sang that night. What it was about, what he was going through when he wrote it, geez! BSMT254 was ram, and I must admit, I was in good form that night. I can’t forget to big-up the legend Lord Sassafrass who came through. Without him there would be no Chaka Demus, General Trees, Admiral Bailey, or Shabba Ranks. He is the godfather of their DJ style.”

Sigh, I wish that I could have made it; a night to lose myself in music would have been perfect, but then I took a look at the upcoming shows and felt a little better:

• April 29th: Junior Miller with Fulla Sound

• May 27th: Ammoye

• June 24th: Sattalites

• July 29th: Rayzalution

• Aug 26th: Reggadiction

I am not missing another one, and neither should you. Oh, what a feeling

DIANA GIFFORD-JONES

HEALTH REPORTER

The law of gravity means our bodies are pulled down to earth. This fact inevitably spells trouble over time, but for some women, it causes inconvenient and annoying issues, and sometimes surgery, to address what’s called vaginal prolapse. Not all women are born equal. Some inherit tougher pelvic tissues and do not experience prolapse, even after bearing several children, but the more pregnancies, the greater the risk in older age of weakened all pelvic structures leading to the sagging of the vagina, urinary bladder and often the rectum.

The most common complaint is

the loss of urine on coughing and sneezing. A large survey of women in North America revealed that 4% suffer from this annoying problem.

Apart from pregnancy, what else can contribute to prolapse? Obesity is a factor, causing so many other medical complications too. It is staggering that some women still smoke. If cancer and respiratory diseases aren’t incentives enough to quit, then maybe vaginal prolapse should be more prominently added to the list. Why? A smoker’s cough pushes on the urinary bladder. Prolapse can also be worsened by heavy lifting.

Here’s another concern; many women continue to suffer needlessly from chronic constipation. Why do they strain their innards and try to solve the problem with laxatives? This harms the bowel over the course of years.

One of the best-kept secrets is that vitamin C is a safe, inexpensive, effective, and natural remedy for constipation, but it must be in higher doses than found in most supplements. Start with taking

2,000 milligrams before bed. If no results, increase to 4,000 mg the following night. It invariably works.

Remember, simply because prolapse has developed does not mean that it is always treated. This is an important point to stress because many women with prolapse will never know they have the condition. Awareness usually becomes evident when they start to experience troublesome urinary incontinence.

What can be done depends on the severity of prolapse and if it’s causing annoyance. The most frequent treatment is the use of a vaginal pessary, which is easy to insert and can be removed for cleaning.

The use of a pessary will help to elevate the urinary prolapse, and may stop the loss of urine, but sometimes in elderly women another easy and effective treatment is acceptable. Inserting a large vaginal tampon to push up the bladder can help ease the loss of urine.

Prevention is advantageous for those not yet dealing with serious prolapse, so in addition to maintaining a healthy

weight, not smoking, eating a nutritious diet, and sleeping well, don’t forget moderate exercise for the entire body, including those easy-to-miss pelvic muscles. Develop a habit of doing Kegel exercises several times a day. Concentrating on pulling up the pelvic and rectal muscles does this. It’s possible to do this seated, standing, or lying down. Identify a consistent place and time each day and do it. The more you exercise these muscles, the stronger they will become.

If all this fails, doctors will suggest surgery. There are several methods. One is to stitch up the position of the bladder. Your surgeon may also advise an artificial support for extra strength, or the prolapse can be repaired during a hysterectomy. Do men develop prolapse? Yes, but much less often and it’s usually a prolapse of the rectal area.

Marilyn Monroe famously said, “I defy gravity,” but such fortunes elude most people. Talk with your doctor and see if treatment can get the annoyance resolved.

“I defy gravity!” No, unfortunately we do not; what to do when things fall down

W. GIFFORDJONES MD

TC

Why should I get paid less for doing the same Job? More work needed in fixing employment-related gender gaps

viously thought, and progression toward improvement has been slow for almost two decades.

A new indicator developed by the ILO, “The Jobs Gaps,” was created to help capture all unemployed persons who have shown interest in wanting a job.

cantly lower than for women. Personal and family responsibilities have left women disproportionately affected as they have prevented them from being able to hold a job and actively search for one.

cents.

The ILO is not the only group addressing this issue.

Equality for women has been a longstanding issue. Although there has been some progression throughout the differ-

The data shows that women have more of a challenging time finding a job than men. At least 15% of working-age women worldwide would like to work (but don’t have a job) compared to 10.5% of men.

This gender gap has been an issue since 2005. That’s almost two decades.

The job gap is a severe issue in developing countries where the proportion of women struggling to find a job is 24.9%. For men, the percentage is 16.6%. Although it’s a high number, it is signifi-

Vulnerability also plays a factor in this gender gap issue.

While vulnerable employment is an issue for both genders, women have experienced overrepresentation. For example, women are more occupied with housework or helping a relative with their business than being in their own-account work.

Both vulnerability and low employment rates take a toll on women’s earnings and their share of the global labor income total. For each dollar of global income a man earns, women will earn 51

This year for International Women’s Day, the theme for this year was to embrace equity and call for demand for equal opportunity, specifically in the digital world.

According to various surveys, women either make up a small percentage of workers in the tech field or have experienced online work violence relating to their work. Around the world, women marched on the streets and demanded equal pay and treatment in the workforce. With ILO shedding light on this alarming disparity, it highlights the importance of improving employment access and participation for all women.

Is it time that our multi-system healthcare systems transform?

tario’s healthcare ministry and the many hospitals it controls are not prepared for the massive growth rate and demands of the aged. Ontario does not have enough nonprofit hospices, old age homes, long term care facilities now, and with the upswing of conservatism within Canada, USA and the Caribbean there will be a movement towards restraint at a time, when necessary, investments in these aged services and institutions present themselves. This seems to be typical for our presentday government administrations who lack an interest in long term planning, with the needed revenue investments to be made for near future population demands.

What is needed? With the present-day migration of nurses, medical professionals and doctors moving from the Caribbean to the USA and Britain, there is a demand for trained professionals specializing in aged medicine, bereavement and grief training, hospice, and palliative care. Volunteers are being trained and relied upon to carry out the needed services that missing professionals should be doing.

facilities have allowed friends and family to fill these positions. While community involvement is commendable, what are our taxes paying for here? Medical, hospital and hospice centers are under the management and direction of the healthcare ministry, and these ministries are simply not doing the job they were assigned.

Lack of funds, certainly lack of personnel, lack of future financial gain has drained our healthcare ministries of their potential. Lives are at stake, and our politicians seem to be willing to fight the nurse’s, healthcare professional union rather than carry out the needed governmental process. Governments invest in the: police, military, and economic growth of the state while their fellow citizens suffer and sometimes perish.

technicians have been successful within their practicing regions, utilizing various professions in a team atmosphere. Many traditional medical professionals within the hospital setting view these hospice professionals with prejudice and suspicion, creating further tensions within the healthcare system.

The pandemic has shown us that our healthcare system was not prepared in any way to respond effectively, and the systems managers concentrated upon revenue expenditures. No plans on how to respond, no excess staff to rely upon. This health event has happened before, yet those we rely upon claimed innocence in their often-failed reactions.

hospital palliative care beds available. On

The management within many

The healthcare systems respond by training people and sending them into areas within the system that will reduce emergency room visits, hoping to reduce hospital stays and make it possible for aging clients to stay in their homes. Such protocols are being carried out in: Oxford (UK), British Columbia and Scandinavia. Hospice

The aged within our area’s will also suffer this similar fate when our healthcare system, and its managers fail to: prepare, plan for, train and hire needed staff. It is all about the money after all. Problem is that it is our taxes paying for these: services, the managers and politicians to prepare and function for us, with us effectively. What do you do when you do not get the customer service you expect and are paying for?

Kevin A. Ormsby celebrates close to four decades in dance with a Trilogy of BEing

Kevin A. Ormsby has been making waves in the dance community in Toronto for over thirty years. As a: dancer, choreographer, artistic director of Kashe Dance, and program manager at CPAMO he has received numerous accolades.

I interviewed Kevin on Wednesday, March 22nd, regarding his upcoming Trilogy of BEing, which will be held at The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance in Toronto from April 13th – 15th. We recalled that we both know each other from when he was a student at Pearson Collegiate Institute in the early 1990s. Kevin shared with me information about his early years at the National Dance Theatre in Jamaica and some of the awards that he earned while he was

there. Kevin is particularly proud and grateful for all the relationships that he has developed, friendships formed and mentors who have nurtured his artistic talents and creative gifts since his arrival in Canada on August 8th, 1992. He is specifically appreciative of the performative role and administrative responsibilities that he has held with some of the leading dance companies in Toronto. These include: Dance Caribe Performing Company, Scarborough Caribbean Youth Dance Ensemble, Caribbean Dance Theatre, Caribbean Folk Performers, Children and Youth Dance Theatre and Ballet Creole.

Kevin is cognizant of the power of the Black body to occupy space in a gendered, classist, sexist and racist world. He utilizes the medium of artistic dance to express the full range of the multi-dimensional aspects of the full humanity as embodied presence in creative space. Kevin shared with me a quote that is meaningful to him, “The arts and culture is integral to cultural life.” The power of this statement is reflected in the creative work that he does.

Kevin shared with me the challenges he faced as he had to make major adjustments because of the COVID-19 pandemic. His presentation is a bi-national solo project, and is a creative collaboration between Canadian and American choreographers- all of who had danced with Ormsby throughout his career. The production is grounded in Black the existence: environmental, social and cultural.

Kevin described the importance of the first presentation, “Unmasked Seaweek King.”

It brings to light contemporary issues and concerns regarding the role humans play in the influence on the environment, as reflected in the worlds of a character who is gifted with knowledge and wisdom that connects Afro-Caribbean mas performance traditions.

It is a transdisciplinary expedition project merging: scientific, environmental, and artistic research around ocean conservation and climate change as a part of The Kula Ring, A Gifting Economy (2016).

For Kevin, the second piece titled, “Somebody,” resulted from Kevin’s provocative response to the death of George

Floyd at the hands of the six policemen in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2021. Denise Fujiwara suggested a collaborative creative process that resulted in the solo for him. In addition, there will be powerful poetic pieces by Giller Prize-winning Canadian Author Ian Wiliams, and Olive Senior (Poet Laureate of Jamaica 2021-2024). In addition, Rosamund S. King will enrich the presentation with a solo piece that utilizes the contemporary butoh technique.

The third piece titled, “Dear Brother” is a visual commentary of the importance of Harlem, which was characterized by the features of the 1960s-1970s leading up to the evolution of hip-hop in the 1980s. There will be reflections on contemporary Black and Brown lives in shaping music, fashion and popular culture. Anyone interested in attending the performance on April 13th-15th can contact The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance located at 304 Parliament Street in Toronto.

For additional information about any aspect of Kevin’s work visit him at www.citadelcie.com.

Kids can be bosses too; Young Bosses showcase skills at pop-up vendor

exciting part of the event. Throughout the event, customers got to enjoy music from a live DJ, take photos in a 360-photo booth, and have the chance to win prizes in a giveaway.

Proving that kids can be bosses may have been the main inspiration for why they became entrepreneurs, but it’s not the only reason. They also wanted to become business owners to help make a positive difference and be the change.

were sisters Sariah and Ariella Morgan. Sariah Morgan, 13, was inspired to be a business owner after experiencing difficulties finding the perfect product for her lips. Morgan did not enjoy dealing with black spots and products that would trigger her eczema, but she wanted to find a solution to this problem due to her love of lip gloss.

To combat this issue, IAH Beauty was born.

can also do well in the business industry.

BOSSARI KIDS, Ariella’s business, sells sunglasses, purses, jewelry, and shoelaces for children and adults. What she enjoys the most about being a business owner is the opportunity to make her own money and do what she loves. Ariella is following in her sister’s footsteps and would like to see her goods sold in stores as well.

When most people think about a boss, they’d usually think of an adult. However, children are proving they have the skills to be a boss at a young age.

Under the brand name: Young Bosses in Business, kid entrepreneurs sold their goods at a pop-up market in Bramalea City Centre on March 18th, 2023.

Children sold handmade goods such as skincare products, makeup, and jewelry, but handmade goods weren’t the only

Three years ago, Kyree Duffus, 14, created her business, Girl Gang Strong, to help her overcome the bullying she experienced at school and online. Duffus sells a bimonthly subscription box filled with skincare products to help girls and women feel comfortable and take care of themselves as a way to help them overcome their hardships.

“In a way, it’s kind of like therapy for them,” said Duffus.

The hosts of the pop-up vendor

Morgan would like to see her business expand by selling other makeup products like lipsticks and lip balms that look like lipstick. What she enjoys the most about being a business owner is the experience of meeting new people and being able to create other products. Morgan wants to achieve financial wealth from her business, have her goods sold in Sephora, and open a store.

Morgan’s younger sister, Ariella (six years old) was inspired to become an entrepreneur through her and to prove that kids

The sisters have received support from their parents, who funded their businesses.

“Without them, I feel like my business wouldn’t really go anywhere,” said Sariah Morgan.

“A lot of people like the idea of young bosses in business,” said the mother, Chantell Morgan.

When sharing how both mother and father have been funding their daughters’ businesses, they’re now looking at getting sponsorships for events to continue.

Dismantling anti-Black racism; Parents of Black children launch Knowledge Exchange Centre

How to be an Anti-Racist Educator: Teaching with an anti-racist lens (2 hours)

This workship will equip educators with the tools to challenge harmful practices, such as the over-surveillance of Black students, non-inclusive spaces/classrooms, harsher disciplining,and approaches to specialized programming for Black students.

Understanding Anti-Black Racism in Education: The History (1.5 hours)

This workshop will outline the power of advocacy and how to be an effective advocate.

(ii) Navigating the child welfare system (2 hours)

Are you a Black parent/caregiver or a community organization working with Black families? Learn how to effectively navigate Children Aid Societies. What are your rights?

You should attend the training if:

hours)

This workship is designed to guide parents through the inner workings of the education system.

Youth and Youth Serving Organizations:

(i) The N Word (all grades) - 40 minutes

This workshop will take a deep dive into “n word passes” and explain why no one should be using the word.

The Knowledge Exchange Centre by the Parents of Black Children is a non-profit formed to exchange knowledge and resources to fight anti-Black racism from the inside. It provides knowledge-sharing initiatives for all organizations large and small. It is driven by the PoBC model of accountability to drive transformation change in your organization.

The Knowledge Centre Exchange offers workshops and training to help Black families.

It can help the following:

• Educators at all school levels

• Parents/caregivers and organizations serving parents and caregivers

• Youth and youth-serving organizations

• Associations/Unions and other organizations

Below are the specific workshops offered and a detailed description:

This workshop will take educators on a journey to understanding educational approaches in pre-colonial Africa, through transatlantic slavery, and colonial Canada to educational experiences in the 1980s and 1990s for Black families. This is a chance for educators to gain a deeper understanding of the Black experience, the history of colonialism, and the role it plays in the creation of systems and legacies that still impacts us today.

The Reality of the Black Student Experience in School (2 hours)

It will help educators discover how to be critical actors in supporting Black students, and provide them with a clear and deep understanding of the lived realities of Black students.

Parents/Caregivers/Organizations serving Parents and Caregivers

(i) Activating and Advocating

• You work for a community organization that provides services to Black families

• You are a person of African Canadian descent wanting to know more about the child welfare system

Sessions will focus on:

• Child Welfare Eligibility Spectrum (how workers make decisions about whether to intervene, bias’ that make it more likely for files to be open on Black families etc.

• Child Youth and Family Services Act Can it work for Black families?

• Understand the Ontario Child Protection Tools and Manuals (the tools that workers use to make decisions about apprehensions, intake etc.)

• How to support your clients/family through CAS contact…What should you do/do not?

• Navigating the Education System (2

(ii) Understanding racism- we all play a role (all grades) - 1 hour

A youth-centred approach to discussing and understanding racism and anti-Black racism specifically.

(iii) Activating your power! Creating the world you want to see (all grades)-40 min This engaging and interactive workshop will help students identify areas of activim in their lives.

General Audience: Addressing and Maintaining Optimal Mental Health for Black families- understanding the impact of anti-Black racism (1.5 hours)

The facilators will walk you through strategies to discuss the impact of Cumulative Racial Trauma and the effects on low self-esteem while building knowledge and skills to become more self-directing and self-accepting.

RICO KING

Filmmaker, community activist and entrepreneur who brings raw Black stories to the big screen

Rico King is an award winning: Film producer, Director, Writer and Actor best known for producing “Tears in the Bayou.” He is also a CoFounder of Black King Entertainment, a Black production company that focuses on Black stories, and a passion project that he started with his friends.

“We just started our own company, and I was like, let’s make Black King Entertainment, and the name stuck. It’s a friend group turned into an entertainment company; you know?”

In 2016, Rico was awarded the prestigious Best Film and Best Documentary at the Mount Vernon Film Festival for his film “Down in the Hole,” a documentary about police brutality and life in Baltimore, MD.

In 2017, he received the prestigious Diamond Award for his documentary “Tears in the Bayou,” along with two more awards for a short film he shot for Chicago Gypsy Production called, “With Dad.”

“My favourite project that I worked on is Tears in the Bayou. It’s a timeless project, getting those types of people together, having a community trust me, having my parents give me their stories; there are a few things in the movie that I feel cannot be duplicated. I might not be able to do that again, but, you know, we’ll see.”

Having been a resident of all the neighbourhoods in his films, like Tears in the Bayou, Rico traditionally dedicates his characters to real-life people he knew, or events he experienced, or witnessed.

“One of my homies, Young Mac, got shot in his head. I got a chance to go to the ICU to see him, and he was in a very bad state, you know, his head was very swollen, he could only move his thigh, and that’s how we knew he could hear us. If you saw him, you wouldn’t think he would make it. Having access to that type of scenery and having that access is special.”

King talks about how important it is for directors and producers to build trust with the subjects in their film.

“You have to be genuine. It helps if you have something else in your resume that says you’re a community person, having passion for people, not thinking about yourself when you get into a project. You have to think about your subjects, put yourself in their shoes, you know, and really, really feel their pain. You have to feel their pain. Sometimes it’s hard, especially if you don’t come from that environment. If you’re trying to film about the neighbourhood: go get your haircut, sit on a barber chair and talk to the barbers. It takes three or four months to get to know people in the area. Go to the parties, or go to the Boys and Girls Club, volunteer so you can feel the community.”

In addition to working as a Film Producer, Director, and Actor, Rico King is also an entrepreneur and community activist. He is currently writing, producing and directing a documentary called “Our Reality” based in Toronto.

“The documentary is pretty much a follow up for Tears in the Bayou. Black King Entertainment is trying to bring all Black communities together. I will try to get stories from all Black communities, not only in America, but also in Canada, Europe, and in Africa. We felt like Toronto would be a perfect place. Most demographics don’t even know there are Black people in Canada. Our audience needs to learn about Canada; we feel like voices haven’t been represented right in Canada.” King ensures that all his subjects are

being seen and heard.

“Our Reality covers the situation at hand, from all angles, from all perspectives, whether it’s parents, or perpetrators. Most of the time, we don’t even like to call them perpetrators, because hurt people hurt people, right? So, they are victims too. We involved: law enforcement, and politicians; we solicited opinions on how to solve this issue from all stakeholders. We are trying to bring everybody together for an answer, and also the answer is everybody coming together. So that is the beauty in it.”

Although King is not from Toronto, he believes the struggle that Black people face all over the world is relatable and very similar. He partnered with non-profit organization Youth Association for Academics, Athletics, and Character Education (YAAACE) in the west end community to bring more of the stories he was searching for to his film, which he is hoping to release in the fall of this year.

“Our partnership with YAACE came at a very crucial moment. To make a good documentary, you have to be part of the community, like you have to feel the pain. No matter how much I can relate to different parts of the struggle, I am not a guy from Toronto. I need actual people in Toronto to be part of the production crew, and YAAACE fit the bill. They are a non-profit filled with people who have lived experience. They have been doing an amazing job, so shout out to the whole YAAACE team.”

His charity work also includes: the No Shoot Zone, an organization dedicated to transforming the lives of young children and their neighbourhoods, and The Kingdom’s Children, a non-profit that helps house, clothe and pay for the education of orphans in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

When King is not producing, writing and directing films, he’s with his son and daughter. As a Black, single father, he dislikes when people think he is doing an “exceptional job” just by being a dad.

“Sometimes I don’t like it when people say I’m a good dad, because I don’t like people thinking that because I’m Black and young, you know, judging it like that. I think being there for your kids every day is standard. Everybody’s supposed to do that. It’s not an exception. So just because I am young Black, don’t call me an exception for being there for my children.”

He wants Black actors and producers in the film industry to keep going and never give up on their dreams.

“Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Don’t let people tell you what’s good for you. Always remember that, when non-Black companies sign deals with Black companies, they think we’re not going to bring their money back, but we bring back twice and three times the amount of money. Black movies with lower budgets perform best than any movies. We’re: creative, cultural, vibrant, and exciting people. Our culture is beautiful, that’s why everybody around the world copies it. So, be unapologetically Black, be yourself.”

Written by Selina McCallum Toronto Caribbean News

Photo Credit: Jeff Lockhart

Photo Credit: Sanj P Photography

REGGAE ROOTS

TORONTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

APRIL 15, 2023

2:00 PM

Performing Arts Brampton and Toronto Symphony Orchestra present Reggae Roots. This concert for all ages explores the people, sounds, and stories of the musical movement that grew to influence music around the globe. Featuring Jamaican-born, Halifax-based vocalist Jah’Mila with Barrett Principal Education Conductor and Community Ambassador Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser and the TSO.

Pregnant and fit

Gone are the terrible days when women could be accused of causing their own miscarriages by exercising during pregnancy. On the contrary, modern medical science has demonstrated that regular exercise during the months preceding the birth of a baby has many benefits.

THE ADVANTAGES

Future mothers who remain physically active do wonders for their bodies. Firstly, moderate activity helps maintain muscle tone and improve posture. Moreover, exercise is a great way of preparing for the ordeal of childbirth, as it improves cardio-respiratory functions. It also helps pregnant women remain in good spirits and lose excess weight more quickly after the birth of the child.

SAFE ACTIVITIES

All low to medium-impact activities are beneficial during pregnancy. Jogging, cycling, yoga, swimming, stretching, dancing and hiking are great choices for a future

mother. In addition, many municipalities offer courses specially designed for pregnant women. These stimulating programs are great incentives for staying active and for building friendships with other future moms.

WHAT TO AVOID

Some activities should be avoided because of the changes that occur in women’s bodies during pregnancy. Extreme sports and activities involving any form of combat or risk of injury are not recommended. Consult your doctor if you have questions about the potential dangers of a physical activity during pregnancy.

Can I take medication during pregnancy?

When you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, taking certain medications can be harmful to the fetus or baby. That can include prescribed and over-the-counter medications as well as some natural health products, including essential oils meant for internal use. So, before taking any kind of drugs or supplements, ask your pharmacist if they are safe for you and your baby.

This also applies if you’re trying to get pregnant, as some drugs remain in the body for long periods of time. In such circumstances, it is recommended you stop taking any medications some time before conception. If you’re taking a prescribed medication and you become pregnant, don’t stop your treatment; that could be even more damaging. However, you should consult your pharmacist immediately so he or she can tell you whether the medication will need to be changed or not.

Just because a drug has been prescribed for you while you’re pregnant doesn’t mean that you can take it safely throughout your pregnancy.

Some medications are only suitable for a certain trimester. Don’t hesitate to ask your pharmacist for advice.

Many classes and activities are designed specifically for pregnant women.

Don’t let food safety in the kitchen lapse: 10 ways to ensure you are eating safely

unfortunate mistake.

Unfortunately, mistakes happen, and with some frequency in the kitchens of seniors. For example, a study published in the Journal of Food Protection found that older adults were less likely to use food thermometers when cooking meat, increasing the risk of undercooked meat.

of consuming it can be fatal. The good news is that food safety in the kitchen is straightforward and largely unchanging.

• Wash your hands repeatedly. Your fingers are excellent at transmitting infection.

oven until it’s done.

• Eat cooked foods immediately. When cooked foods cool to room temperature, bacteria begin to multiply; the longer the wait the greater the risk.

It’s an age-old problem, but not one that should come with age. Yet, compared to younger culinary novices, elderly people may be more prone to making mistakes in food preparation that can lead to food poisoning.

Kitchens can be a dangerous place. So there is no harm in having a refresher to make sure food safety in the kitchen doesn’t lapse. You know why? Recall that occasion when it seemed like a good meal – until later, when cramps, nausea and diarrhea had you vowing never to eat again. Unless you’ve been visiting uncared for places or you are a victim to an outbreak of foodborne illness, there’s no excuse for food poisoning other than an

Another study found that elderly people were more likely to store food at unsafe temperatures, such as leaving perishable foods out at room temperature for too long or storing them in the refrigerator at temperatures above 40°F (4°C). This could increase the risk of bacterial growth.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that older adults are more likely to develop severe complications from foodborne illnesses, such as kidney failure or sepsis, due to agerelated changes in the immune system and underlying health conditions.

The World Health Organization (WHO) claims that contaminated food is one of the most serious health problems in the world. It’s usually due to an organism called E. coli, and for: infants, pregnant women and the elderly the consequences

• Keep kitchen surfaces meticulously clean. Bacteria always win if you become careless.

• Protect food from insects and rodents in cupboards and drawers. Animals often carry pathogenic organisms that cause foodborne disease. Store food in closed containers.

• Many foods such as fruits and vegetables are better in their natural state. But others are not safe unless they’re processed. For instance, lettuce needs thorough washing and pasteurized milk is safer than raw milk.

• Cook food thoroughly. Many raw foods such as poultry, meats and eggs may be contaminated with disease causing organisms. Thorough cooking will kill the pathogens, so if cooked chicken is raw near the bone put it back in the

• Store cooked foods carefully. A common error is putting too large a quantity of warm food in the refrigerator. In an overburdened refrigerator, food remains warm too long allowing bacteria to proliferate.

• Reheat cooked foods thoroughly. This is your best protection against bacteria that may have developed during storage.

• Avoid contact between raw foods and cooked foods. For instance, safely cooked foods can become contaminated by even the slightest contact with raw food. So don’t prepare a raw chicken and then use the same unwashed cutting board and knife to carve a cooked bird.

• Add a pinch of common sense. If something seems “off,” don’t eat it. If food is past its expiry date, throw it out.

W. GIFFORDJONES MD

COMMON SENSE HEALTH

DIANA GIFFORD-JONES

Is there any such thing as being addicted to food?

RACHEL MARY RILEY rachel@carib101.com HEALTH & FITNESS

Yes, I firmly believe that you can be addicted to food. Sometimes it starts with cravings. There are some of you, including myself that have faced this. It is up to you to change that path, and walk the narrow way. Junk food or addiction to food can come from many bad habits.

One of the major habits is take-

out and dining out. You are always on the go, and forget the whole purpose of home cooked meals and home cooked benefits.

Emotional eating and going through things in life can also tend to make people eat more than they usually do, and stop in to pick up their favourite comfort food during their lunch hour, or on their way home from work.

Breaking addiction habits:

• Intermittent fasting

• Daily affirmation

• Surround yourself with like-minded people

Untangling the tangled

trishas@carib101.com

SAKRED SYNERGI

In my previous article I wrote about the importance of keeping your mental house happy. It’s hard to do that though, when so many people have wronged you or you find yourself taking one step forward and two steps back in life. All this manifestation talk out there can stress the need to think positive, teaching you to focus on what you want in order to draw it closer to you. One would argue, how you can do that when everything in your life is going wrong. Do you sweep your anger or sadness under the rug and play happy? Force your mind to say affirmations that you truly don’t believe because your life is in shambles? This is even more difficult for some born in the Caribbean where you are surrounded by struggle and poverty.

So where do we begin? People love to tell others what to do but fail to show you how to do it.

Instead of forcing yourself to be happy, let’s take a step back and start with the first step to creating a life that feels good on the inside.

My healing journey was and still is an ever unfolding one. None of it could be remotely possible if I didn’t do this one thing first. Take responsibility for my life and all the experiences I’ve had that lead me up to this point.

For a good chunk of my life, I finger pointed and blamed everyone and everything for all that had gone wrong. I was never to blame, only the people who betrayed, used and abused me.

Have you ever stopped to think about what all those experiences have in common? The common denominator is you. I get it, nobody sets themselves up to get hurt, but when it happens it’s usually because we’ve ignored the red flags or our own intuition. Pain can also happen simply because it needs to in order for us to grow.

If we focus on the pain and the

person who caused it, we miss the lesson. We victimize ourselves and allow the experience to become our story. We don’t trust anybody anymore because of them. We won’t open our hearts to love because of them. We will never do favours for anybody anymore because of them and the list goes on.

My question to you is why does that person who hurt you have so much power in your life? Their actions have caused you to shut down and close yourself off from the world and the people in it. Their ability to shift your quality of life is the power that you have given them. The only way to take back that power is by taking responsibility for the role you played in that said experience.

My path to untangling my tangled heart and emotions started with journaling. As I wrote about my deepseated trauma and those in my life whom I despised at the time, I searched the experiences and found the hand I played in its unfolding. After writing it out I would then write “I take responsibility for the role I played in this, I will no longer blame, I will heal the parts of me that allowed it to happen so it never will again”.

In doing this I was able to identify my weaknesses and understand why I was such an easy target for the predators I was once victim to.

Don’t get me wrong, the other party is not home free, but that is their karma, it is not yours to worry about.

Today I want you to take up the mantle of your life, no matter how heavy or painful it is. Take an introspective look within and see what life was trying to teach you. This is not a time to be hard on yourself, to blame or judge yourself, it’s time to be honest with yourself. Hold yourself accountable.

Take the time to journal, to speak with a trusted mentor, counsellor or spiritual advisor. When you speak of your problems often, your mind ceases to be at rest, but when you speak of your problems with a solution near, your heart becomes at ease, and you are one step closer to inner peace.

One shift in the way you look at things can change your life forever.

Food addiction:

It became a spiritual journey

I just thought I was a guy with a big appetite. “I am 5 feet 5 inches tall, and at one point I weighed 215 pounds and had a cholesterol level of 287. My blood sugar was tested at 160, which my doctor told me indicated a pre-diabetic condition, and I was unable to stop eating for longer than three hours a day (usually between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.)

Nevertheless, I just thought I was a guy with a big appetite.

Looking back, I realize now that I was: physically, mentally, and spiritually ill. I was a slave to my appetite, eating such quantities of food that the acid in my stomach made me sick. I was drinking half-a-bottle of Mylanta a day.

If I slept late, as I did on Saturday mornings, the acid caused headaches and such severe nausea that I threw up long after my stomach was empty. I would take medicine, which put me to sleep for three hours, and when I woke up with the nausea and headaches gone, I would go immediately to the kitchen and begin the cycle of eating again.

I have spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars looking for an answer in psychiatrists’ offices, to no avail. I was a workaholic and worried constantly. I knew no boundaries and no satisfaction. I always wanted more of everything. My futile attempts to control everything and everyone, and the con-

tinual black hole of emptiness I felt in my gut, were symptoms of my mental and spiritual illness.

I had heard of FA but for a long time I was reluctant to come to meetings. The literature mentioned God and I figured it was a religious program. At last, the pain of eating made me desperate. I started coming to meetings, but I decided I could do the program without a sponsor. I didn’t weigh, or measure my food, since I figured that weighing and measuring food were female things to do. Real men devoured their food. So, I devoured my food, and it continued to ravage my life. After three months, I got a sponsor and began to weigh and measure. Miracles began to happen! When I started giving up food as a drug, I found not pain, but freedom.

Since entering FA, I have lost 80 pounds, my cholesterol has dropped 133 points to 153, and my blood sugar dropped 103 points to 57. Learning to let go of food has taught me to let go mentally. I don’t worry as much, my rage and anger have diminished significantly, and I have shed many of my workaholic ways. The empty spiritual hole in me has been replaced for the most part with sunlight and gratitude.

Today, thanks to the program, I believe that I am as I was meant to be—thin and healthy. I am discovering myself for the first time.” (Food Addiction: Stories of Men in Recovery, n.d.).

Have you ever met someone who just radiates positivity and inspires you to chase your dreams? That’s exactly how I felt when I met Christine, the owner of

Our friendship began while at Centennial College. I needed a few sheets of parchment paper, so I timidly approached the bakers’ section of the kitchen, knowing full well how particular bakers can be about their workspace. I raised my white flag in the form of a greeting and said “Hi my baking friends,” to let them know I come in peace. That is where everything started.

Christine’s passion for baking began with her grandparents. Her grandfather was a pastry chef at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, but it was her grandmother, Odessa, who was the active baker at home. She would be excited to take the four-hour long trips with her dad to visit knowing that she would always be greeted with traditional Bajan cuisine and her favourite treats freshly baked by her grandmother. She remembers seeing her grandfather grating coconut and cassava into a big silver bowl in preparation for pastries, but one of her fondest food memories is that of Odessa’s cinnamon rolls. “It didn’t matter what day you dropped in on Grandma, there was bread, there were cinnamon rolls, cassava, there was something,” Christine

recalls with emotion.

After graduating from the baking program, she started her business, Savoury’s Sweets. Starting a business is no easy feat, especially when you’re putting yourself out there so I asked her why she chose this path. “Well, it’s the fact that I have $15,000 in student debt,” she responded while laughing. “I am qualified for baking. I’m a graduate of Baking and Pastry Arts Management. I could manage a bakery, but I learned that wasn’t for me. I wanted to be self-reliant”

She continued to say that it was important for her to set an example for her children. “I want to create experiences for them. I want to create inspiration for them. I don’t want them to see that just because it got hard, or it was slow that it means that you give up or stop. I want them to see that I continue pushing despite any obstacles”

Since the start of Savoury’s Sweets, Christine has been making herself known at various popups around the city. Her most recent event was located in Kensington Market where she had the absolute pleasure of purchasing the infamous Dessa Roll, a most decadent cinnamon roll aptly named after her grandmother. “I just want to make people happy with my food,” she stated so humbly “And set an example for my children. I’m just doing the best that I can with what I have and I’ve done too much to give up at this point.”

Christine’s story is a true inspiration for anyone who has a dream and is afraid to pursue it. She took a risk on herself and her passion for baking and it’s paying off. I hope this serves as a reminder that no matter how daunting a task may seem if it’s your calling, nothing can stop you.

When you have a dream, don’t be afraid to pursue it; The sensational Savoury’s Sweets

MEGAN

The consequences of crime go beyond the criminal

drug deal and attempted to rob those inside the vehicle. An exchange of gunfire erupted, and Escobar was hit in the shoulder, back, and hand.

A passenger removed her body from the vehicle, placed it on the sidewalk, and dumped money on her before the driver sped off.

Escobar’s unnamed boyfriend, who waited outside the vehicle, allegedly grabbed some cash and fled the area.

have sympathy for her family. However, I’d be lying if I said the intended victims did not have every right to defend themselves.

Just a few weeks before Escobar’s death, Ali Mian, 22, shot and killed an intruder who broke into his home and attacked his mother in Milton, Ontario.

him, and I agree with that.

People deserve to feel safe in their homes, and the suspects attempted to rob Mian and his mother of that safety. So Mian (a registered firearm owner) defended his mother and their home.

Time in prison is the most common consequence for someone who has committed a crime, but that’s not the only consequence one can face.

Witnesses went outside to find Escobar’s body and helped her before being rushed to the hospital.

Escobar was pronounced dead at the hospital. Her unborn child, a baby girl, also didn’t survive.

No arrests have been made in the case yet.

It’s sad that a young woman and an unborn child both lost their lives. I also

The suspect, 21-year-old Alexander Amoroso-Leacock, was pronounced dead at the scene. 20-year-old Romario Clarke was arrested at the scene and charged with breaking and entering along with unauthorized firearm possession.

Three other suspects fled the scene.

Mian is currently out on bail and charged with second-degree murder.

Many people feel Mian should not have any charges pressed against

Although I do not promote gun violence, people have every right to defend themselves and their property when being victimized.

I hope people will take both situations as a lesson and understand that incarceration is not always the only consequence of committing a crime. If a suspect involves themselves in an illegal activity and loses their life, unfortunately, it is the toughest life lesson they will ever learn.

Who really runs the world: politicians or gangsters?

nore gangs activities Brazil

The administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro employed members of The First Capital Command (PCC) to attack, disrupt and threaten their socialist counterpart. While the PCC and Red Command carried out all forms of criminal activities, the preservation of Bolsonaro’s Administration remained central in their efforts.

Mexico

The criminal world was once ruled by a handful of organizations, evolving into a situation where over 200 gangs rule Mexico’s underworld. Many of these “cartels” influence, bribe and work with various city, state or federal governmental agencies and individuals in the pursuit of funds and power.

Italy

the gathering of intelligence needed by the crime organization. It is estimated that over 34% of Italian politicians are either soft or directly controlled by these gangs. Corruption is so rampant that the legislative body responsible for investigating public corruption has grown two fold in the last five years.

America and Canada

known for its vicious violent nature. Did you know MS-13 is El Salvador’s largest employer?

MS-13 has a modus operandi... MS-13 will never accept being secondary. Total control of the marketplace, police and public officials will be their prime effort.

Japan

political structures:

• Protection from Police and Justice departments

• Acquiring intelligence that will protect the group, offered by those who employ them

• Making revenue seemingly in a legal manner

• Elite structure will often not bring about legislation that would damage or threaten the group

• Police agencies often work with, or ig-

The Camorra existed in Italy before Italy existed as a united nation. With around 10,000 members, it still runs many aspects of Italy’s criminal world. The control of public officials in Italy has become an art form for the Camorra. Camorra members have been known to work for and with corrupt political officials in the past.

Even the Dictator Mussolini feared this organization’s reach. Between 2013-2018 Italy saw 2,339 violent attacks upon politicians. Threatening, and attacking a politician can manipulate legislative policy, create an environment of fear and intimidation, while infiltrating the political parties of the elite and police force ensure

Various International organizations do business in North America. The International Wing of The Hell’s Angels continues to grow their various crime operations, all the while: bribing, manipulating public officials and the police. Worldwide membership stands at 35,000. This organization also has connections with illegal militia groups throughout America, raising funds through criminal pursuits: drugs, weapons, human trafficking, prostitution and money laundering. Various other biker gangs continue to grow regionally.

India

D Company centres its activities with heroin and opium trafficking, kidnappings, fraud, extortion and political assassination for hire. This organization ruled by Dawood Ibrahim has direct ties to Al Qaeda in Pakistan and India. Direct ties to Muslim Political Parties remain strong, as the group acts as a strong arm of these movements.

El Salvador and the world

MS-13 is and will remain the world’s most frightening organized crime syndicate,

The Yakuza’s membership is 39,000. This organization encompasses a huge sector of illegal and legal operations making it difficult for the justice department to fight its operations. In the past entire regional administrations have fallen to these investigations, showing just how powerful the Yakuza’s reach is.

The wealthier a criminal organization (Gang) becomes, the closer it becomes to the power elites of its time. After all, such gangs accumulate massive wealth, and in the process of making this money legal (washed clean), many politicians and their bureaucracy come in contact with the criminal element.

Buying public land, establishing businesses are all tags that lure public officials to these gangs without knowing who they really are.

Illicit services like: prostitution, narcotics, slavery (trafficking) gambling will continue to create a working field for gangsterism, no matter the nation, race, sex or politics involved.

SIMONE SMITH

simone@carib101.com

Every now and then, I segway to give my readers perspective on the reason why I have been writing this story for over two years in the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper.

For those who don’t know, the title of my column is called, “A Better Tomorrow.” I initially started to write this as a medium of inspiration; I wanted readers to know that even in the darkest of times, there is always a way to make tomorrow better.

I don’t know how many of you are familiar with the book, “Man’s Search for Meaning.” Psychiatrist and Neurologist Viktor Frankl (1905-1997) wrote about his ordeal as a concentration camp inmate during the Second World War. What he observed was that those who survived longest in concentration camps were not those who

A personal search for meaning; a perspective on pain and pain expressed

were physically strong, but those who retained a sense of control over their environment.

I bring this incredibly poignant novel up, because for many of us, the last few years also allowed us to observe the intricacies of societal behaviour. It was rough for us: families being separated, lockdowns, and businesses closing down. Of course then there were the countless deaths of loved ones, fear of sickness, mainstream media and governmental forces propagating messages of despair that kept us all in our heads, and out of our hearts.

What Panama did was prepare me for this pandemic. I know what it feels like to feel helpless, afraid, unsure of what the next day will bring. The pandemic was on a macro scale, but this experience became macro for me.

All throughout this, all I could do was hope for, “A Better Tomorrow.” I turned my pain into words, and shared these words with all of you. I also learned that all of us have ways that we share our pain with the world. It is not always an artistic beautiful expression; sometimes it comes out as

The importance of controlling the narrative Part II

DESMOND BOLLERS

desmond@carib101.com

CARIBBEAN HISTORY

It is not by accident that the stories of our ancestors’ bids for freedom are not well known.

It is the result of a deliberate and concerted effort by the enslavers and oppressors to blot out these events from the narrative. It made absolute sense for the enslavers to suppress news of: conspiracies, insurrections, plots, rebellions, revolts and uprisings by the enslaved at the time these occurred because of their well-founded fear of the “Demonstration Effect” - that is that news of bids for freedom in one territory would inspire or incite similar activity in other territories. It should be noted that the highest number of revolts or planned revolts by enslaved Africans in the Caribbean occurred during the tumultuous decade of the 1790s, which was when the people of St. Domingue were fighting for their freedom.

Recognizing the importance of exerting mind control over the enslaved Africans, the British in 1807 published what became known as the ‘Slave Bible’ - actual title 'Parts of the Holy Bible, selected for the use of the Negro slaves, in the British West-India

Islands' (which coincided with the promulgation of the Act of Parliament abolishing the ‘Slave Trade’) with the goal of convincing the enslaved Africans that they should meekly accept their lot and await their redemption in the afterlife. This attempt clearly didn’t work because three of the biggest revolts by enslaved Africans in the British colonies, indeed in the entire American continent, occurred after this Bible was introduced to the Africans. What is particularly ironic is that two of the three revolts were instigated and led by a preacher, or a deacon who clearly interpreted the heavily truncated bible very differently from what the enslavers had anticipated.

With the end of slavery, the colonial ruling classes and their acolytes moved to erase the story of those bids for freedom from the narrative, as a means of continuing to exert mind control over the majority population, instilling in our minds the notion that we are only free because of their good intentions.

As I am at pains to explain in the free online course ‘Freedom Fighters of the Caribbean,’ this was most definitely not the case. So, it is our responsibility to ensure that we tell our story from our perspective, because when we allow others to write the narrative, then their interpretation of the events that make up our past may be influenced by their biases whether implicit or conscious.

anger, rage, abuse; all human beings, to some degree or another, develop ways of dealing with pain very early on. It is an innate capacity we utilize to adapt and survive this world. It is how we protect our psyche, and our emotions.

Our nature is very similar to plants; we shape ourselves and adapt to our environment. Those that adapt to their environment survive; they twist, torque, and reach in order to get the sunlight and nutrients needed. This can be difficult if you are a plant amongst weeds: there is so much more reaching that you have to do, and it is tiring. It takes something special to move you forward; something that reminds you that what you want in life is not impossible to get.

This is why I share my story. I do it to let readers into my world; have them experience my pain with me, and work with me through my recovery. We all have difficult circumstances in life, and there are those times where

giving up is easy. I want you to take a second right now and think about one of your experiences that seemed impossible to overcome, but somehow you did it.

Think about how you felt once you had dealt with the rawness of the situation.

As you are thinking about your experience, I want you to think about how it is making you feel having to think about it.

It is all perspective; regardless of what has happened to you, placing it into perspective is very important. We have to find a way to navigate the noise, see past your current situation, create ways to deal with your pain.

I have learned that sharing my story has helped others open up about their experiences, speak through their trauma and come to terms with it.

I hope you take the time to answer some of the questions I presented earlier, but now, back to the story…

Virtual trees: Cannabis presence in the online metaverse

SEAN SEURATTAN sean@carib101.com THE

ever this is only the smallest fraction of what is possible. Here we will discuss some important components of the Metaverse, and how these could be applied to the cannabis community.

The biggest thing to understand about WEB3 (the metaverse’s proper name) is that it is a place where things can exist indefinitely in a virtual form. In some cases, these are things that exist purely virtually, or in other cases they are virtual represen-

tations of real-world things. The simple fact that there is an online space that entire communities can exist in is an incredible leap forward, but is also familiar territory for the cannabis enthusiasts. Being able to virtually share information, ask questions and engage with others in real time are time-honoured traditions practiced by the cannabis community. . This has led to the creation of online marketplaces and forums about cannabis, which are pushing towards the creation of apps and other resources. This makes the entire cannabis experience easier and more informed.

While NFTs have been a heavy tech buzzword surrounding the Metaverse for the last few years, they actually comprise a small aspect of it: ownership. A nonfungible token is used to designate a digital asset as undeniably official and impossible to recreate. The ridiculously superficial bubble market of selling juvenile cartoon animal images will give way to the true purpose for this technology.

NFTs can give real world value to digital items. This is beneficial to cannabis in a multitude of ways. Beyond using them just to create digital trading cards of cannabis imagery, they can be used to unite decentralized individuals towards a common goal. For instance, a company could offer NFTs as a way to crowdfund a new experimental strain and NFT holders would get free samples or early access to reward their initial purchase. Experience based

Protecting the planet protects your wallet

NFTs gained by attending specific events are another way cannabis could find value in this technology. A person’s virtual avatar could easily display an NFT confirming their attendance to a special conference, convention or seminar validating them for specific tasks. For example, owning a special NFT could designate someone as certified to grow an exotic cannabis strain. Crypto currency is a much more complicated concept for WEB3, but can ultimately be liberation for the entire cannabis market. In the most obscenely simple terms, crypto currency is digital money independent of any centralized banking construct. It is created online, stored online, and spent online without ever materializing in the physical world. Its strength is solely based on the amount of users willing to accept, and use it.

Cannabis still holds a negative stigma, and many banks that still refuse to

accept funds from this previously illegal industry perpetuate this. Crypto is a way to bypass this and future gatekeeping. In essence, anyone with the knowledge could create a currency that could be used solely for cannabis. With enough confidence from the community, it would be safe, secure and infallible. It could also provide financial equity within this new industry while simultaneously keeping it free from the current stagnant group holding most of the world’s capital.

It is truly a wonder to witness a community originating from the most analog place ascend to unimaginable heights through the strength of technology. While it is always wise to be cautious in unfamiliar territory, the benefits possible far outweigh the fear of risks. Cannabis can use the metaverse as a way to cement itself into the foundation of the future.

4 concrete ways to fight climate change

As natural disasters become more frequent due to global warming and pollution, many people are worried about the future. Do you suffer from eco-anxiety? You can reduce your distress and helplessness by taking these four concrete actions.

1. Support organizations. Make a financial donation or volunteer your time to an organization that shares your environmental concerns, like Greenpeace or the David Suzuki Foundation. That way, you’ll be part of the solution.

3. Sign petitions. Sign a petition to stop a polluting project. The project may be cancelled or changed if the bill gets several thousand signatures. However, before signing and sharing the petition on social media, research the issue and ensure the person or organization that started it is legitimate.

4. Participate in events. Participate or invite your friends and family to a climate walk or benefit concert in your area to raise awareness about the climate emergency. There’s strength in numbers!

Did you know that besides helping protect the environment, making environmentally responsible decisions can save you money? Here are a few green lifestyle habits that benefit your wallet.

• Buy second-hand clothes and fashion accessories

• Turn down your air conditioner or heater at night and when you’re away

• Grow a vegetable garden and use 100 per cent of your crops by canning or freezing

• Keep your smartphone until it stops working; get it fixed if needed to extend its life

• Take short showers rather than baths

• Use public transport and active modes of transportation like cycling

• Swap meat products for vegetable proteins as often as possible

• Use reusable containers and water bottles

Washable personal care products and energy-efficient appliances can also help you save money. As the cost of living continues to rise, you have everything to gain by implementing these suggestions.

2. Write to politicians. Communicate your concerns to your mayor or government official on nature protection issues. You can write the message yourself or use an online template. The more your elected representatives know about their voters’ concerns, the more they’ll try to meet their demands.

Several lifestyle habits can also contribute to slowing down global warming. For example, buy local, use public transportation instead of your car, repair what you have instead of throwing it away and compost your table scraps. Get started today!

Do I really need to brush my cat?

Cats are, by nature, very clean animals. However, while they’re perfectly capable of grooming themselves, they sometimes need a helping hand — or brush — to keep their coat looking its absolute best. Read on for a look at the benefits of regular brushing for your cat.

Brushing your cat will improve the appearance of her fur in addition to preventing knots and getting rid of loose hair. By reducing the amount of excess hair your cat ingests while she grooms, you’re also helping to prevent hairballs from forming.

Each time you brush your cat, take the oppor tunity to inspect her skin for anything unusual (redness, parasites, etc.). And, finally, spending time grooming your cat is a great way to strengthen the bond you share.

Brushing your cat helps prevent knots and eliminates loose hair.

HOW TO BRUSH A CAT

Using a brush or comb designed for your cat’s fur type (short, mid-length or long), gently brush in the direction of hair growth, spending more time on the thicker, denser parts of the coat (collar, back, base of tail, etc.).

Dog park safety rules

A trip to the dog park is the perfect opportunity for your loyal companion to get some exercise and socialize with other dogs. For the experience to be safe and enjoyable for everyone involved, it’s important that you follow certain basic rules.

If you’d like to be a model dog park user during your next outing, follow these recommendations:

• Make sure that your dog has been dewormed, is up to date on his vaccines and is wearing a valid ID tag.

• Don’t enter the park if your dog seems nervous or overexcited.

• Always stay in the section of the park dedicated to dogs the same size as yours (some parks keep large and small breeds separate).

• Be aware of your surroundings and supervise your pet at all times to ensure he doesn’t attack another dog (or get attacked).

• Pick up your dog’s droppings and dispose of them in the designated receptacle.

• Don’t throw a ball or other toy to your dog if other animals are nearby.

How to choose a cat tree

In addition to letting Mittens climb and jump to her heart’s content, a cat tree provides your pet with a raised spot where she can relax and watch over her territory in peace. Are you looking to purchase a multi-level refuge for your feline companion? Here are a few tips to help you find the perfect cat climbing tree.

Choose a model that’s tall enough — at least three feet — and includes different platforms and surfaces to climb. Your cat will love being able to jump from level to level to reach the top! Stability is another important factor. Choose a cat tree with a solid base that adequately supports the structure in a way that prevents it from tipping over.

Finally, choose a cat tree that doubles as a scratching post, and make sure the model you choose includes a cozy place where your pet can hide and snooze without being disturbed.

Where to put it?

The location of your cat tree is another point to think about. If possible, place it near a window or a sliding door to allow your pet to keep an eye on the birds.

Lyme disease in dogs: what you need to know

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that’s transmitted to dogs via tick bites. If left untreated, the illness can spread to various organs and cause severe health problems, which is why it’s crucial to know what it is exactly and how to prevent it.

Symptoms

Lyme disease is relatively difficult to detect because its symptoms are highly varied and may only present several months after your dog’s initial exposure. Nevertheless, certain signs such as loss of appetite, fever, low energy and difficulty moving around (limping), are generally linked to the illness.

Prevention

Have your dog vaccinated regularly to prevent him from contracting Lyme disease. You may also use parasite repellents (in cream, pill or collar form) in addition to checking your pet’s fur for ticks after every walk.

Lyme disease is a zoonosis, meaning that it can affect both animals and humans.

If you find a tick on your pet, gently remove it using a tool specifically designed for the task (available at pet stores) and bring the tick to a vet to have it tested for Lyme disease.

• Leave the dog park immediately if your pet starts acting fearful or aggressive.

The Condominium Authority Tribunal (CAT) ordered a landlord to pay $8,551.50 to cover the legal cost of an annoying tenant. The landlord and the tenant jointly and severally must pay an additional $18,239.60 to the management corporation. CAT is Ontario’s first online tribunal to assist people in mending certain condominium-related disputes.

A tenant moved into the building in July 2021. The condominium management claimed that the tenant began to cause problems for other residences and the condominium’s employees. For example, the tenant would leave food containers in the hallway for many days, causing a foul smell and tripping hazards. In addition, the tenant was very disruptive to other condominium owners.

CAT Vice-Chair, Michael Clifton, said there was a “consistent pattern of abuse and aggression” against building staff and a refusal to follow COVID-19 regulations. The condominium lawyer informed the landlord and tenant about the tenant’s offensive behaviors in November 2021. Out of spitefulness, the tenant’s repugnant behaviors towards the residence and employees escalated.

The tenant said that he argued with one of the condominium staff mem-

bers and that the staff member had a “personal vendetta” against him. As a result, the condo board decided to use the tribunal to pressure the tenant to leave the building. The tenant could not prove his case, and the condominium corporation objected to his claim.

The condominium corporation said that the landlord did not confront the tenant about the matter. As a result, the condominium board perused the problem with the Condominium Authority Tribunal. Clifton noted, “The unrefuted testimony of the parties is that [the condo owner] failed to take any reasonable steps to address the issue of his tenant’s long-standing noncompliance.” Consequently, CAT gave the condo board a substantial portion of the cost.

The tenant mentioned that he planned to move out of the building but did not give a timeline. The Vice-Chair ordered the tenant to stop his hostile behavior inside the unit and anywhere else in the condominium. The landlord must ensure that the tenant complies with the condo bylaws.

When screening potential tenants, most landlords are concerned with the amount of rent they can get, the tenant employment and credit history. It is essential to know your tenant as well. One way is to call their workplace, current landlord, and references. Refrain from relying on the contact information the tenant provides. If you are calling the workplace, then research the number to call. When calling landlords, a realtor can help to ensure the owner’s correct name. If there is a discrepancy in the information, ask the tenant to explain.

Social media is powerful. You can form a profile about the tenant with some research. In addition to the tenant, it is wise to look at social media content for the references and landlord. I recall an incident where the prospective tenants cleaned up their social media sites, but the contacts still needed to. Perfect friends were hanging out together.

Meeting with the prospective tenant and the other occupant before committing is imperative. When it comes to choosing a tenant, the first impression counts. Ask the tenant open-ended questions such as “Describe your typical week?”

If you are happy with their answers and want to move forward, the next step is contacting the condo corporation.

Let management know that you have a potential tenant for your unit. The condo corporation may need the occupants’ numbers and contact info. It is essential to educate the tenant about the bylaws. For example, some condos have strict rules for pets, and some are pet free. It is crucial to have tenant insurance. Tenant insurance will cover the unit’s contents and accidents, such as water damage and fire.

The landlord and tenant board for freehold properties handles problems between landlords and tenants. I learned a condominium has two other parties: the condo management and the Condominium Authority Tribunal. Condo landlords must be careful who they choose as tenants because it matters.

Rowdy tenant cost landlord big bucks

Ornamental plants: 3 tips for choosing your potting soil

Potting soil is a growing medium used by many gardeners, both in the garden and for potted plants. However, the choice of which one to use shouldn’t be left to chance. Here are some tips to help guide your purchase.

1. Consider how you’ll use it

The type of potting soil you use depends on where your decorative plants will grow. If you’re using it outdoors, it’s best not to use soil intended for indoor plants. Opt for black earth and garden soil.

2. Consider the needs of your plants

Certain plants have specific needs. For example, orchids, cacti, succulents and epiphytes need well-draining soil. Acidophilic plants like azaleas, on the other hand, require very acidic soil to ensure they bloom.

3. Choose a quality product

Choose homogeneous potting soils without poorly decomposed components. Take the time to read the label and analyze the ingredients. Certain materials, such as manure or organic fertilizers, should catch your attention.

Need help navigating all the options on the market? Ask a specialist at your local garden store for advice.

2 roofing options to consider for your shed

Are you planning to build a new shed or renovate your old one? Whether you opt for a prefab model or a custom build, you can use the same roofing materials you’d use on your home. Here are two stylish, eye-catching options to consider.

1. Asphalt shingles

Asphalt shingles are affordable and increasingly customizable. Ideally, they should be installed on a self-adhesive membrane to enhance their effectiveness and prolong their lifespan. Shingles are relatively easy to install and can be fitted to your home and replaced at the same time as you replace the roofing.

2. Metallic roofing Available in several styles, metal roofing is more expensive than its asphalt counterpart, but it’s extra effective. Keep in mind

that metal roofs should only be installed by professionals. Galvanized steel roofs are a good choice because they require practically zero maintenance and have a lifespan of about a century. As a bonus, their sedate, industrial appearance is time -

less.

Visit a home renovation retailer near you to buy the materials for your project or entrust the job to a qualified contractor.

3 strategies for gardening with allergies

Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? If gardening exacerbates your symptoms to the point that you’re considering giving up your hobby, just know that there are solutions. Following these tips may allow you to enjoy growing flowers and plants again this summer.

1. Choose the right time to do your work. Avoid gardening on hot, dry days, as these conditions are conducive to high pollen levels. Plan your gardening sessions by checking the current pollen index in your area. When it’s low, get outside!

2. Choose hypoallergenic plants. Some plants are much less allergenic than others, especially those pollinated by insects rather than wind. Ferns, hostas, azaleas and rhododendrons are a few varieties you may want to try out in your garden.

3. Wear protective clothing and accessories. Even if the pollen index is low, make sure you still wear a mask, gloves, goggles with side shields and a long-sleeved shirt to protect yourself.

Looking for trees or flowering plants to brighten up your yard? Inquire about allergy-friendly species. Happy gardening!

PUZZLE NO. 784

HOW TO PLAY :

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once.

Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line. You already have a few numbers to get you started. Remember: You must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column, or 3x3 box.

WEEK OF MARCH 26 TO APRIL , 2023

The luckiest signs this week: CANCER, LEO AND VIRGO

ARIES

You’ll have many things to take care of at home or with your family. You’ll be a true hero in the eyes of your loved ones. With your great sense of initiative, you’ll set your priorities straight.

TAURUS

You’ll find the right words to make your point. Some subjects will re quire more heated debate. If you have the correct information, no one will dare contradict you.

GEMINI

You’ll take steps to buy a property or find a more suitable home. Shop ping for the family will be a rewarding adventure.

CANCER

You’re a gogetter, ready to take on any challenge at work and in your personal life. No matter how old your children are, they’ll be a handful this week. If you’re single, many people will be attracted to you.

LEO

When you’re fatigued, you’re more vulnerable to germs. Take time to rest when you’re working overtime.

VIRGO

You may find that people feel lost or confused around you. You may need to withdraw and isolate yourself. You’ll also be inspired to start a spiritual practice.

LIBRA

Time is precious, and it’s not always easy to manage. You must pull out all the stops at work to get everything done on time.

SCORPIO

You’ll arrange to go on a trip abroad or explore your region with your partner or friends. You’ll make changes at home, even if it’s only rearranging furniture.

SAGITTARIUS

You may have to shake a few people up to achieve professional suc cess. Abundance awaits after beating out the competition for the job you want.

CAPRICORN

You’ll have to make a few compromises to reach an amicable agree ment. You’ll have justice on your side as you settle a dispute before it gets out of hand.

AQUARIUS

You’ll have a lot of work to do. A competitor will try to entice you with a more interesting position. Your significant other or someone who’s attracted to you will make you feel special.

PISCES

You’ll distinguish yourself when you succeed in lightening the mood at work or home by making people laugh. You’ll earn warm applause. You could also receive a reward.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE

Classifieds the free

FOR SALE FOR SALE FOR RENT

LAND FOR SALE NEAR MANDEVILLE JAMAICA: A little over 1/3 acre residential land just a few minutes outside of Mandeville and the Northern Caribbean University (NCU). This affordable lot is located in the cool and peaceful New Wales community.

Tel: 647-884-8977

2009 JEEP CHEROKEE: 4x4, extremely great condition, certified in January, keyless entry. Asking $7000 selling as is. Call 647-8584660

LAND SALE AT REDUCED PRICE IN TRINIDAD 2 PARCELS FLAT LAND IN FINAL STAGE OF APPROVAL FROM TOWN AND COUNTRY in Freeport - 10 mins off the highway. Great for Pre-Fab Housing Project already present in TT, residential homes, warehousing etc. Please call: 905-660-4744 Email: shahs@rogers.com

FOR SALE HELP WANTED HELP WANTED

HIRING NANNY: Looking for a nanny East York region for a 1 year old, light housing cleaning and cooking, 3 to 4 days a week. contact 647-739-2743

HIRING: Looking for a helper to do general labour, garden cleaning, landscaping, and winter snow removal. Cash paid weekly. Located at Morningside & Lawrence in Scarborough. Please call: (416)269-5174.

WAREHOUSE ASSOCIATE

Laparkan is looking for a Warehouse Associate in Shipping and Receiving.

No experience necessary. Will train on the Job.

Send Resume to hrca@laparkan.com or call 416-292-4370

SHARED ACCOMADATIONS:

1 Bedroom available in basement apartment with Side entrance Shared accommodation, Male only , No parking, no smoking or drinking Everything included. $900. Medowvale and Sheppard Call 647-447-2377

PERSONAL

LOOKING TO CONNECT: Senior Christian lady on ODSP looking to trade frugal recipes and frugal living tips. Email: SisterSuHotelDieu @gmail.com

FOR SALE WORSHIP

SUNDAY SERVICE: Fountain of Truth Ministries Pastor: Reverend Maxine Campbell Worship

Address: 2170 Kipling Avenue, Etobicoke Percy Johnson School – Cafeteria Sundays: 10.am – 2. pm Teaching, Worship, Ministering For info call: 416 748 0211

MISSISSAUGA: Mississauga Missionary Baptist Church invites you to join us at 1620 Dundas St West, each Sunday at 10am for praise, worship and in-depth Bible teaching with Pastor Sean, 416-219-9137

FREE!

LIST UP TO 30 WORDS

647-722-6298

Some restrictions may apply. We reserve the right of refusal.

SALES REPS WANTED

We are in the process of expansion and constantly looking for the best of the best! Dedicated salespeople; people interested in opportunities to help others while also being able to help themselves. For more information, please contact Trish 647-722-6298 or trish@carib101.com

First job or new career

Five ways to acquire useful experience

First­time applicants, recent graduates entering the workforce, and people changing careers often face the same dilemma: they don’t get hired because they lack experience, and they can’t acquire experience because no one will hire them. While frustrating, there are ways to avoid this paradox and gain useful, relevant experience to land that new job.

1. Co­op programs. Many programs offer students the opportunity to alternate between work and study terms. Work is related to your field of study and consists of several paid or unpaid internships. These allow you to acquire experience and to develop contacts in

your field.

2. Student jobs. While at school, try to get a job that develops pertinent skills that will be useful when pursuing your future career. For example, if you plan on working with children, choose a job as a camp counsellor instead of delivering pizzas.

3. Internships. Work internships are practical for both students and people looking to change careers. They allow you to put your skills and knowledge into practice, acquire experience and connect with individuals and businesses in your field.

4. Volunteering. Volunteering your time at a company in your field or sector is a

great way to acquire experience and expand your network of connections.

5. Temporary employment. Working at firms who hire additional staff during peak periods is another excellent way to gain experience.

Lastly, don’t overlook the many opportunities found on the hidden job market. A significant amount of openings are filled without ever being posted or advertised. That’s why it’s important to turn to your network of friends, family members and even old classmates when looking for employment. Oftentimes, you’ll discover that landing that first job comes down to who you know and not what you know.

Preparing for a job interview

Being on time and confident aren’t the only keys to a successful job interview. Good planning and preparation are essential when attempting to make a good impression on potential employers. Here are a few things you should think about before your interview:

• Choose your attire in advance. Always dress according to the position you’re interviewing for when picking out your clothes.

• Know the route and the amount of time you’ll need to get to the interview. Give yourself plenty of time in case you encounter any unforeseen events, such as construction or traffic.

• Prepare any documents you’ll need beforehand. These might include your

cover letter, CV, a list of references and copies of your diplomas or degrees. Place them all in a folder to avoid appearing disorganized.

• Research the company as much as possible before your interview. Learn about the products or services they provide, their target market, company objectives and mission statements, and new projects. Websites, annual reports, specialized journals and press releases are great places to look when searching for information.

• Reread the job listing and identify the key criteria relating to the position, such as the desired skills and qualifications, required training, duties and responsibilities.

• Analyze and memorize your CV. Deter­

mine and highlight any relevant experience, skills and assets, and education or training you’ll be bringing to the position. Try to identify any professional weaknesses you may have as well as how you overcame them or minimized their impact.

Finally, prepare some frequently asked questions and ask a friend or family member to interview you. You’ll be able to practise giving clear and concise answers, maintaining eye contact and using the appropriate language and terminology. Whatever you do, don’t memorize your answers: being yourself is crucial for a successful job interview. Good luck!

What to include in your professional portfolio

Much like your CV and cover letter, a well­constructed professional portfolio is instrumental in setting you apart from the competition. This collection of documents illustrates and showcases your professional accomplishments and talents. It provides potential employers with concrete examples demonstrating the skills and experience you’ve acquired, and serves to show that you’re the perfect fit for the position.

When putting your portfolio together, you’ll need to make a list of all your various professional accomplishments, such as internships, education, previous jobs or community work. Once done, you’ll need to select the documents most relevant to the position you’re targeting. The best way to do this is to refer to the list of skills and qualifications sought after by the company or

employer.

You’ll then need to decide which documents — texts, degrees, reports, letters of recommendations, certificates, awards, courses, etc. — best represent your skills.

Once you’ve collected and organized all the relevant material, you’ll have the option of creating a paper portfolio (traditionally placed in a three ­ring binder) or an online portfolio. And while portfolios vary from person to person, they all contain the same major components, such as:

• A cover page containing the date, your name and contact information

• A table of contents

• A statement regarding your career objectives

• A copy of your resumé

• Letters of recommendation

• A description of your skills relating to the position and an account of how you developed them during your professional career

• Work samples that provide concrete examples and evidence of your skills and accomplishments

Regardless of the format you choose, your portfolio must be professional, well structured and easy to navigate. It’s also important to tailor and personalize your portfolio to each and every interview. Certain positions might call for different skill sets or experiences, so you’ll want your portfolio to showcase the accomplishments that make you the best candidate for the job.

4 car deodorizing tips

Keeping your car windows closed during the winter can trap nasty odours in the cabin. As you welcome warmer weather, it’s time to deodorize your vehicle. Here are four tips.

1. Vacuum your car from top to bottom, including un¬der the floor mats, in the trunk and between the seats. Use the upholstery attachment to rid your vehicle of smelly dirt and debris in hard-to-reach areas.

2. Vinegar is a natural deodorizer. Make a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar. Then, spritz the mixture on your car’s dashboard, cupholders, seats and carpets. Let the solution sit for 30 minutes, then wipe it away with a clean, damp rag.

3. Baking soda lifts unpleasant scents. For exam¬ple, sprinkle some ba -

king soda on your vehicle’s carpet or upholstery if you’ve spilled something on your vehicle’s carpet or upholstery. Rub the baking soda into the area and leave it for a few hours. Then, vacuum it up.

4. Charcoal absorbs impurities and nasty smells. That’s why it’s commonly used in air and water filters. Pick up a charcoal briquette, like the ones used for grilling, at a local store. Leave the briquette in your car for a few days. Charcoal is highly porous and absorbs any nasty odours floating in the air.

Lastly, spray down your car vents with a specialized cleaner. Over time, your car’s vents build up dirt and debris that can cause an unpleasant smell. If any bad smells persist, take your car to a cleaning professional.

Tips for stocking your car’s emergency kit for spring

You know about the importance of preparing a winter emergency kit for your car, but what about a spring kit? Hot weather can be hard on your vehicle, resulting in unexpected breakdowns. Here’s how to stock your emergency kit to prepare for warmer weather.

• Visibility equipment like road flares or reflective hazard triangles

• Water bottles to stay hydrated in the heat

• Blanket to shade you from the hot sun

• Extra pair of clothing and shoes, including rain gear

• Flashlight or headlamp

• First aid kit, including ointment,

gauze, bandages, adhesive tape and tweezers

• Disinfectant wipes

• Sunscreen with SPF 30 or 50

• Booster pack or jumper cables

• Work gloves

• Paper maps

• Insect repellant

• Basic tool kit

• Phone charger or extra battery pack

• Toilet paper

• Snacks that won’t melt, such as granola, dried fruit and nuts

Visit local stores to pick up every¬thing you need to stock your spring emergency kit.