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PASTOR AL MILLER/TORONTO CARIBBEAN “In crisis, it is acceptable to have more questions than answers. ... In crisis, we should all be learners.”

H.R.H. Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands These are difficult and dark days for the world from the effects of COVID-19! It is a virus, which some say is a man-made dilemma unleashed on us. Some expect the vaccine to bring a ray of hope. Others believe it will

not end the dilemma any time soon.

Many fear that it could create its own crisis.

Is there a ray of real hope?

Yes, there is! Mankind, with God’s help, has survived many epidemics, pandemics, and wars. Some of those disasters had much greater levels of devastation. In the days of the civil rights movement with Martin Luther King, one of the songs that kept hope alive in the worst of times was the an-

them, “We Shall Overcome.”

We too shall overcome this COVID crisis and sooner than later, if we unite in our own interest, apply critical thinking, analyse everything; take right responsible action; break the fear barriers and take an offensive approach, WE SHALL OVERCOME! Continued On Page 8

PAGE 2

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

REENA RAMPERSAD Infusing herself into the cannabis industry Hmmmmm! I couldn’t believe what I was tasting.

It was a Tuesday afternoon, and I had driven all the way to Hamilton to have a tasting session with a young woman who I had heard a lot of great things about.

I was making my way through my second gourmet doubles; the sauces were running down my fingers and dripping on the plate. It was so messy, but I didn’t care. These were the best doubles that I had ever tasted.

The best part about it; they were cannabis infused, and you couldn’t even tell. All I knew is that I couldn’t get the silly smile of my face. Good food will do that to anyone, or was it the cannabis?

Our woman empowered has been featured in: FLARE, New York Times, The Globe & Mail, and NOW Magazine. When I asked her to send me some articles that had featured her, she sent me a list of about twenty articles. Yes, she is popular because she is one of the few women of colour in Canada to run a cannabis-related business.

It has not been easy for her, especially in the industry that she has chosen to navigate. There have been women with strong ideas who are keen to start a business, but unfortunately these women need investors and funding, which is difficult to access, especially as a woman of colour. There are many barriers that keep people of colour out of the cannabis industry, and regardless of that she has pushed past these barriers and created a niche market of her own.

As the owner of The Limin Coconut, and the High Society Supper Club, this culinary scientist creates private dining experiences featuring microdosed dishes, infused butters, dressings for salads, sauces for mains, fudge and even cookies.

So, the question that comes to mind is, why is such a woman empowered not receiving the respect and support that she so obviously deserves?

Is it because she is in the cannabis business? Is it the marketing, demographics, or are her products so stigmatized that our community finds them less appealing? I wanted some answers, so I took the drive to sit down and speak with the eccentric, and riveting energy known as Reena Rampersad.

After she had finished spoiling me to a three-course meal including an appetizer (plantain, and saltfish bakes), freshly cut up salad (with infused dressing), and her famous doubles, Reena sat down with me and shared her story.

“I was born in Toronto, East York actually,” she began. “Myself and my younger brother were born here. The rest of my family is from Trinidad. We were the only melinated family living on our street. We only knew this because everyone chose to tell us that.

A Jamaican family moved in, and we became family. As families we battled a lot of bullshit, you know racism, discrimination, things that are brushed under the rug here in Canada.

Our fathers shared the love of ganja. I was always around it. My grandmother used it for spiritual purposes. My dad and grandmother would make tea that I was not supposed to have, because obviously, I was way too young.

I remember spraining my ankle once, and my grandmother made some concoction (later I learned it was ganja), and I swear by the next day my leg was great.

There are parts of my childhood that I would like to forget, but I can’t because they have made me who I am today. My dad was arrested in 1978 for smoking a spliff on the porch. The police came and told my dad to stop smoking and my dad said no. They ripped it out his mouth, and my dad naturally defended himself. That was the first demonstration I saw, and in that moment, I realized how unjust the world was.

My dad had not done anything, but the reaction to him was so intense. I knew that something was wrong; society seemed to have a problem with people who partook in ganja, and that would be part of my repeated history.”

Reena then shared with me stories about how she saw the police accost family members and friends on a regular basis. This truly affected her.

“When you are constantly being harassed and targeted for a life choice, you begin to develop anxiety. It was hard.

For many years I didn’t smoke. I became a social worker in Detroit, and for almost ten years, I had to deal with being tested for drugs, so instead of dealing with the anxiety, I just stopped. It was when I was going through a separation from my first marriage, finding out that my dad and my brother had died, brought me home and back into what I knew, what I had grown up in. When I came home, I happened to find some of my dad’s weed, so I lit it up. It was truly a homecoming.”

As life would have it, Reena visited her doctor and he told her that she was suffering from depression. He suggested that she start to use antidepressants, but she was completely against it. For her, smoking a spliff was her sanity.

“It changed my life. It put many things in perspective and trust me when I say it healed me physically. I have endometriosis and I used to take heavy medication. When I started smoking again, I didn’t have to take it as much. My endometriosis was manageable. There was such a relief. It was really profound.”

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What really boils her blood is that people were making cannabis out to be this devil drug.

They were tainting such a miracle plant.

“The prohibition was discriminatory.

We brought this plant here, and then had it ripped away from us, and told that if we used it we would be chastised, and imprisoned. We started to believe that they were right. They criminalized marijuana, and we bought into it.

It was part of life. It was part of healing.

They took it away from us. We have to remind ourselves that we have bought into the nonsense.”

Her mission and goal is to make the community aware of the place that Caribbean people have in this industry.

“It starts with our mind-set. I have so many family members and elders who look down at me, not recognizing that cannabis is the number one stock traded for a reason. We need to recognize that our limitations are because of our mind-set.

We have to stop buying into the colonial thought.

I always question people do you know why it was made illegal in the first place? I usually hear crickets after the question, and this is why I have to continue to educate.”

Reena advocates strongly for community by getting involved with organizations that support and lobby for policy change. She is the volunteer coordinator at Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty, where their main push was to convince the federal government to amend and pass Bill C-93,

so that it gives expungements rather than pardons to Canadians convicted of simple possession marijuana.

“We wanted expungement, and instead they did expedited pardons. This means that the charge will stay on their record, and this may hinder some of their ability to do certain things,” Reena explains.

She also sits on the board for the Afro Caribbean Canadian Association Hamilton, as well as the Organja Society, a trade society that supports various products and services based businesses in the Global African Caribbean Indigenous and Diaspora communities.

“I am here to raise awareness of antiblack racism in the industry, as well as the inclusion and intersectional racism that myself and others have experienced. I want my community to have a seat at the table, and don’t worry, I will do the cooking.”

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NEWS

PAGE 3

We’ve smashed our moral compass! An authentic, emotional chat with Randy Hillier on the Simone Jennifer Smith Live Show SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“It ought to be apparent to everyone by now that as we enter into our second year of lockdowns, regardless of how much you obey, regardless of how much you comply with these outrageous unlawful measures and orders, the Covid lockdown will not end. It will not end until people stand up and assert their freedoms and uphold our constitution and the rule of law,” MPP Randy Hillier Although he was in his usual charismatic self, I noted right at the beginning of my interview with Randy Hillier that he seemed tired. It is why when I was promoting the interview, I asked a series of questions on my social media page in regard to why someone would put himself or herself through this.

Why would someone speak out against the government that he is a part of, knowing the type of backlash he would receive? Why would someone time and time again speak out knowing that every time they do, they put themselves in a position to be critiqued, chastised, and ridiculed?

Why would someone do this?

There can be only one reason; they truly believe in what they stand for. They believe in it so much that they don’t care about the ridicule. All that matters to them is that they stand on the side of the truth.

This is exactly what can be said about MPP Randy Hillier.

Many of the reports online written about Randy tend to be disparaging.

Whether or not the journalist or reporter believes in what Randy is doing, they want to speak on all of the negative that has come with the stance that he has taken.

The interview that I did with Randy last week was different. Our interview was focused on the strides that had been taken, and the positives that have come from his standing up and speaking when others were too afraid to.

One of the stances that Randy has had since the beginning of this pandemic is that the lockdowns have killed more people than the actual virus has. He has spoken in the past about how if people do not stand up, COVID-19 restriction will never end. He has reiterated the fact that our government leaders are cowardly, and timid. He has never shied away from speaking his mind, and for good reason.

One statement that I have been hearing from our government officials is that we need to trust the doctors. Trust the doctors. I get it. We should trust medical professionals who know a little more than we do. Most recently, I read an article written by a Swedish (Dr Sebastian Rushworth), called “What are the harms of lockdown?”

In his article he speaks about the fact that governments usually do a cost-

benefit analysis before they take a course of action, especially if it is likely to have a significant impact on society. This global lockdown constitutes the largest, most extreme measure taken by the western governments since World War II. According to Dr Rushworth, not a single government has presented a cost-benefit analysis in which all aspects of these lockdowns were considered, especially about the harm that it would cause.

This is exactly the reason why MPP Randy Hillier has been speaking out. As a member of parliament, he does have some insights to how decisions are made. He has seen the belly of the beast, and it turned his stomach.

During our interview he speaks about how the government has been using money to pay people to praise and adore the COVID-19 measures. He shares with me how fear, shame, and peer pressure have been woven into the COVID-19 messaging campaigns. We discuss the fact that lockdowns did nothing to limit the spread, how people are in despair, and call him telling him that their life no longer has purpose.

We have all watched the rate of suicides go up, which whether they want to correlate it or not, seems to be very situational.

“They have people believing that freedom is a bad thing Simone, that freedom is evil. People actually believe that this is an improvement, living in a state of fear.

Elected representatives are complicit to this intellectual dishonesty.”

I sat back and thought about this for a mo-

ment. I thought about the last year, and it made me think, what now? How do we move forward now?

Randy did share some good news with me during the interview, “I am happy to announce that we are members from three levels of government that have joined to form the End the Lockdown Caucus. This national caucus is a non-partisan effort to bring forward and represent the views of Canadians who know that these lockdowns are causing more harm than the virus.”

“You also mentioned some small victories in the courts against mask violations,” I queried?

“Yes! We did get justice for an elderly couple from Burlington. A court decision was reached after a condo board demanded two elderly residents to wear a mask inside the building, despite medical exemptions. The judge agreed that private companies, like this condo board, must comply with the complete law and accept mask exemption, accommodating all citizens. Business owners have to follow all laws, not half the laws.”

It might be a small win, but for MPP Randy Hillier it is a positive step forward. He continues his work with Liberty Coalition Canada, and this weekend, the very first No More Lockdowns billboard will be going up in Brantford, Ontario. If you are interested in learning about more of the work that MPP Randy Hillier is doing, you can visit him at www.randyhilliermpp. com

Of course, make sure to watch the entire interview at www.tcn.video

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PAGE 5

Epidemiologist warned that Ontario schools may have to be closed due to the coming third wave of COVID-19 variant spread PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

There have been concerns about the spread of the variants, not just all over the world but within Ontario, and especially in Ontario schools.

There was a high level of anxiety when modeling data was revealed on Thursday, March 11th, 2021 that shows Ontario may see up to 6,000 cases per day by April.

Dr. Adalsteinn Brown of the University of Toronto told the media briefing that it would take both a widespread decrease with respect to present public safety protocols and people not following them in order for a worst-case scenario to be achieved. He states, “The measures only work if people follow them.” Dr. Brown serves as co-chair of Ontario’s science advisory table.

There are concerns about how this will impact Ontario’s schools now that the second wave is in full swing. On Friday, March 12th, 2021 (CP24) ,Dr. Colin Furness, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public School, predicted that there may be up to 8,000 COVID-19 cases per day by April due to the transmission of the highly contagious COVID-19 variant strains.

He states, “ We know from the European experience that the kinds of control measures that we use are effective against the variants, we just need to maybe ramp

it up a bit.” He told Newstalk 1010 on Friday, March 12th, 2021 that, “I would expect us to need to have to close schools as an important measure, once the variants really pick upstream, and I’m expecting that to happen in the middle of April.”

Dr. Furness told CP24 he believed that the spread of this COVID-19 variant could result in a third wave that may cause another lockdown in Ontario. He foresees based on his modelling data that it would be only a matter of time before the closure of schools occurs. He states, “The good news is, the weather is getting warmer and vaccinations are really ramping up. So, as dire as this looks, I think it’s going to be fairly short-lived, and so I really do want people to feel concerned.”

CTV News Toronto reported on Tuesday, March 16th, 2021 that the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table reported to the PC-government that out of 1,489 cases reported on March 15th, 2021, 733 of them were due to the variants of concern.

This represents 49%.

The Ontario Hospital Association(OHA) announced on Monday, March 15th, 2021 that Ontario has indeed entered the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and there is a concomitant increase in the variants of concern and people in intensive care units. It states, “We’re now in wave three. Strong adherence to public health measures is urgently needed to prevent overwhelming hospitals.”

According to the Ontario government’s website, as of March 16th, 2021, there have been 1,599 cases reported in the last fourteen days of which 367 are school-related, of which 301 are students and 66 are staff. Out of 4,828 schools across the province, 893 have at least one reported case and 27 have been closed.

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Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

From Road to Farin; Over 100 Jamaican rescue dogs migrate to Canada JANIECE CAMPBELL janiece@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

It was 3 a.m. The view was pitch black and the ground was muddy from the heavy rainfall. The process felt never-ending, but that didn’t deter their team and accompanying volunteers from completing their mission.

On March 13th, 144 passengers at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay boarded a special charter flight bound for Canada. The travellers, who happened to be canines commonly known as mongrel dogs by the Jamaican public, were off to begin a new life abroad, a plan successfully orchestrated by Montego Bay Animal Haven (MBAH) in partnership with the Canadian organization Save Our Scruff.

Tammy Browne, founder of MBAH, aims to raise awareness of the plight and overpopulation of unfixed stray and abandoned animals in Jamaica.

But first, she aspired to change the common name of the dogs from “mongrels”, a term that often carries a stigma of uselessness to something dignified that Jamaicans and Caribbean people alike could be proud of.

“Mongrel is such a derogatory term. It gives the impression of something worthless or stupid. Everyone wants a breed. If you tell someone it’s a Labrador mix or a Pitbull, they’re quick to say that they want it. But if you say mongrel, they’ll say no. We’ve had people take these dogs abroad and have them tested and even the labs can’t determine what they are because they’re so mixed up. So, I decided they should be a breed of their own; the Royal Caribbean Terrier.”

An animal lover since childhood, Browne’s love for the Royal Caribbean Terrier specifically dates back to over twenty years ago, when she returned to Jamaica from England. On her way to work as a horse manager at an excursion company, she noticed a dog on the ground that had been hit by a car. Its back was broken.

“I picked up the dog and asked the townspeople where I should take it.

Everyone was like “it’s a mongrel, just put it back nuh!” I said no, and again asked where I should take it. They said that there was nowhere to take it.”

Upon doing some research, she found a few potential animal houses, but they were all severely lacking in funding.

She ended up taking it to a veterinarian that euthanized it for her. It wasn’t a couple days later before she returned to the same vet carrying another dog in a similar situation. It was at that moment that she realized that this was a reoccurring problem in the community that needed to be fixed. It was also then when Tammy Browne figured out her purpose.

With a little help from the inheritance that she gained from her godfather’s passing; she officially opened the Montego Bay Animal Haven in April 2009.

Throughout the initial three days of open-

ing, she saw over 200 animals: from cats in pillowcases and laundry baskets to a chartered bus from Negril with a whole heap of dogs. It was clear that this something that people wanted to be done.

Her latest accomplishment of relocating the Jamaican dogs is just another testament to her compassionate character, as Browne has rescued and helped to rehome over 1,000 animals. As wonderful as it is to imagine these pooches being placed into loving homes overseas, the reality is that if they weren’t put on that plane, they would have likely been euthanized as funding in Jamaica has largely decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Operating costs for the shelter are about $12,000 USD per month, which they were able to rake in through donations up until the past eight months.

“We couldn’t feed all these dogs.

The only option was to put them down.

But the thing about the Royal Caribbean Terrier, it has this amazing powerful drive to survive. They’re emaciated, covered in mange, flea and tick infested. If you do a blood sample, they barely have any. It’s like, how are you even alive? But these dogs are still breathing. And you have to give something like that a chance. The idea of having to euthanize even one of these dogs after each one has fought so hard to survive in our place, I just couldn’t do it. So, I had to find an alternative.”

Besides rescue and adoption, the MBAH team also has a multitude of programs including visiting schools to educate the next generation on being sympathetic to these animals in their communities, as well as a hike where visitors can take an hour-long walk alongside over 100 playful dogs for $65 USD.

Though their historic operation of sending 144 Royal Caribbean Terriers abroad was rewarding, Tammy Browne says there’s much more work that needs to be done and many changes to be seen nationwide.

“I want to see animal cruelty laws updated. Jamaica’s doing an amazing job, in every aspect, it’s growing and it’s really doing well. But the animal cruelty laws have not been updated since 1997 and it’s ridiculous. If you hurt somebody’s animal, you’ll get charged $1,000 JMD which is like $10. It’s nothing. These laws need to be updated and they need to be enforced. I’ve been into police stations and they have no idea that there are even animal cruelty laws. It’s something that has to be done,” says Browne. “I also want to have mobile spay and neuter clinics to travel all around the island and help in the communities. Even from a tourist’s point of view, you shouldn’t go into an area and see all these starving dogs and cats. There’s a desperate need for help. I believe if we change the suffering that we see on the streets, we’ll be able to uplift everyone.”

Each week, MBAH partakes in Wobbly Wednesdays (in support of animals with neurological and/or physical disorders) and $5 Fridays, initiatives to encourage followers to donate to the cause.

You can visit their Instagram, @ montegobayanimalhaven to find out more about what they do and to contribute today!

NEWS

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NEWS

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Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Jamaican Pastor encourages moving from defence to attack on COVID-19 PASTOR AL MILLER pastormiller@carib101.com

JAMAICA TC REPORTER Continued From Page 1 Fought too long and hard to give up Our forefathers fought long and hard for our freedom. They took a stand for our rights, for justice, for independence, for self-government and the ability to choose and chart our own destiny.

Bob Marley penned this concept and sang: “Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny, And in this judgement there is no partiality. (Brother, you’re right,) you’re right, You’re right, you’re right, you’re so right! We gonna fight (we gon’ fight), fighting for our rights!”

We must not surrender our rights to anybody, internally or externally, for any price.

Unfortunately, too many weak leaders in other countries around the world are content to hand over on a platter the liberties and legacy earned by the blood, sweat and tears of their forefathers. We cannot follow them! They are handing hard earned rights over to the sons of our oppressors and neo-colonial enslavers for a loaf of bread or simple pride of place. No! No! We Jamaicans cannot be of that ilk!

Positive Action Time!

COVID has devastated our nation on many fronts; frustration levels are high; the education of our children is being compromised. Business, social and economic life is waning. No longer can we as leaders and citizens simply observe the process, take a fatalistic approach, or sit back and fasten your seat belts and hope for the best. It is action time. It is time for an aggressive, objective, and offensive approach.

I must applaud our Government and their team of elected officials and civil servants for a continued excellent job in dealing with the COVID crisis. They have carefully and ably led us in observing the protocols and the dictates of external powers. This has been useful. However, that approach has been primarily a defensive approach, which has never and can never win a game or a war. Victory only comes by the offensive approach. You must attack to defeat or sit back and be defeated.

I pose it to the Hon. Prime Minister of Jamaica and fellow citizens that the recommended passive defensive approach to date, after one year of Covid’s negative and destructive impact on our nation and world, may suit and serve the interest of our oppressors, but not us!

The defensive approach serves only their interest, as they are the sole beneficiaries of this status quo. It certainly has not worked for us. The evidence is evident; rising cases of infected citizens, death tolls climbing, medical services being overwhelmed and consequently negatively impacting on other medical cases (look no further than the precious seventeen year old who died from an asthma attack).

Evidence for current status quo is flawed!

A preponderance of evidence shows many international organizations, companies, interest groups and their spokespersons have demonstrated the consistent inconsistency in the status quo arguments. There have been repeated double standards; the withholding and hiding of valuable information; denials of obvious truth. We have all seen conflict of interests and excessive attempts to censor and suppress any opposing or alternative opinions. This drives suspicion that all is not right in the current status quo camp!

Integrity of information, motives and actions seem suspect. After a year and little change, it is time for open forums to discuss the contending views and shape a path with the support of the people. That’s what free democracy is about. We cannot alter when it suits. Principles stand and must inform all areas of governance at all times.

All knowledge and wisdom does not rest only in one narrow camp of a few minds. History and experience have shown that whenever a position rejects, silences or discredits any alternative view, something is not right. Truth can always stand up to questions and scrutiny.

I must speak; we all must!

It is an accepted fact that the efforts of our Government in this crisis are sincere. No sane government would govern with the motive to destroy or annihilate their citizens. Our government is not insane.

But an equal fact of governance is the difficulty they face in trying to hold everything in balance: to keep the economy going with the least disruption; while having to observe international agreements, honour international arrangements and world accepted protocols.

Governments sometimes have to support the narrative of their alliances and their related leadership, which in many cases can be questionable. These external alliances, forces and loud voices cannot be always trusted to speak truth. For it is not always that our interests, as a small developing nation, are their interests.

Therefore, I am obligated in my office as a Pastoral leader for the people of my nation, to raise and address some concerns that affect their best welfare. You also are obligated as a business leader, civil society leader or opinion leader (journalist)!

My Faith demands of me to speak truth as I have always done, and declare truth to power on all matters, especially in the public domain and when danger lurks.

I cannot be silent anymore on this COVID matter! Neither can you in your own leadership capacity. Silence cannot be the prerogative of any leader who realizes that there seems to be duplicity and untruthfulness in much of the status quo evidence, arguments and demanded actions so far.

Martin Luther King said it well when he said, “The silence of the good people is more dangerous than the brutality of the bad people.”

Good people, we can be silent no more! As citizens of this nation, we must radically speak and move to defeat this COVID crisis. We must now move from defensive play to offensive play as the attack strategy to win.

Truth is what sets people free. Let me share the truth of months of my research and experience to assist us as a nation. May it serve as a recommendation as

part of the national strategy to attack this COVID monster: It can be defeated without negative and disastrous effects on the body or continued crippling of the society.

• •

•

•

We must, as our new era Prime Minister and government has asked us to commit to observing the protocols.

All citizens must work hard and be taught how to build up their greatest possible virus defence, the immune system. It is our best offensive approach to ward off COVID. Yet it has not formed the centre of our international public education focus. This means eating fruits and vegetables, getting adequate rest and taking additional vitamins like C, B-Complex, D and others recommended.

We must cease throwing out and discrediting proven medication that doctors have used and are using that have helped millions, cured thousands and reduced the need for hospitalization for many.

Then there are the homeopathic and alternative modalities that have contributed. What has cured the 99.7% of infected persons to date? I suggest for most it is the wonderful God designed Immune system, known drugs, plus the tremendous supportive care to symptoms by our brilliant doctors worldwide. It must not be lost on us that the 99.7% recovery rate has been without a vaccine.

Let’s talk: There are other ways (Alternative Medicines) Great care must always be taken not to lightly do anything or apply any approach that infringe upon the rights, freedoms and liberties of a society. Free people in a free law-abiding society must be given the truth and options and allow them to choose their courses of action. Moral suasion should always be the preferred options.

It cannot be successfully argued or denied that with the tremendous scientific and medical advancement of the last fifty years that there are not known tested and proven existing medications that although may not be perfect can considerably contribute to contain and control most viruses and bacteria.

There are available drugs that are both preventative and highly curative.

There are many people here in Jamaica and overseas who these drugs have helped.

Many local doctors and hospitals used them to treat many Covid positive patients, particularly in the upper echelon of society.

A personal friend of mine, and Pastor of one of the largest churches in New York City had one of the worst attacks in the early COVID-19 outbreak in New York.

He nearly died as he had a lung problem.

He was hospitalized and his doctors tried everything to no avail. In desperation his doctors agreed to try alternative strategies, as he had nothing to lose.

Although they knew a medication had antiviral properties there was no medical evidence that it would work for Covid.

As a last resort, they, with his approval, tried it.

In his own testimony he declared, “It saved my life.” No one can say it does not work. Scores of doctors have been using it and have had no fatalities; all have been cured. The drugs combined of which I speak, are hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and zinc. The American Journal of med-

icine now recommends their use for treatment of COVID-19 outpatients. Hundreds of millions have used it around the world since 1955. It is sold in many countries as an over the counter drug with a high safety profile.

The Virology Journal, the official publication of the National Institutes of Health published what is now a blockbuster article on August 22nd, 2005. Chloroquine is a potent inhibitor of SARS coronavirus injection and spread. “We report… that chloroquine has a strong antiviral effect on SARS-COV injection of primate cells. These inhibitory effects are observed when cells are treated with the drug either before or after exposure to the virus suggesting both prophylactic and therapeutic advantage.”

NIH continued, “Concentrations of 10vm completely abolished SARS-COV infection. Chloroquine can effectively reduce the establishment of infection and spread of SARS-COV.” It is of interest to note that Hydroxycholoroquine is a much milder form of Chloroquine.

Another known drug being used by doctors in many nations with all successful results is IVERMECTIN. Data abounds on the great results in prevention and its aid in the curative. An attack approach as a nation involving some of these tried medicines should begin by deliberately educating and equipping our people to the efficacy of these alternatives. We could possibly break the back of this Covid monster with this approach.

We cannot continue the defensive fear filled approach being driven by external forces with their own agendas. On what basis are we being told they cannot work when others are seeing results? All this, while the recommended vaccines that have been rushed to the fore, are not yet tried and proven.

There are many other such anecdotal and alternative medical testimonies.

Some of you reading this have the evidence in front of you, right there on your desk, in your medical journals, or electronic device. It’s undeniable!

Let the people choose In an OpEd article in The Guardian newspaper of Britain, titled “Watching New Zealand’s Covid success from bungling Britain has been torture,” author Todd Atticus said, “It is clear to me that these alternate realities aren’t just dumb luck or geographical good fortune. They are the result of different political choices.

Let’s be the next commonwealth country role model to beat this dreaded virus!” Atticus continued, “Everyone in the world has been reminded of the power the state has to reshape our lives.”

Let the world experience the power of the Jamaican state, combining with the power of the Jamaican people to allow for CHOOSING life-saving alternatives as we battle the virus and positively reshape our future together.

So, I suggest Hon. new era PM, allow our citizens to be educated on possible options and methods that can prevent infection and let them choose. When people feel a part of the solution, as part of a strategy to attack and conquer, the compliance rate will increase to make us win the war.

In a modern democracy issues that affect the survival and direction of a people must engage the people in dialogue. Let’s together attack Covid on all fronts and beat it.

PAGE 10

NEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

While the poor get sick, Bill Gates just gets richer SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“Increasingly, I see less information coming from the Gates Foundation.

They don’t answer most of our questions. They don’t make their technical staff available for discussions with us when we’re trying to learn more about their technical strategy [on Covid] and how they’re prioritizing certain things.”

Kate Elder (Senior Vaccines Policy Adviser to Doctors Without Borders) It is safe to say that this last year has been tough on Canadians, and the global economic impact is worthy of some discussion. Where we have seen the most impact is when it comes to the loss of jobs, and the closing down of many small and medium businesses.

Most of the job or income losses have been due to being furloughed or people experiencing a reduction in their

work hours. What is important to note is that these job and income losses were not experienced equally. Hispanic, lowincome, and young individuals (between the ages of 18 and 24) had the highest rates of job and income loss compared to other racial/ethnic, income, and age groups.

In April 2020, Canada lost almost two million jobs, a record high, and reports indicate that Canadians with disabilities are struggling to make ends meet because of the financial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic remains a source of considerable financial risk, and as a community, we still have to watch for the possibility that the tough times many households and businesses are facing could lead to credit losses that ripple throughout the financial system.

You know who does not seem to not be having any financial woes; Bill Gates. I want to present some numbers to you that will provide some perspective on this topic.

According to an article written by The Nation.com (https://www.thenation. com/article/economy/bill-gates-investments-covid/)

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation reported a $40 million stake in Cu-

reVac—one of dozens of investments the foundation reports having in companies working on Covid vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics or manufacturing.

This, along with some other information I am about to present, clearly shows that the world’s most visible charity, and one of the world’s most influential voices in the pandemic response, is in a position to potentially reap considerable financial gains from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the same article, James Love (Director of the NGO Knowledge Ecology International) spoke about the foundation’s decades of work on vaccines that allowed it to assert influence early in the pandemic.

“He had enough money and enough presence in the area for a long enough period of time to be positioned as the first mover and the most influential mover. So, people just relied upon his people and his institutions,” says Love, “In a pandemic, when there is a vacuum of leadership, people that move fast and seem to know what they’re doing, they just acquire a lot of power. And he did that in this case.”

Forbes has estimated Bill Gates’s private wealth at around $115 billion, and it has increased by more than $10 billion

during the pandemic.

The Financial Express.com put out an article called, “Bill Gates making $200 billion from vaccines? Microsoft cofounder explains math behind ‘returns’ – (https://www.financialexpress.com/ industry/bill-gates-making-200-billionfrom-vaccines-microsoft-co-founder-explains-math-behind-returns/2092891/).

In the article, Gates explained that the $10 billion investment made by his foundation in global health organisations such as: Gavi, the Global Fund and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, allowed him to help provide vaccines, drugs, bed nets and other supplies in developing countries.

Hearing numbers like this does put certain things in perspective. With this pandemic, there are winners, and there are losers. On one end of the scale, one man has managed to increase his wealth by billions, while many people in communities across the globe are barely able to pay their rent.

I ask you readers, are you okay with this? For some of you the answer is, “This is just how the world works.” For others, you are reading this and thinking, “How does this make sense? How is it that the poor are getting sicker, and Bill Gates is getting richer?”

Behind the lens; Capturing the Hidden Truth TVISHA MISTRY

tvisha@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Attention the Film Industry is back. Stronger than ever, the industry is growing!

A recent report entitled “Global Movie Theatres Market: Size & Forecasts with Impact Analysis of COVID-19 (20202024 Edition)” by Research and Marketing Cor. revealed forecasts on the scope of increase in the film industry’s market size and projects across the globe.

COVID-19 led to several restrictions including the closure of movie theatres. And all the moviegoers were heartbroken at the news. But as the vaccine distribution begins, we can expect our

lives to go back to normal.

Earlier this month, on March 5th movie theatres in the Southwestern regions of Ontario, reopened to welcome all the cinema buffs back to their happy place. After moving to the Orange zone, London has been one of the first regions to open its cinemas.

The opened locations include Cineplex Odeon Westmount Cinemas, SilverCity London Cinemas, Galaxy Cinemas Chatham, and Galaxy Cinemas St. Thomas.

Since COVID-19 has led to so many new experiences, I decided to watch a movie. Something I wouldn’t normally pick. But let me just say I’m SO glad I did! Recently I watched the eyeopening short film Till Death do us Part, directed by Dolores Vunda.

“Till Death do us Part” is an independent short film released on Youtube.

Directed by Dolores Vunda the story captures the experience of an African woman of Ugandan descent through

the struggles of her marital life and the societal pressures that follow a woman to childbearing. The story develops Denise, the lead character further, as she embarks on a journey to oppose her husband’s will to marry another woman, standing up against her family to fight the law that the culture still holds just.

“The thing I look for when choosing a script is “the truth”. What kind of truth is hidden in the story and how it might impact lives. What could change a person’s perspective and show the reality or the hidden truth,” said Director Dolores Vunda.

Vunda is a native African, born and raised in the Republic of Congo. She recently graduated from the Warsaw film school in Poland. Having a long connection with cinemas Vunda has a passion for sharing stories. She likes to shine light on the stories that are not necessarily brought forward by mainstream media.

She has decided to focus on stories from the region of Africa. She wished to cap-

ture the reality, whether it be good or bad.

“I see myself going back to Africa and making films on Africa. I want to make movies about Africa, that show the goods and the bads. Wherever you go they are things you know and the things you don’t. So, I want to share their vision. Sometimes people are scared to say what they want to say, so I want to be that voice. I want to say the things that are not being said in the frontlines,” said Director Dolores Vunda. “You still have this cultural side of Africa that people don’t know. Although I am from Africa when I made my film, I discovered things that I didn’t know. To know the hows and whys, and I was shocked that even though I spent my entire life there; there are still things I don’t know. And that is a frightening feeling because it’s a part of identity and then it would mean that I don’t truly know myself,” Vunda added.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

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Hoodwinked and taken for a ride; Sinister scams of 2020 MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“You’ve been had, you’ve been bamboozled, you’ve been hoodwinked and you’ve been taken for a ride.” Words of the late Malcolm-X comes to mind as most of the awaken souls watch the sleeping ones daily as they comply with their own enslavement, and believe it or not, even help enforce it as well.

Sometime around mid-March last year, the world was told that there was a deadly virus making the rounds, and everyone had to make a few small sacrifices for a couple of weeks to ensure that this socalled monster does not kill us all.

Just like good citizens almost everyone complied with the golden rules.

Washing your hands, wearing a mask or face covering, staying indoors and yes treating each other with scorn aka the great “social distancing.”

Here in Toronto folks were told that

all they needed was two weeks to “flatten the curve” and oh yes out of fear - just like a herd of sheep - the people complied with no questions, and in good old-fashioned trickster style two weeks was extended into one month, two months, three months and the noose around the necks of the herd started to be tightened inch by inch.

Staying at home plus social distancing meant most small businesses with the exception of groceries stores, drugstores and the corner stores were closed, which meant that employees got laid off and apart from the pittance given by the government the financial struggle to pay the bills and keep the family running had begun.

Some of the big ones and those that were deemed so-called essential businesses remained open until today and are raking in hefty profits, while the backbone of the country, which are small mom and pop enterprises, were given small breaks to reopen and close again with more regulations than a “Sunday school class,” and yes once again they all complied.

Even the churches were not exempt and were told how many members can be in God’s presence (if and only if) they stood or sat six feet apart. Therefore, in order to reach the rest of the flock Pastors and Priest had to join the online club and go virtual, and with the exception of pastor James

Coates of Edmonton who paid a hefty price which included been thrown in jail for disobeying. Yes, they complied once more.

Someone once said that compliance can be a double-edged sword and sometimes when people are scared, they sometimes turn on their friends and neighbors. Some storekeepers either through a lack of knowledge or fear, now dismiss customers from their businesses for not wearing a mask even when the customer reveals that he or she have a medical exemption, all in the name of complying.

Censorship and removal or demonetization of the social media accounts of Canadians such as “Rebel News,” who dare to go against the narrative of (Lie-stream media), and the rest of the clan is now a way of life in this country, yet folks are still complying.

Speaking of complying here is a few words from a man who has no plans to comply with his own enslavement. Mike J, an Ontario teacher was a speaker at the “Freedom Rally” held at Queens Park on March 20th, 2021, and he had this to say to the establishment.

“I am one man, but the truth that I am about to utter burns in the hearts and rumble on the lips of tens of millions across the world. In this time, on this day the 20th of March 2021, and just like freedom, truth is not cheap. What is freedom if there is no

truth and what is truth if there is no freedom?

You came for our elderly parents you put them in harm’s way and many died cold and alone, then you prevented us from mourning them by your two-meter mental shackles.

You came for our jobs to drain our savings and our ability to provide for our loved ones and ourselves. You came for our small businesses to remove competition, and our option to shop where our rights and freedom will be honored.

All so you can turn and strong-arm us into accepting your bondage passports and your one-world centralized digital currency. You came for our children gaged and mentally shackled putting them into a continuous state of fear thinking that they can kill their loved ones just by breathing. Brainwashing them to believe a life of bondage is somehow normal.”

J ended by letting the so-called ruling class know that his God-given right to live “Is not negotiable.”

It’s been over one year now and as for the sleepers, it is said, and “It is easier to fool people, than to convince them that they have been fooled”.

Take notice throughout all this, it is “very essential business” as usual at the liquor store. After all, one cannot spread a virus if he or she is in the spirit Eh!

Who else is tired of the great mask debate? Time to educate!

SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

To be honest with you, I am tired of this mask debate. I truly believe that people should be free to do what they feel fit for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, it has become a debate, one so heated that we have seen physical altercations ensue because of it.

What is important here is that in order for you to make an educated decision or to have a position on a topic, you have to be educated on it. Educating yourself on a topic does not mean turning on CNN, or CTV, and listening to what a reporter tells you. Educating yourself means taking the time to hear what is being said, and then doing the necessary research. Once you have done this, now you have the ability to make qualified decisions.

What I am going to quickly do for our readers this week is present you with peer-reviewed studies that discuss the pros and the cons of mask wearing. You will be provided with topics and links that you can take and conduct your own research. Let’s first talk a little bit about what we know about the influenza virus.

Influenza remains a global public health concern; the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates show that annual epidemics may cause up to 5 million severe illnesses and 500,000 deaths worldwide, and this was back in 2018. Influenza outbreaks have and continue to represent an important health concern worldwide, but this is not a new phenomenon.

There are cases in which vaccines are only partially successful in reducing the infection rate, and the use of respiratory protective devices are usually seen as a countermeasure. Respiratory protective devices include medical masks and N95 respirators.

What has been difficult for some people to understand is why public health authorities are not providing established scientific studies that show the effectiveness of masks. What is reported is all the positives, but what is not mentioned is the unknown potential harm that they can cause.

When I did literature reviews in the alternative media space, I found that once again, journalists and reporters were only including studies that defended their point of view. Regardless of what I think about mask or mask wearers, my job is not to convince; my job is to share information so that our readers are able to make their own decisions.

Below is some scientific literature about the effectiveness of wearing surgical masks and respirators.

Jacobs, J. L. et al. (2009) “Use of surgical face masks to reduce the incidence of the common cold among health care workers in Japan: A randomized controlled trial,” American Journal of Infection Control, Volume 37, Issue 5, 417-419. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/pubmed/19216002

reduce the transmission of influenza. There was less data to support the use of masks or respirators to prevent becoming infected.

COWLING, B., ZHOU, Y., IP, D., LEUNG, G., & AIELLO, A. (2010). Face masks to prevent transmission of influenza virus: A systematic review. Epidemiology and Infection, 138(4), 449-456. doi:10.1017/S0950268809991658 Conclusion Their review highlights the limited evidence base supporting the efficacy or effectiveness of face masks to reduce influenza virus transmission. They explain that if airborne transmission were important, it would be less likely that surgical masks lead to reductions in infectiousness or protection against infection. bin-Reza et al. (2012) “The use of masks and respirators to prevent transmission of influenza: a systematic review of the scientific evidence,” Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 6(4), 257-267. https:// onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ j.1750-2659.2011.00307.x

Conclusion This study concluded that facemask use in health care workers has not been demonstrated to provide benefit in terms of cold symptoms or getting colds. Researchers agreed that a larger study is needed to definitively establish whether no mask use is better than wearing a mask.

Conclusion The review of studies did not establish a conclusive relationship between wearing a mask/respirator and its ability to protect you against the influenza infection. The researchers concluded that mask use is best undertaken as part of a package of personal protection and healthcare settings.

Cowling, B. et al. (2010) “Face masks to prevent transmission of influenza virus: A systematic review,” Epidemiology and Infection, 138(4), 449-456. https://www. cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-infection/article/face-masks-to-prevent-transmission-of-influenza-virus-a-systematic- review/64D368496EBDE0AFCC663 9CCC9D8BC05

Smith, J.D. et al. (2016) “Effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks in protecting health care workers from acute respiratory infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” CMAJ Mar 2016 https:// www.cmaj.ca/content/188/8/567

Conclusion During the 2009 influenza H1N1 pandemic, national and international health agencies recommended the use of facemasks. There was some evidence to support the wearing of masks when someone was sick to help

Conclusion In this study N95 respirators appeared to have a protective advantage over surgical masks in laboratory settings. What they wanted to determine but were unable to was whether N95 respirators were superior to surgical masks in protecting health care workers against transmissible acute respiratory infections in clinical settings.

Offeddu, V. et al. (2017) “Effectiveness of Masks and Respirators Against Respiratory Infections in Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 65, Issue 11, 1 December 2017, Pages 1934– 1942, https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/65/11/1934/4068747 Conclusion Researchers found evidence to confirm the effectiveness of medical masks and respirators against SARS. Disposable, cotton, or paper masks were not recommended. They also noted that the effectiveness of the mask is related to the baseline risk of infection.

Outbreaks with higher attack rates offer more opportunities for infection.

I guess the question to ask would be, is COVID-19 considered a high attack rate, or is it being made out to be one?

Long, Y. et al. (2020) “Effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks against influenza: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” J Evid Based Med. 2020; 1- 9. https:// onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ jebm.12381 Conclusion In this study the research was clear; the use of N95 respirators compared with surgical masks is not associated with a lower risk of laboratory confirmed influenza. It suggests that N95 respirators not be recommended for general public use.

Believe me when I say, if you really want to go down this rabbit hole you can. There needs to be more research done to determine the importance of different modes of transmission of influenza and the effectiveness of respiratory protection devices in real-world use.

Not one of the studies presented established a conclusive relationship between mask/respirator use and protection against influenza infection, and if that is the case, should mask mandates be enforced the way that they have been by the Canadian government?

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Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Worldwide Freedom Rally; Preserving our rights, freedoms, and bodily integrity NIKITA YOUNG

nikita@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

This past Saturday, March 21st, 2021 was the World Wide Freedom Rally where people all over the world gathered locally to show solidarity to preserve our rights, freedoms, and bodily integrity.

Many cities worldwide participated including a few right here at home.

The rally was not an organized event by any groups in particular; most of the gatherings were just everyday people that created online local groups and committed to gathering in solidarity for that day. Our province of Ontario was host to over eight rally locations, Toronto starting at Queens

Park, Whitby, Barrie, London, Sudbury, and Timmins to name a few. Many huge gatherings also took place in Australia, the United States, Italy, Sweden, and more. Many videos can be found on YouTube with footage of the worldwide gatherings.

Thousands were out in the streets of Toronto all unmasked, hugging, talking, smiling, and just feeling normal again.

Many masked and double-masked onlookers filmed with their phones from the sidewalks and store shop windows as if it was a strange phenomenon to see people close to each other.

Most rallies worldwide including Toronto went off peacefully. The Toronto police were there and blocked off the roads while the march went on. Places like Australia, London, and Germany saw some push back from the police against the rallies, which resulted in conflict between the police and rally attendees. In Germany police used water cannons, pepper spray and even detained some of the attendees.

In London, England, police were hugely outnumbered as the crowd there got

up to over 100,000 people, some arrests were made but stayed civil for most of the march. Across Canada, people came out in numbers in every province.

Those who are not willing to: take an experimental gene therapy injection, wear masks, or be subjected to vaccination passports for access to basic services marched with signs and chanted lines like “just say no” as they walked through the streets. After chatting with a few people at the rally in downtown Toronto, I found something kind of special about the diversity of people from all different walks of life that came together to stand for the rights and freedoms of everyone worldwide.

There were people of all races, religions, spirituality, parents, singles; the elder and the young were all there. Though all different, there was one thing in common amongst the people I got to speak with, and that was that they were all 100% never going to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

Most of the concerns people have are their right to choose what goes in their bodies. Some believe that these new injec-

tions are modifying how your body works, and many do not agree with that. Some people talked about the validity of the PCR test for detecting the COVID-19 virus, and have concerns that the test is only being used to produce fake positives and keep people in fear.

Vaccine passports seemed to be on everyone’s minds that I spoke with.

Many are already not traveling because of being subjected to the PCR Test. With Toronto being so diverse I found that amongst those I spoke with a lot of people are missing their family overseas, and wondered if they would ever see them again.

It was clear that the people at the rallies worldwide are just tired of all the government propaganda and many have lost trust in their governments. Signs at all the protests had messages like, “My body, my choice” and “Freedom is essential.”

The overall message was that these individuals just want to keep their right to choose what medications and medical procedures they have done, and not be penalized for it.

Another look at Jamaican history; Lynda Edwards’ “Friendship Estate” is here MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Lynda Edwards is one of a few storytellers that actually makes an individual believe that he or she is living the story that she is telling, and these days that is very rare.

In her second book titled “Friendship Estate” Edwards takes her readers on a back in time ride through Jamaica in the 1700s-1800s from the ugly and rootless plantation era to good old Georgian England in its entire splendour.

This was an era when Jamaica had to tolerate England’s good, bad and ugly in more ways than one. After listening to this author narrate this story one gets the feeling that Edwards was there and saw it all.

The attention to detail with which

Edwards writes is exceptional. In the book “Friendship Estate” she carefully takes the readers through the mind-set of one of the British men of that era who traded his family in exchange for a new Haitian wife, then on his deathbed willed her to his best friend.

Edwards said that the motivation for this book came from watching Patrick Chung, a Jamaican who plays for New England Patriots. Chung decided to sit out the 2020 season so as not to infect his family with the virus, because his family was worth more to him than money.

Toronto Caribbean Newspaper spoke with the author Mrs. Lynda Edwards about “Friendship Estate” and what is in the future for her readers.

“Friendship Estate is my Covid baby,” Edwards told Toronto Caribbean Newspaper, “I started in May and finished it in October. It is one of those books that invaded my imagination. I was writing at all hours of the day and night as it came to me.”

“I tried very hard to make Jamaica a character in the book,” she said, “it is essential to both stories and there is so much that is going for Jamaica, but we don’t allow it to be the source of pride as it should be.”

Edwards was asked how is it she narrates a story so well? The Jamaican author answered, “We are an oral narration society, we do so much better speaking than we do writing.”

Edwards who was born in Mandeville Jamaica in the 60s said that family surrounded her. She told Toronto Caribbean Newspaper. “Family was very central in my life growing up.”

“This book,” Edward continues, “comes from my imagination, my family history in Jamaica and the book that Bernard Senior wrote, which really showed that if people had just put a little forethought into the end of slavery, things would have been so different.”

This author told Toronto Caribbean Newspaper she found her writing voice late in life, finishing her first book “Redemption Songs” at age 52 and that took her a year and a half to complete.

She also had advice for young up and coming writers; “Get a notebook and write down all your thoughts that come to you. I found that very helpful with both my books and I have a notebook for each of my books.

That’s where I would put my thoughts that come to me at 3:00 am in the morning, when I am washing the dishes or doing the laundry.”

Edwards disclosed that she writes while listening to music, and she also has a different music playlist for each of her books.

She also would like her fans to know that a third book is in the works called “I Am Cuba” and her goal for this year is to get it published.

Edwards told Toronto Caribbean Newspaper that when she was looking for publishers for both books, she could not find anyone that were willing to publish her and other Caribbean fiction writers, “And that,” she said, “is very sad.”

It is safe to say that if readers are looking for a book that makes them feel a part of the story, then “Friendship Estate” is the book.

Lynda Edwards “Friendship Estate” is a must read, self-published book and is available on all social platforms. www.lyndaredwards.com/

Alpha and Desiree King educate, empower, elevate and equip seniors for independence PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The aging of the Canadian population has placed seniors in Canada at the forefront of social, political, and economic changes.

According to Statistics Canada data, approximately 18% of the Canadian population is 65 years and older. This translates to about 6,835,866 Canadians from the 2016 Census Data (statscan.gc.ca).

Desiree King has worked in different fields over the years, and she wrote on her Facebook page, “Working with seniors is not a transaction. It is a journey and one that has led me to start Senior Living 411.”

The mission of this company is, “to educate, equip, ensure, empower, and elevate seniors and their families throughout the aging in place. They arm you with topnotch information and access to other likeminded qualified providers.”

Desiree King started Senior Living 411 Inc in May 2020 and serves as the CEO and founder while her husband, Alpha serves as the CIO. Desiree has an extensive background working with seniors over the past thirty years. She has experience as a Business Development Manager for one of the leading home health care companies in North America. She is currently a certified senior home safety specialist and is an Advisor Member with Age Safe Canada.

In her appearance on Breakfast Television (July 13th, 2018) she revealed that the cost of retirement homes in Ontario range from $1,500 to $ 5,000 per month.

She discussed the various senior housing options available and the challenges sandwich generations face with respect to raising their young kids and their elderly par-

ents.

Since the inception of Senior Living 411 Inc, Desiree has engaged in an educational campaign that has presented different topics. On June 7th, 2020, in a Facebook promotion, she introduced her company and states that, “Our mission is to provide education and resources designed to help people live empowered lives and make informed decisions.” She did presentations on June 3rd, 2020 on the importance of an Annual Home Safety Assessment and on June 7th, 2020, she discussed, “Fall Prevention Myths and Solutions.”

On October 1st, 2020, for National Seniors Day, Desiree wrote on her Facebook page, “To the seniors, whose shoulders we stand on. Today, we honor you, for all that you have done to contribute to our lives, our society, and our future. You are loved, treasured, and valued. We at SL411 will continue to advocate for your rights, your safety and for your dignity.”

The month of November 2020 was very busy for Senior Living 411 Inc. Novem-

ber is known as Fall Prevention Month. Desiree and several guests presented Zoom meetings on topics such as: Fall Prevention Exercises, Intro & Exercise Level Test, Strength and Balance, Benefits of Therapeutic Massages, Cognitive Skills and Aging, Personal Emergency Response Systems and How to conduct a Home Safety Assessment.

There have been many concerns in mainstream media about the number of seniors that have died in long-term care homes (LTC) and retirement homes. The Lancet reported on January 16th, 2021, that it is a “national disgrace’ with respect to what has happened. The Toronto Star reported on Monday, March 15th, 2021 that having 3-4 people in the same room has contributed to a higher COVID-19 death rate.

It is an excellent thing that Senior Living 411 intends to do for seniors. They will be much safer inside their own homes, and seniors will understand the many benefits of independent living.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

NEWS

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Children suicides on the rise: Effects of the pandemic TVISHA MISTRY

tvisha@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“It is deeply alarming to hear that [sucide is the leading cause of death for children ages 10 to 14]. I’m an advocate for kids but I’m also the mom of a ten-year-old, and to think about suicide being the leading cause of death for children ages 10 to 14, that’s what keeps me up at night… to think that these children are in such need of help and simply can’t get the support that they need,” said Sarah Austin, founder, and CEO of Children First Canada.

Children First Canada is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making Canada a better place for kids. In alliance with charities, hospitals, research institutes, and corporations, Children First Canada aims to voice concerns of all the children in

the country.

Recently, Children First Canada, the University of Calgary, and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, published a report by the name: Raising Canada 2020.

This report revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequent restrictions are making a bad situation worse, in regards to the mental and physical health of Canadian kids.

The report provided a variety of statistics and stated that suicide is the leading cause of death for children aging 10 to 14 and the second leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 24 years.

While these numbers were already escalating through previous years, the COVID-19 restrictions have evidently accelerated the suicide rates.

Among children aged 15 to 17, crowdsourced data revealed that 57% of the participants reported their mental health was “somewhat worse” or “much worse,” than it was prior to the physical distancing measures placed during the pandemic.

During the lockdown, children

have been attending classes online and have been spending the rest of their time on Youtube or watching TV. This in turn has led to psycho-social problems like Internet addiction, lower self-esteem, and low interest in physical activities. Apart from this, cyberbullying and anxiety have also impacted mental health when children spend time on social media.

“The fact that young people ages 12 to about 17 often, when they are asked, they rate their own mental health less positively than their parents do, tells me some parents may not recognize their children’s mental health struggle as it’s happening,” commented The University of Calgary’s Professor, Candace Lind, one of the co-authors of Raising Canada 2020.

“Canada has been on the decline for over a decade, in terms of how we fare against other wealthy nations. So that was true even before the crisis hit and we know that now children’s health has certainly worsened. Both their physical and mental wellbeing are in jeopardy and require urgent action,” stated Sarah Austin, CEO of Children First Canada. “First we are calling for the appointment of a federal commis-

sioner for children and youth. Somebody that is actually in charge and is driving the agenda for children and ensuring that they are made a priority. Secondly, we want to see a national strategy put in place to tackle these top ten threats to childhood health and really to focus on the most urgent issues in ways in which children are being impacted by COVD-19,” Austin added.

If you are someone who is struggling or you know someone who is struggling to cope with the current circumstances, please do not hesitate and get the help necessary. If you feel comfortable, talk to someone you know or trust. If this does not seem plausible, call or text: 1-800-6686868.

This is the toll-free number for the Kids Helpline. The Kids Helpline is a 24/7 service catered to young individuals that need someone to talk to. You can share your concerns and get advice from understanding councilors while maintaining anonymity.

You do not need to hurt alone. No matter what you are going through; big or small, please reach out to someone.

What is C.S.W.B and what is the Peel C.S.W.B Plan?

ADRIAN ADORE

adrian@carib101.com

PRP REPORTER

The letters C.S.W.B. themselves stand for Community Safety and Well-Being. C.S.W.B. Plan is a planning framework based on the community safety and well-being concept that the Government of Ontario has identified through Bill 175 - The Safer Ontario Act, as necessary for community health. The idea itself is simple. It is a focus on ways to Improve and Promote Community Safety.

So, what does a safe community look like? A genuinely safe community exists when all of its members are well fed, have a warm place to sleep, clothing on their backs, money for goods and services and good health, both physically and mentally. Further, it is an environment that thrives with opportunities for learning, inspirational platforms for self-expression and the support of healthy relationships. Ideally, a safe community is also one where crime is neither considered nor committed.

Having an entirely safe community is potentially viewed as a utopian “perfect world” ideology and perhaps in some people’s minds impossible to achieve. Making significant improvements to community safety and well-being, however, is undoubtedly attainable. Every person, community group, organization, business, public, and emergency service in a community has ways and opportunities to contribute to their community’s wellness and safety.

Our community, the Regional Municipality of Peel, the place where we live, work and play, is our collective responsibility. Through the collaborated efforts of over twenty-five organizations that represent this region’s emergency services, school boards, health and social service providers and governments, the development of Peel’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan is now in place for us; the stakeholders of our community, to do our part.

The safety and well-being of the community we serve is our highest priority.

With our community partners’ help, we are dedicated to evolving our role so that our contributions result in the most significant positive impact for our community.

So, what is the role that Peel Regional Police play in Peel’s C.S.W.B. Plan?

We have outlined some Community Safety and Well-Being information on our website.

It is recognized that many issues

impact the safety of the community. Peel Regional Police, along with our partners’ help, are focusing our collaborative efforts on current priorities; mental health and addiction, family and intimate partner violence (F.I.P.V.) and the issue of systemic discrimination.

To address these current priorities, we have: • Partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association to launch our Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team (M.C.R.R.T.) program and with Peel Addiction Assessment and Referral Centre (P.A.A.R.C.) to support members of the community who may be in crisis due to an addiction or are looking to get support/information about alcohol, drugs or problem gambling. These collaborations allow us to provide a healthy response to a health problem. Visit our website to read the article A Day with M.C.R.R.T. • Launched the “It’s Not OK” awareness campaign with Peel Partners (Region of Peel, Cities of Brampton and Mississauga, the Town of Caledon, O.P.P. and others) to generate increased access to information and resources related to Family and Intimate Partner Violence (F.I.P.V.) and the creation of a centralized IPV (Intimate Partner Violence) Unit. For

•

more information about this initiative visit our website to read the article Family and Intimate Partner Violence – It’s Not OK. Conducted an internal culture survey with Peel Regional Police employees, both sworn and civilian. Needed changes were identified, including those that would both help us better serve our community and make our organization an even better place to work. Those changes began. Among those required changes were the organizational structure’s realignment, the investment into new units to serve our community better and technology such as body-worn cameras and digital evidence management initiatives.

Peel Regional Police’s role in contributing to the highest level of safety in our community is through healthy and collaborative social development, prevention, risk intervention, and incident response. Continuing to address crime proactively, strengthening how we engage with our community, and further developing educational programs are the necessary tasks that Peel Regional Police will continue to undertake.

Peel Regional Police supports the safety and well-being of the community through collaboration and partnerships.

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Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

“Trust your Doctors,” I was told; my question is which ones?

SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

If you visit Ontario.ca (https://covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccines-ontario), our government has stated very strongly that vaccines are safe, effective and the best way to protect you and those around you from serious illnesses like COVID-19. It states that vaccines work with your immune system so your body will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed, it can reduce your risk of developing COVID-19 and make your symptoms milder if you do get it.

They reassure us that our supply will not arrive all at once, so distribution will happen in stages. Their goal is for everyone in Ontario to be able to get a COVID-19 vaccination if they want one, as soon as enough doses are available from manufacturers.

Now, right off the hop, I have some questions. I visited the CDC website (https:// www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/keythingstoknow.html)), and I was curious as to how the government can speak assuredly about a vaccine that scientists themselves are still questioning. According to CDC, “Scientists are still learning how well vaccines prevent you from spreading the virus. We’re also still learning how long COVID-19 vaccines protect people.”

Well that is honest and appreciated.

This leads me to a cultural media roundtable that I was invited to attend hosted by Minister Stephen Lecce, on Thursday March 18th, 2020. It was a call to discuss COVID-19 Vaccinations in Ontario. The Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health, Robin Martin and MPP Deepak Anand joined the roundtable.

Overall, the roundtable was very informative. Media outlets were asked to send questions in ahead of time, and then if they had time, they would answer more ques-

tions.

“Great,” I thought. I did have questions for the Ministers, and it had to do with how this affects our Caribbean community.

“Great rising Minister Lecce,” I began, “As a voice and advocate for the Caribbean community, I have some concerns about this vaccine. There have been reports of deaths and other adverse effects in healthy people after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

What questions do you suggest members of our community ask their doctor about this vaccine so that they are sure that it is the best option for them?”

Minister Lecce gracefully forwarded this question to MPP Robin Martin.

“It is a matter of social trust; trust in medical professionals,” MPP Martin replied. “Our medical professionals have assured everyone that the vaccines in Canada are all safe. We have a vaccine rollout plan that is ensured to: • • •

Prevent death Reduce hospitalization and ICU unit Prevent transmission

When people are speaking with their doctors, they should talk about the objectives and whether it is likely they will get a bad case of COVID-19. You need to believe in what the doctors say. The doctors are universally saying that the vaccine is safe. We are putting trust in the leaders to advocate for the vaccine.”

“Ummmm, Thank you!” I sat there a little puzzled. I didn’t really get any concrete questions to provide to the community to ask their doctors.

Naturally, I put up another thought, “It is okay to say trust the doctors, but our community has suffered at the hands of medical professionals in the past. If possible, I would like questions that my community can ask their doctors specifically about adverse effects and allergic reactions that they should be aware of.”

My question sat in the chat for a little while, but then Shannon Whitteker (Cultural Media Lead, PC Caucus) did respond to me.

“Hi Simone, I will get you a more concrete response for this!”

Not too long after, I received a mes-

sage from MPP Martin.

“Ask if their own medical history says that they would have any adverse reactions? All vaccines in Canada are approved by Health Canada and reviewed by the country’s top scientists and doctors. We have some of the best and most conservative experts in the world in Canada. Family doctors can be helpful and trusted sources.”

“I appreciate your response MPP Martin,” I responded. “The only way that I can safely pass this information on is to give them tools to use. Trust the Doctor is not enough, unfortunately.”

MPP Martin responded, “Fair enough - are there community leaders that they trust?”

I sat there bewildered for a moment. I had not received any answers that made me feel safe to say to my community, “Yes! Go and take the vaccine. It is safe for you.”

There are so many things to consider when it comes to this issue like: • • •

Why the significant departure from traditional practices?

Why have we seen more changes over the last five years, then in the last 50 years?

Have we accounted for the physiological cultural differences?

A few minutes after Shannon did send me a message asking if I wanted to set up a time to speak with MPP Martin, but by then, I had already had enough. I felt that another dialogue would be redundant. It would be the same information repeated to me, information that I could find on the Internet.

The statement that really stuck with me was when MPP Martin told me that we should trust our doctors. My question is which ones?

I am privy to both sides of this vaccine debate, and last year I had a chance to speak with Ontario’s Former Chief Medical Officer Dr Richard Schabas, as well as Dr Joel Kettner, Manitoba’s first Chief Provincial Public Health Officer. These are two well-established doctors who in 2020 issued statements about the pandemic and they had been ignored.

In October 2020, I had a chance to

sit down with Ontario’s Former Chief Medical Officer Dr Richard Schabas to discuss his views and opinions on Ontario’s current response to the Covid Pandemic. In his words, “Quarantine belongs back in the Middle Ages.

Save your masks for robbing banks. Stay calm and carry on. Let’s not make our attempted cures worse than the disease.” You can watch that full interview at torontocaribbean.com/ drschabas

I have always found it strange that the new Ministers of Health would not consult with the Ministers who have come before them. Our ancestral past tells us that during times of current struggle, we should turn to our elders; those who have come before us, who may know a little more than we do.

Carrying on, in November last year, I also had the opportunity to speak with Dr Joel Kettner, Manitoba’s first Chief Provincial Public Health Officer. I was interested in speaking with him after his interview on CBC radio. In his interview, he made some statements that caught my attention.

“I have never seen anything like this, anything anywhere near like this. I’m not talking about the pandemic, because I’ve seen thirty of them, one every year. It is called influenza. And other respiratory illness viruses, we don’t always know what they are. But I’ve never seen this reaction, and I’m trying to understand why.”

Dr Kettner thought that instead of focusing on reducing the spread of the virus, there should be risk-based analysis that will help health care professionals focus on those who are part of the high risk/vulnerable part of our society. Dr Kettner has dealt with a pandemic each year for over the last thirty years. I think he might know a thing or two about how to navigate them.

As a journalist, it is important that my community is provided with all information pertinent to their health so that they can make balanced decisions. So, again I ask MPP Martin, which doctor do we listen to? Are we to listen to the doctors who are going along with the current administration’s guidelines, or the doctors who have been here before, and see that there is something terribly wrong with how this pandemic is being handled?

Appalling situation at Government Industrial School Barbados LA SHAWNA GRIFFITH lashawna@carib101.com

BARBADOS TC REPORTER

BARBADOS -- Appalling! That was the word that could describe the events that unfolded on March 14th, 2021 when the Nation Newspaper published an article detailing the abuse of a fourteen-year-old young girl at the Government Industrial School.

The article claimed that the girl who was a student at the Government Industrial School (GIS) was stripped naked and placed in solitary confinement.

In the article, it reported that the young child was sent to the Barrows, St Lucy juvenile detention facility two weeks ago after being charged for wandering. She was placed in a “suicide cell” as is the practice with new entrants at the institution.

“Sources said on Day 13 of confinement at the girl’s section, the child complained vociferously about the poor quality of food she was being fed. She was very upset, and she was shouting and crying,” the article read.

The report by the Nation Newspa-

per detailed that after the young lady complained about the food it was removed and replaced with six biscuits and butter and a cup of tea. This further angered the child and as a result, she was taken to the Psychiatric Hospital.

When the young lady returned after being assessed she was tossed into the cell naked on the cold concrete floor.

“A staff member started to keep notes and said it was inhumane that she was given a bare mattress to lie on,” the source told Nation News, noting that on the following day she was given underwear.

After the story broke many persons took to social media including the members of the National Youth Policy Coordination Committee, CARICOM Youth Ambassador to Barbados, Barbados Youth Development Council, Pink Parliament, and Ureport Barbados doing a virtual campaign with the #protectourgirls.

In a joint statement issued on March 21st, 2021, the organizations stated that despite the Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams sacking the former Board of Management, they believed that more needed to be done to protect the six young girls who are still at the facility in St Lucy.

In their statement, they stated that they are seeking a complete and immediate abandonment of solitary confinement as a disciplinary measure, or as part of the intake process at Government Industrial School.

Up until March 19th, 2021, GIS con-

sidered the use of solitary confinement and “unacceptable circumstances” such as placing a child in isolation without clothing to be “consistent with normal practices. Thankfully, Minister Abrahams confirmed that he has already given instructions that this “archaic and unwarranted” practice be ceased immediately. “We also thank him for further emphasizing, “child detention must be seen as a last resort.” We sincerely hope that this translates into practice and is reflected throughout the promised legislative reform,” a statement read.

Moreover, they stated that they would like the Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams to facilitate the immediate closure of the Girl’s Unit of the GIS located at barrows, St Lucy.

These comments came in the wake of the Minister of Home Affairs firing all of the former Board of Management at the Government Industrial School, an action that even his colleague Dr. Sonia Browne, a Government backbencher, questioned.

In an article published March 24th, 2021 by Barbados TODAY noted Browne was calling for the entire staff of the Government Industrial School to be sacked to allow the members of the public to have faith in the institution.

Moreover, she thought that the former Board of Management at the GIS could not be responsible for the questionable treatment of young people as it was the job of the staff to serve juvenile offenders.

“….at the end of the day, the Board is not physically there on a day-to-day basis, staff members are responsible for the alleged illtreatment of the inmates at the institutions, and I think that needs to be addressed,” she said during a debate last week regarding the Appropriation Bill.

Back in 2015 In Situation Analysis of Justice for Children in Barbados prepared

by UNICEF 2015, it outlined how the Government Industrial School needed to modernize, charging. Students claimed that some of the remaining features of the GIS detention setting more informed by punishment than rehabilitation are: 1. The lack of recreational activities 2. The lack of sufficient and consistent programming both educational and vocational 3. The lack of a formal complaint mechanism 4. The lack of sufficient access to family and community It is time that Barbados takes Juvenile Reform seriously and: remove archaic laws like wandering, institutions such as Government Industrial School from its mandate, and implore rehabilitative measures not only for the young ladies but for their families by extension.

NEWS

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 15

Mayor Crombie found guilty in Common Law Court sult, she was tried in absentia by a jury of twelve of her peers.

The parents provided evidence of the on-going abuse and assault to the jury and advised Crombie of her rights as they quoted Bill C-26 and section 494(2) of the criminal code of Canada.

Crombie was charged with multiple offences including: administering obnoxious substances to a minor in a contravention of section 245(1) of the criminal code by forcing children to breath in carbon dioxide, a known toxic substance. Additional offences included:

AMANDA WILLIAMS amanda@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

On Saturday, March 20th, 2021, a group of parents lawfully and peacefully convened the first Common Law Court in Canada in defence of the children who have suffered due to Covid measures. The parents were supported by Stand4Thee, an organization who is dedicated to taking action to end the tyranny of those who are actively attempting to strip Canadians of their rights and freedoms.

The trial was held in Mississauga Celebration Square and consisted of a jury, the parents as the plaintiffs, court officials including a court bailiff, sheriff, recorder, and a crowd of 200-300 supportive men and women.

The Mayor of Mississauga, Bonnie Crombie, was sent a public notice of summons to appear in court in relation to the charges but was not in attendance. As a re-

• • • • •

Section 269.1(1) Torture Section 221 Causing bodily harm by criminal negligence Section 218 Abandoning child Section 219 Criminal negligence Section 122 Breach of trust by public officer

The jury unanimously found Mayor Bonnie Crombie guilty and called for a cease and desist on all COVID restrictions.

Toronto Caribbean Newspaper spoke to the adjudicator for this trial, Wallace Michael Phillip to get insight on the common law court process. He explains that the ver-

dict was forwarded to the International Common Law Court, as well as to lawyer Reiner Fuellmich who is civilly and criminally going after the W.H.O. (Fuellmich provides clear and rational analysis of these crimes against humanity in a video that can be watched on BitChute).

The verdict is also being sent to international lawyer Alfred Weber who has served in leadership positions in: environmental protection, international law and justice, public health, exo-politics, and public broadcasting.

Wallace has been teaching martial arts for over forty years and explains that it is our obligation to defend ourselves, our children, and our property. “This agenda is far more insidious than people realize. Free will must be maintained. We have been controlled in a fraudulent manner for years. Parents are losing control of their children and to prevent that, they simply need to stop participating in the system. If you want the true north strong and free, you have to stand on guard for thee,” says Wallace. He strongly encourages people to get in contact with Stand4Thee to learn more about Common Law to “Protect and take control of who you are.”

Stand4Thee is extremely passion-

ate about empowering others as they provide information, service and support to those in need. The organization provides access to a binder of evidence for crimes that have been committed, as well as instructions on how to conduct a lawful citizens arrest, how to reclaim your right to earn a living and how to take your rights back as parents.

The Stand4Thee website states, “Since Canada is not a lawfully established, sovereign nation and the crown/monarch who all government officials swear allegiance to is completely illegitimate, then it is up to we, the people to use the Common Law and Natural Law to declare our sovereignty.”

Cullen, a co-founder of Stand4Thee states, “There are many views on how to put an end to this destruction of our lives and economy. Some people think you can just say no. Some people think we can fix this through a current system, but we need to do a number of things. We need to rebuild. We need to build something new, something true and real. The beginning of this common law court is taking the power back to the people.”

You can watch the full video of the trial and get access to more information about Common Law at Stand4Thee.com

Lowest COVID cases but the sickest in the world?

Why you should be concerned about Caribbean wellness “Clearly, the Caribbean has done something well. Our scientists now say in the Caribbean islands the virus has been contained, and that no doubt is a circumstance that is worth celebrating,” Beckles says. “But we have the highest per capita incident of hypertension and diabetes. 50% of the people in the Caribbean over the age of fifty have either hypertension, diabetes, or both.”

It’s true. Besides hypertension and diabetes, other chronic diseases such as heart disease, strokes, cancer and respiratory illnesses are wreaking havoc on our islands and are now the leading cause of premature mortality, accounting for nearly half of all deaths of persons under seventy years and for two out of three deaths overall. Many of these illnesses are caused by four modifiable risk factors: frequent tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

Many young adults in the Caribbean often begin smoking and consuming alcohol as early as the age of twelve, an unfortunately harmful fact that contributes to the risk of substance abuse and premature death in adulthood, not to mention the awful negative effects these psychoactive substances can have on brain development.

According to an example of framework on tobacco control presented by the World Health Organization, the percentage of users among adolescents aged thirteen to seventeen years ranged from 1.9% in Canada in comparison to 28.7% in Jamaica.

Nonetheless, let’s focus on the one necessity that has the potential to hurt us the most, yet we all love to partake in – food.

How could you not love Caribbean food? From savoury rice and peas to mouth-

JANIECE CAMPBELL janiece@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

COVID is a cause for concern, especially for members of the Caribbean diaspora. Data suggests people of black Caribbean descent are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, according to the Financial Times. Figures from hospitals in England provided by the National Health Service show that the virus is killing Caribbean people at nearly three times the rate of white people, where 89 black Caribbean people per 100,000 died versus 33 white people per 100,000, highlighting barefaced inequalities in the deadly effects of the disease. Though these statistics are quite alarming, thankfully, not all Caribbean islands are totally struggling with the virus and many are in fact, completely COVID-free.

However, there’s a problem at hand that is much bigger than the pandemic.

While the Caribbean is currently experiencing some of the lowest COVID-19 infection rates and even lower death rates in comparison to other countries, our people happen to simultaneously remain as the sickest people in the world, according to Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, the vice-chancellor of the University of the West Indies.

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er round of MASTERCHEF CANADA! memoe. “Celeb ber sentines during s of Decem cultur a is a mean Canada’s favorite culinary competicandl y held from more the 52ndit Canad tionOffers* is inBuyers their 6th season, and they to Attract emon ry 1st.

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watering curry, people from across the world come to the islands just for our cuisine and also try to emulate our authentic finger-licking recipes!

The downfall to much of our food is the salt content, a tasty component that often leads us to high blood pressure, heart attacks and high cholesterol in the first place. Our tendency to consume deep-fried foods such as fish, chicken and dumpling also doesn’t help either, all of which are heavy in calories and laden with detrimental trans fats. According to the Pan American Health Organization, Caribbean people consume more than twice the amount that is good for them.

It’s not our fault why we eat this way. Outside of the aspect of taste, Caribbean peoples’ beautifully curated palates are very much rooted in slavery. Our enslaved ancestors were forced to survive off of whatever was provided to them by their owners. They often ate the remains and appendages of farm animals, including pig tails, cow tongues, livers and oxtail. Though critically lacking in nutritional value, slaves made these scraps as appetizing as possible by adding spices as well as large amounts of fat, sugar and salt. This diet was so engrained in their day-to-day routines that the majority of them continued to eat the same food years after emancipation. Until this day, much of what is eaten by Caribbean people is a continuation of the traditional food from slavery, and many people are getting sick and dying early because they’re unaware of how toxic these delicacies can be.

Most of the enslaved ancestors were taken from West Africa. The traditional

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West African diet was plant-based and comprised a rich variety of vegetables, fruits, beans and nuts. Meat was not regularly consumed as part of a daily diet, but mainly for special feasts and rituals. Dairy and eggs were completely omitted. Studies today show that when people of African descent eat a similar plant-based diet, it results in greater health, longevity and a considerably reduced risk of chronic disease.

In short, the plantation-inspired food we adore today is health-destroying evidence of our history of slavery and not a part of the actual West African cooking we were intended to consume.

The way I see it, there’s a good and a bad side to all of this. The bad part is that many of us have been partaking in these unhealthy habits for far too long. The good part is that many of the aforementioned risk factors for chronic illness can be controlled, which in turn could prevent some 80% of all heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes as well as 40% of cancers.

For good health and to help boost the good cholesterol, Caribbean people should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity for at least four days per week, according to Health UK. They also recommend quitting smoking in order to lower chances of heart disease and cancers and lowering alcohol intake to decrease the risk of strokes, heart and liver disease.

Our Caribbean islands are abundant in resources and wealth, and alike we as Caribbean people deserve to be abundant in health!

NEWS

PAGE 16

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Fostering collaboration among black communities and universities for the purpose of enhancing black community life; BlackCom2021 was telling me how far the conference has come along since 2018. In 2018 and 2019 the conference was about three days in length and attracted speakers such as: William Darity Jr, who served as Chair of the Department of African & African American Studies at Duke University, and documentary filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris.

Like all things in 2020, the pandemic put a halt to all in person events. But this didn’t stop Mark and his team from hosting a weekly webinar series titled ‘Black Communities and COVID-19. The aim was to discuss ‘How our people were affected’ by COVID-19 by covering topics such as: food security, community development, the arts, and antiblack violence.

In 2021 the conference was ready to be reintroduced to the community at large.

First, it expanded from three days to approximately ten. Albeit virtually, this was still a feat as the Black Communities Conference were able to ‘foster collaboration among black communities and universities for the purpose of enhancing black community life’ and this time they were able to attract the global African village. Next, they added roundtables, student discussions, and film and book talks to round out this year’s agenda.

I personally attended the Roundtable on ‘Black Business and Economic Freedom’ with panelists: Julia Collins, Founder/ CEO of Planet FWD, Entrepreneur & political

DAVE RANKIN dave@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

I was first introduced to The Black Communities Conference through a past guest of mine, Founder of Black Space Winnipeg and Afro Prairie Film Festival Director, Ms. Alexa Potashnik.

At that time, she thought it would be of great benefit to be able to interact with like-minded individuals who are not only about that “talk” when it came to helping our community. She then proceeded to connect Simone, our Chief Reporter, with BlackCom Co-Chairperson Mark Little, who later became Simone’s guest on In The Now. Their connection was clear as it was based on the love of our people and the solutions that could be created through collaboration.

It was through this connection that I would find myself sitting in a late morning meeting with Mark, going over a few details of this very same conference.

From the very onset you could see Mark’s love for his community radiate as he

economist Wilmont Allen, NC Central University Professor & Director of Entrepreneurship, Henry McKoy Jr., and Climo Junior Professor of Sociology at Case Western Reserve University, Cassi Pittman Claytor.

Mark wasted no time in asking the panelists, “What role can black wealth play in the creation of black businesses and increasing black wealth across the diaspora?” Wilmont Allen was the first to respond when he stated that, “Black wealth cannot be viewed just in terms of financial net worth.” He then added that, “There’s wealth in terms of talent and innovation, and that is translated into monetary value.”

Automatically, my mind went straight to what an African-centered tri-lateral trade with the: Caribbean, North America, and our brothers and sisters on the continent look like. Almost like a resurgence of Marcus Garvey and the UNIA’s purpose of goods and services being exchanged with Africans, by Africans through the Black Star Liner.

Then sister Cassi Pittman Claytor asked “How do we capitalize on that in a way that is mutually beneficial?” Interesting position since the European controlled media outlets are quick to point out that corruption in Africa has done a disservice to its growth, as if to shun this type of mutual investment with the continent.

She also gave an example of Americans of Israeli descent who studied in the

states and went back home to build an industry that was once lacking. Again, referencing history, this is exactly what some of our ancestors and foremost scholars did. Kwame Nkrumah for starters, studied in the States only to go back home to become the poster child of Ghana’s independence movement.

Trinidad’s George Padmore did the same thing. Studying and travelling to various countries around the world before setting his sights on Ghana to become Nkrumah’s confidant and comrade. So, we can see when our focus is strictly a Pan African one, the examples of ‘Black Excellence” are boundless.

The one thing that stood out from this roundtable was the topic of technological innovations that will assist with more “Fluidity across all borders.” As Julia Collins put it, “A bilateral payments infrastructure,” so we can cut out places like Western Union. I’m sure the establishment of newly funded African owned companies like Paystack, and Peymynt will be able to create the type of fluidity that would strive here in the 21st century.

The panel was a great start to kick off Black Communities Conference, which took place from March 15th-24th. I definitely urge the community to reach out Mark Little and his team to let them know that we are here for collaboration.

For more information, please visit blackcommunities.unc.edu

Another chance at life; words of wisdom from an OG to our youth

BY GLORIA O’KOYE TC REPORTER

known to be an active gang member from the Trethewey Drive community in the 90s and have been involved in many negative activities that didn’t serve a positive purpose in our community. I was once charged with attempted murder in regard to a shooting in the housing complex I was raised in and ended up being convicted due to me pleading guilty to assault but not convicted of attempt murder which gave me a second chance to make better choices in life moving forward.

I am known as a musician/rapper in the Hip Hop community known as Sling Dadz and have had several singles put out under the Independent music label StreetCode Entertainment Canada. One of my most popular songs is entitled ‘I’m From JANE’ where I did a breakdown about the history of gang culture from Northside Jane Street to Southside Jane Street.

I recognize my community through my lens. In this record, I tried using it to unify the Jane strip by collaborating with rival gang members on one record to show the world that bad blood can be addressed by using music, and it’s possible to make a progressive change if all parties truly want change.

I constantly wanted to do something that would make a mark or a stamp in our city that people would follow after the blueprint was set in stone. At this moment in time, I am currently a community worker working in the Weston community and parts of the Jane street community in North York. I provide resources and services to youth between the ages 12-24 years of age. I do support older ages as well, but the focus is the youth of today, so we can help provide the necessary tools for them to excel in what they

This individual is someone I am honoured to be able to connect with. From a young age, I had grown up listening to stories about them from the communities that I reside in and also had been a supporter of their music.

I had privately written some poetry pieces, short stories, and novels while playing their music on repeat. An influential and wise individual that I told myself from time to time that their story needs to be heard, I seized the first chance to reach out to them in hopes they would be open to sharing their journey to show our youth the power of growth.

I wanted to enable our youth to know that they shouldn’t fear making changes to better themselves and that where they started doesn’t mean that is how the story has to end.

“Could you tell our readers a little about who you are, a bit about your story, and what you are doing currently?”

“My name is Marlon Anthony Morgridge. I was born in Toronto, Ontario. I was raised in Toronto Community Housing in Lawrence Heights community, also known as the ‘Jungle’, but I primarily reside at the Trethewey Drive housing complex at Jane Street and Trethewey Drive known as Brown Bricks.

I am a college graduate, also a father of three sons: two of them living with autism, and also have been diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic. I founded my not-for-profit organization called ‘The Morgridge Foundation’ which I will talk a bit more about later on. I was once RY 10TH

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need to do to further themselves in preparing for their future.”

“What inspired you to get into music?”

“Music remains a thing that has always been a part of me as far as I can remember. As a child, I consistently used to vision myself on the television screen performing and saying to myself that I can do this well, and that one day I will.

Growing up in my community I was always around living legends who over time became either popular or famous from music. Two of my childhood friends were both in rap groups that ultimately landed them two separate record deals from major record labels. Witnessing my childhood friends living out their dreams in front of me remains a constant inspiration to me and I’m sure to others from our community.”

“What were some of the short and long-term goals you wanted to accomplish in your life? Could you share some of the barriers and lessons you have learned along the way while aiming to accomplish your goals?”

“I had a few short-term goals in life, but I can say going back to school to further my education was one of them. Transitioning into a young man, I never considered the option to be successful with a career. I knew what I saw growing up in the Jane Street and Trethewey Drive community. Selling drugs was a way to survive. So presently, being a two-time college graduate without quitting or dropping out I can say this was a shortterm goal that I had set for myself, and happy that I accomplished it.

My long-term goal is to complete university and obtain my Bachelor’s in Social

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Work. I also have started a non-for-profit organization called ‘The Morgridge Foundation’ that focuses on providing service to underserved communities that have been neglected and need the resources and services to be accessible to those who are incapable to gain or have access to assistance.

I want to ultimately have an office for my team so that we will be able to conduct weekly meetings and have regular discussions on community issues.”

“Who are your biggest supporters?”

“My biggest supporters are my fiancée, my firstborn son Jasiah, my mother, and my grandmother. I want to emphasize my REAL genuine friends and even the real fans of myself from being Sling Dadz the artist, or the street gangsters that recognize me as...

Slinga. People who know me have seen the successful transition.”

“Thank you so much for sharing with us your story and your truth. Before we end this off, I would love for you to share some words of wisdom for the youth and younger generations?”

“To ‘overstand’ what is real and what is fake, realizing who is real with you, and to acknowledge when someone is not being real with you. Overstanding this will get you further in life. People need to realize your path is your path, and only you are designed to walk in that direction.”

Thank you very much once again, Marlon, for giving some of your time to connect with me! May you continue doing the amazing work that you do and for our young readers to take in all the wisdom from Marlon’s journey!

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

NEWS

PAGE 17

It is no wonder media consumers are so turned off by the news; calling out Alternative Media Publications SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Is the press objective? Which news outlet is really fair and balanced, and what does that actually mean? How can reporters set aside their biases and really report the truth?

Last Friday, on my show Simone Jennifer Smith Live, I went over the problems with media that has been documented in great detail by researchers, academicians and journalists themselves. Let’s be real, public confidence in the media is low, it continues to slip, and now it has become possible for anyone to start a news website.

Hearing more than one voice, and tireless sharing of perspectives has many advantages, both to the creator and to their audience. It also poses some serious problems.

I decided to present this to the community today, because as someone working within the media space, and who cares a lot about creating a better world, I want people to know the truth so they can make informed decisions.

As much as I respect people for

what they do, there is an inherent danger in not raising awareness about misinformation, or opinionated reporting. If we expose mainstream media, we should expose alternative media too; it’s only fair.

It’s not hard to understand why alternative news exists at this point. With the majority of the mainstream media being owned by just five corporations, diverse viewpoints and interpretations of world events have become scarce, hence the ushering in of the alternative news era

Most outlets around the world are serving some sort of corporate or political agenda. You start to see how these biases play out in the representation of certain stories, and even in how frequently they’re covered. Showing certain stories over others, and showing them repeatedly, goes a long way toward shaping public opinion.

This week, I want to not only call out some alternative media sites actions, but also educate our global community on what to stay aware of when reading and watching news in today’s climate.

Exploiting Niche Markets A lot of alternative sites are driven to make money by exploiting a niche market, not a desire to create change, and so they make low quality websites and content so ads can be placed on their website, or in their paper.

When it becomes more about the money, it can at times become less about the truth

Whatever Bleeds, Leads There is tendency for the press to play up and dwell on stories that are sensational murders, car crashes, kidnappings, and sex scandals and in the last year, COVID-19.

In a study by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, 80% of the American public said they believe “Journalists chase sensational stories because they think it will sell papers, not because they think it is important news. “

Another 85% of the public believes that “Newspapers frequently over-dramatize some news stories just to sell more papers.”

Over 80% believe sensational stories receive lots of news coverage simply because they are exciting, not because they are important.

It seems like it is more important to be the first to get to a news story. Has journalism gotten to the point that educating media consumers has taken second place?

Oh! Now you are a Journalist Everywhere you look you will find web journalism, which includes: bloggers, citizen journalists, hyper-local news sites, and even websites for print papers. The Internet, and this pandemic has certainly opened up the world for more people to write whatever they want, but that doesn’t mean all of these sources have the same credibility.

Bloggers, for instance, tend to focus on a niche topic, as do citizen journalists. Because some of these writers do not have training in or necessarily care about the

ethics of journalism, their personal bias can come across in what they write.

Click bait has become the way to get people to the article, even though the article may not have relevant, researched information.

Some bloggers and citizen journalists are unbiased and produce great news reports. Likewise, some professional journalists are not objective and lean one way or another on political and social issues.

This is where it becomes an issue; it is now up to readers to decide what is credible and what is not. It is no wonder media consumers are so turned off by the news.

In the name of what is trending There are some journalism websites that look for the most trendy or viral topic and repost without ever checking to see if the story is true. People then spread this information and nowadays, things can go viral quite easily. This leads to false information about real issues spreading over the web. The very things alternative media expose the mainstream for doing, they are doing themselves.

If you recognize how good alternative websites operate compared to the not so good ones, awesome! You are aware and on the ball. Support those sites!

If you love what we do here at the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper and TCN.video, don’t forget to DONATE so that we can continue to do the work that is needed for our global community.

The cure for anything is seawater: Are you getting enough Magnesium in your diet?

W. GIFFORDJONES MD DIANA GIFFORD-JONES TC HEALTH REPORTER

Isak Dinesen, author of the great book “Out of Africa”, wrote, “The cure for anything is sea water.”

Human physiological and environmental circumstances today suggest merit in Dinesen’s advice to look to the sea for replenishment of key minerals. Magnesium is one of the most important minerals that many people are neglecting, and a good place to source it – whether in diet or supplement – is from the sea.

Mineral deficiencies can sometimes cause minor problems, but they can also be-

come lethal. Studies show that magnesium deficiency can range from 33% in young people to 60% in adults. This is the result of depletion in the amount of magnesium in the soil, as well as an increase in consumption of processed foods.

Magnesium is required for over 300 metabolic reactions in the body. It’s also nature’s dilator, helping to keep arteries open.

This fights hypertension and spasm of coronary arteries. It also has a vital function in maintaining the heart’s normal rhythm. By making platelets more slippery, and therefore less susceptible to blood clotting, the chance of heart attack and stroke decreases.

Each beat of the heart depends on a complex electrical system that must be in sync for survival. Low blood magnesium tosses a monkey wrench into the process causing an irregular heart rate (atrial fibrillation). Adding magnesium often restores the normal beat.

Today, a worldwide epidemic of diabetes has created a huge health problem.

Studies show that since magnesium helps to

control blood sugar, patients with low magnesium have an increased risk of this disease.

And it is a critical mineral for maintaining bone health.

Since magnesium is involved in several hundred metabolic reactions, it’s not surprising that deficiency is associated with muscle weakness and twitching, sleep issues, fatigue and confusion.

What makes sea-sourced magnesium the perfect magnesium? Sea water has an amazing similarity to the plasma portion of human blood. Although we cannot drink seawater because of its salt content, it does contain the entire range of minerals needed by humans.

This led an Irish company to develop a method of extracting these minerals from clean sea water to make the multi-mineral complex called Aquamin Mg that is low in sodium.

Then Aquamin Mg was compared to other forms of magnesium. For example, magnesium oxide is the most potent, but not well absorbed. Magnesium chloride is well

absorbed but low in magnesium content.

Aquamin Mg was found to offer the best of both. It was several times more soluble and absorbable than magnesium oxide. And since it contained 33% of elemental magnesium, more potent than the chloride version.

The recommended dietary allowance of magnesium varies, generally increasing with age. For typical adults, if supplementing, a good approach is to take 250 mg with food daily or whenever this key mineral is not being regularly consumed at recommended levels. Some people may benefit from higher doses, but the dose should be split up during the day. Magnesium can have a relaxing effect, so sounder sleep may result from a second dose at dinnertime.

Magnesium at these low doses rarely results in diarrhea. But it can help those who are constipated. If diarrhea does occur, decrease the dose.

Isak Dinesen was right. The sea helps to sustain life and is the source of minerals that can improve our health.

PAGE 18

NEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

An emerging forum for Caribbean women; Black Island Girl JANIECE CAMPBELL janiece@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Jael Joseph, a current journalism student had a desire to stand out and be seen, not only as a Canadian, but as a Canadian woman with strong Caribbean island roots.

Arriving in Canada in her late teenage years and going back and forth between here and her home country of Dominica, Joseph understood the importance of striving for the best and giving her all, especially in terms of education.

After all, she had extremely strict parents that wouldn’t dare to accept anything less than an 80% grade from her and her sisters.

Joseph worked for various media jobs, but after quickly excelling in

her work at a radio station, she gained a new-found love for broadcasting. Thus, prompting her to apply to and attend Ryerson University to pursue a degree in journalism. Fast forward to today, for her final cumulative project, she took those desires and aimed to explore issues that affected black Caribbean women more in depth. Coinciding with Women’s History Month, she officially launched Black Island Girl, a visible space where these women can share stories in a judgementfree zone of love and empowerment.

“I didn’t want my capstone to just be something I’m graded for. It’s not just a grade for me. Everything I do has to have a level of understanding. And I hope that once I understand, I can share with others,” she says. “so, Black Island Girl is my way of understanding my black culture and heritage and hoping that I can inform other people on it too.”

Joseph says the platform was born from the “need for a space for black island girls to share and to really tell their life stories and to really showcase their own individualities.”

The availability of the website name gave her the confirmation that this was indeed fate, and she was headed in the right direction. “The mere fact that no one had picked up Black Island Girl, even as a domain name, it just said to me that either we have an issue with selfacknowledgement, or we don’t think it’s necessary and I wanted to explore that a little more.”

The site is scheduled to update monthly, and viewers can expect to see one feature story at the beginning of each month followed by accompanying weekly podcasts that piggyback off of the original story. Currently, the site has one story, “How Natural Hair Empowers Black Island Women,” which delves into the psychosocial and financial effects on professional women of colour who intentionally choose to sport their natural hair, according to Joseph. Her well-investigated piece focuses on a variety of women from Canada, Dominica, Barbados and the United Kingdom, and is just the first of many stories to come.

“We will be showcasing the

brave, the bold, the intellects, the innovators and touching on topics such as culture, sexuality, feminism, education, religion, gender and classicism influences,” says Joseph, who finds that Caribbean women tend to be somewhat hesitant to step into the light of their own accomplishments.

Joseph intends to continue this project beyond the realm of her classroom, hoping that someday it can develop into a comfortable place that all black girls from the islands across the world can resonate with and contribute to.

“I hope that it can expand to a place where all black women can connect irrespective of where they are located. I want it to be a platform where everyone can collaborate. I think it would be so interesting to see the different ways we have of doing things and all the joy that comes out of our history, culture and identity.”

Check out Jael Joseph’s first story and first podcast episode, “Becoming Tamara Lowe” today on blackislandgirl. com!

Sign language courses will be coming to high schools in the fall PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The announcement on Thursday, March 11th, 2021 by the Ontario Minister of Education, Stephen Leece that Ontario high schools will be offering sign language courses is good news for the families of children who are hearing impaired.

CTV News reported on Thursday, March 11th, 2021 that courses will be offered in both American Sign Language(ASL) and Langue des signes quebecoise (LSQ).

These courses will commence in September 2021 across Ontario. According to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), ASL is, “ A complete, A natural language that has the same linguistic properties as spoken languages with grammar that differs from English. ASL is expressed

by movements of the hands and face. It is the primary language of many North Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing, and is used by many hearing people as well.” No one is sure how it originated, but but it is believed that it came about as a result of a local sign languages and French Sign Language(LSF, or Langue des Signes Francaise).

In a written statement that was released by CTV News, Minister Leece states, “Ontario is the first jurisdiction in Canada to offer ministry-developed LSQ as a second-language curriculum and one first jurisdictions to offer ministry-developed ASL as a second language curriculum.”

In the released statement, Donald Prong, the executive director of the Ontario Association of the Deaf States, “It will enhance students’ understanding of the language and identity of ASL people in Ontario; ASL people’s sense of self, of membership, of culture, and of humanity and encourages students to develop respect for human diversity.

We want to recognize that the Ministry of Education’s commitment to developing this curriculum is a step in

the right direction. We were very pleased to have been asked to participate in its development and we look forward to future opportunities of working together.”

CTV reported that Wanda Blackett, of Silent Voice Canada stated at the news conference on Thursday that these credit courses will be positive for the deaf community. She states,“The ASL and LSQ communities are celebrating today.” The challenge will be to find competent and qualified teachers to teach these courses in Ontario, and this may take some time.

Wanda states, “LSQ and ASL, in terms of the availability of proficient teachers who could teach at all of the school boards, I think if we are looking at answering these questions today, we are not there yet. But I think there is a possibility for capacity building over the next

little while. Certainly, we do not have teachers available but with this initiative now. I expect that the pool with increase over time.”

In an article for the Canadian Audiologist in Vol 6, Issue 2, 2019 titled, “What We Don’t Know About Canadian Students with Hearing Loss,” reported that no one knows how many Canadians have hearing loss. The Ontario Ministry of Education does not keep track of these students. The article reports that “Ontario, for example, the province with the largest population of students with hearing loss,has only a dozen or so educational audiologists and only 2-3 employed full-time by a school board.” Having access to these sign language classes will be certainly beneficial to these students.

PAGE 20

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

CHOSEN DESIGNS; MICKELLA RUMBOLT She is the Chosen one!

SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Matthew 22 verse 14 (Holy Bible) She was born premature at one pound fifteen ounces.

Imagine being a mother and looking down at this tiny child knowing that the earlier a baby is born, the higher the risk of complications. Premature babies, especially those born very early often have complicated medical problems, and for some unknown reason, African descendants are more likely to experience premature birth than are women of other races.

Yet here she was, Mickella Rumbolt; so small, so precious. Her life began with underdeveloped lungs, a blockage in her heart, but mom’s faith in God was strong. There was no doubt; this beautiful young baby was chosen.

Mickella Rumbolt is the electrifying force behind Chosen Designs a Scarboroughbased street wear brand. There is an energy with her brand that continues to set her apart from all other online fashion stores, and this energy is what has allowed her success, even through the pandemic.

Her fashion catalogue is loaded with everything to make your Instagram look complete including: her signature sunglasses, two-piece bra and tights athleisure sets, corsets, bodysuits, trucker hats, and her to die for faux fur jackets.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mickella three years ago at the Braids for Aids event. This was when she first started her business and she was selling sunglasses. I remember striking up dialogue with her and being intrigued with how her mind worked. I was also impressed by her work ethic and determination.

Fast forward to 2021, and here I am admiring all that she has accomplished. At the age of 24 (turning 25 next month), she can say that she is living her purpose. As a fan of her brand (having purchased a few items), I decided it was time to shine a light on this fierce fashionista.

“I am so nervous,” Mickella tells me when she picked up the phone.

“Girl,” I replied. “There is nothing to

be nervous about. All you have to do is tell me your story, and I will take it from there.”

“Well,” she began. “As you know, I was born premature. When I was a child, I had to breathe with tubes. I am not sure how long that lasted for; I would have to ask my mom.

I also had a skin condition, and I know I was a regular visitor at Sick Kids Hospital.

Despite it all, I enjoyed my earlier years. When I was younger, I wanted to be an interior designer, and an event planner. I went to school for event planning, but there was something about fashion that drew me.

You could say that fashion chose me.

I got more involved in fashion during high school, and I started Chosen in 2018.

It started off with me selling my old clothing.

My page was called Loud Mouth Closet. I am not sure why, but the name Chosen stuck with me. I believe everyone has a purpose, and fashion was my purpose.”

She graduated last year from Humber College Fashion, Arts and Business.

It got cut short, so she had to complete most of her courses online.

“What I really wanted to do was an editorial photo shoot, but we couldn’t because of the pandemic. Overall, it was a great experience. The social media course helped me a lot, and some of the finance courses.

They taught me things to consider when wanting to run a successful business.

I also had the opportunity to do a business course with BizStart. They taught me about my Why? Chosen had been on my mind for a while. I figured out my why. I wasn’t focused before, but the lessons I learned taught me about determination and consistency. I learned just how important these two components are to starting and maintaining a business.”

“And these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

Romans 8 verse 30 (Holy Bible)

Like many new entrepreneurs, Mickella has learned the challenges that come with running a business.

“For me, balancing was a challenge.

I had to balance school, work, and my business. It is difficult to put a schedule together, and it is hard to delegate. If things are not done how I want it, it bothers me, so this means that I end up having to do everything on my own.

My parents were supportive, but they didn’t understand the idea about being an entrepreneur. They wanted me to get a job. I completely understand because entrepreneurship is not prevalent in my family.

Regardless, my mom and dad both support me, and this is why you will see my mom in

videos.”

Truth be told, Mickella’s mom is really cute. You can tell that she supports her daughter by being a presence in her business. Mickella has found a way to get her entire family involved in her journey.

“My brother designs my t-shirts, but I tell him exactly what I want, and he does it for me. I also have a business consultant (DACC Consultant), who has been instrumental in my success. He has provided me the guidance that I need to brand myself, and show up every day as a business, but besides that it has just been me.”

2020 was a disastrous year for businesses across the globe. It forced thousands of small businesses across the country to close their doors and quarantine. I was curious about how this affected Mickella.

“The pandemic affected me, no lie.

I was like, that is it. I didn’t give up though.

What I learned is that providing value, and consistency is important. This is why I started business tips on my Instagram page. I found ways to reinvent Chosen Designs, and to offer advice to other entrepreneurs. To me, this is not a competition. We have to work together, grow together and build.”

She, like many other business owners, has found a way to navigate through this pandemic. She is launching her Chosen Designs website on April 30th, and she is also starting her initiative Chosen Cares.

“My mom spoke to me and asked me what I was doing to make a difference. I am selling clothes, but that can’t be it. In general, the pandemic has been a rough time.

When she spoke to me, it made me think.

What am I doing to help?

So, Chosen Cares will focus on supporting marginalized communities, homeless shelters, and organizations. I want to donate gift cards, hygiene products, groceries, and I want to put together a scholarship for young people as well.”

Being a female entrepreneur can be tough, but Mickella has found a way to make ripples that have created waves. She has found a way to amplify her voice and the voice of other young entrepreneurs. She has made it her responsibility as a female business owner to use her platform to share a powerful message, “Live in your purpose. You are the chosen ones.”

Make sure to hit her up on her social media pages.

Instagram: @chosen.designs Website: chosendesigns.ca (Coming Soon) Facebook: @shop.chosendesigns LinkedIn: Mickella Rumbolt Email: info.chosendesigns@gmail.com

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PAGE 22

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

JOVAN WHYTE Giving Everything to God “Everything Lord belongs to you, My desires and my dreams begin with you, So take my will, my life it’s yours to use, Everything Lord belongs to you” Jovan Whyte “Everything Lord” The gun jammed, I shouted out, “The Blood of Jesus!” Another gunman shot after me. He missed.

I sat there, scribbling down notes as fast as I could.

I was speaking with Pastor Jovan Whyte, this edition’s Classic Man, and I could not believe what I was hearing. After hearing this man of God’s story, there will be no denying that miracles do happen, and if you believe anything is possible.

Pastor Jovan Whyte, a Jamaican native who hails from Kingston, Jamaica, is an ordained minister with over ten years of evangelizing experience. His work has taken him to islands around the Caribbean, Latin America, Brazil and North America. To date, he has baptized over 800 people who have wanted to give their lives to the Lord.

Along with his work as an Ordained Minister, he is also a: master guide, senior youth leader, songwriter, gospel recording artist, musician, and has served as the Chaplain for the Advent Fellowship Group, as well as on the youth advisory committee of the East Jamaican conference. A man of many talents, Jovan hosts a radio program called Healthy and Happy, which airs on N.C.U. Radio Saturday evenings at 6:30 pm, and a little later in this article, we will go into the depth of his musical talents, and their genesis.

He served as the Pastor for the Constant Spring District of Churches in the East Jamaica Conference, and is presently the Senior Pastor for the Windermere and Emmanuel Seventh-day Adventist Churches in Florida.

His pursuit for higher learning pushed him to enrol at the Mico University College, where he graduated with a Diploma in Secondary Education (Emphasis in Linguistics). After receiving the call to ministry, he enrolled at Northern Caribbean University, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Theology. He continued

to achieve by completing his Master of Arts Degree in Pastoral Counselling, with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Counselling from Liberty University in Virginia.

Every great man needs an even more powerful woman by his side, and Pastor Whyte will tell you that he was blessed with one of the best. He is married to Dr Kahilah Whyte who is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the CEO and Founder of Platinum Life Counselling in South Florida.

As he spoke, I was doing my best to get down the main points in his story. I wanted to ensure to capture everything, because this is one of those stories that has to be made into a lifetime movie.

“Being in the church has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Pastor Jovan began.

“My father was a pastor, and my mother was heavily involved in the arts and music. She was an educator and Principal at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, and it was my mom who brought music into our lives.

From a very young age, I was fashioned into music, and it came quite naturally for me. In pre-school and in high school I played a lot of instruments including: the recorder, the piano, the saxophone and the violin to name a few. I also sang in the choir at church. My natural God given gift of music allowed me to do very well in competitions, including the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Competition.”

Pastor Jovan shared with me that when he left high school, he wanted to study law, but that was not the path that God had chosen for him. He shares with me a dream that his mom had, and how his life took a turn after high school.

“My mom had a dream, and that I would be singing worldwide. To think, now that is exactly what is happening, but there was so much that happened before her dream became reality.

I left church for a bit and was on the road. I was trying to find my

truth, and during my time in college, I was faced with the first event that would change my life forever.

I was involved in a lot of secular extra curricular activities that took me away from my faith. One night my friend invited me to a party, and of course I didn’t know the danger ahead.

My friend was very flamboyant and was definitely a ladies man.

The night that we went to the party, he was dancing with someone’s girl, and I guess whoever’s girl it was did not like it very much. While he was dancing there beside me, someone came up and stabbed him. All hell broke loose, and the person who stabbed him turned to me, somehow I got away in the midst of the mayhem.

My friend died, and after that event, I knew that was it for me. I had to commit my life to Christ. I had to heed to the call on my life.”

That incident helped Pastor Jovan dedicate his life to the Lord. He attended Northern Caribbean University, and this led to his pastoral journey.

As a preacher, and musical pastor, he attended and preached at crusades across Jamaica. One night after a crusade in the Hills of Manchester, he was heading home from what was a great night of praise and worship. It was after 11:00 pm, and for the second time in his life, he was about to be faced with an event that would prove to him that God was always on his side.

“What I have learned is at the highest moments of our Christian life, that is when you are most tested by God.

During that time I was staying in a rural area, and the lights were out.

It was very dark that night, and when I pulled up to my gate, something was off. Regardless, I headed through my gate, towards the house when two gunmen materialized from the darkness. One of them put a gun to my head and asked for my car keys and my backpack.

I faltered for a moment, and in that moment I wondered, ‘How do I leave a place of victory, and then come face to face with death?’ As soon as the thought came to my mind, it was re-

placed by the thought, ‘Didn’t you just preach, no weapons formed against me shall prosper?”

Right away I spoke, ‘Don’t you know about the blood of Jesus.’ The man with the gun to my head swore and pulled the trigger. The gun jammed, I shouted out, ‘The BLOOD OF JESUS,’ and started to run. The other gunman shot after me and missed. I heard one of the gunmen say ‘He must be an Obia Pastor,’ as I was running away.

After a testimony like that, how can I not believe in God’s word.”

The amazing thing is that the story does not end there. Three years after that experience, the same gunman found him at a convention. The man had gone to prison for burglary, and arms possession.

The man had heard that Pastor Jovan was sharing his testimony and wanted to meet him. In prison he found Jesus. He wanted to know who that man was who blocked the bullet.

Through that experience God showed up for him and changed his life for ever.

“Through that experience,” Jovan shares with me, “I came to writing. Writing songs, singing my song.

My aim is to provide music with a message. In 2020, when I wrote “Everything Lord,” I thought about all that God has done for me. My desires, and my dream begin with Jesus.”

His song speaks of his journey to the Lord, and now that I have heard his story, the lyrics make perfect sense:

“I’m the branch, and you’re the source You give joy like strength, hope that endures By faith, I’ll trust you with all my heart As I lean on your everlasting arms.”

Written by Simone J. Smith Toronto Caribbean News

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FOOD

PAGE 26

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

CRISPY DEVILED EGGS Celebrate this Easter with

and other birds start to lay eggs again, each egg bursting with new life, mirroring the entire season NOEL of Spring. Ancient people, like the CUNNINGHAM Hutsuls of Ukraine, decorated eggs and gave them as gifts to special noel@carib101.com people in their lives. So, the symbolism of eggs does predate ChrisCULINARY EXPERT tianity.

Deviled eggs, also known as stuffed eggs, Russian eggs, or dressed eggs, are hard-boiled eggs that have been shelled, cut in half, and filled with a paste made from the egg yolks mixed with other ingredients such as mayonnaise and mustard. The devilled egg is a classic appetizer at most events. The term “deviled” is a food term used back in the 18th century to describe spicy food.

Why eggs for Easter?

Eggs have been a part of Spring rituals since before recorded history. After the long winter, chickens

These tasty deviled eggs are always a big hit. What I love the most about these deviled eggs is that they stay crispy for a long time. Treat your guests or family with this perfect dinner starter or picnic treat the next time you are thinking of an appetizer idea.

Ingredients • 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled • ¼ cup mayonnaise • 2 tablespoons mustard • 1 pinch cayenne pepper • ½ teaspoon salt, to taste • Pepper, to taste • Paprika • ½ cup flour (125 g) • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

• • •

2 eggs, whisked oil, for frying Garnish: fresh parsley or scallion, chopped

Directions 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high flames. Carefully lower six eggs into water using a slotted spoon or steamer basket. Cook for about 10-12 minutes. While eggs are boiling, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. After eggs have cooked, immediately transfer to the ice water bath, and let stand for 15 minutes.

2. Peel eggs, and cut in half lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks, and place them in a bowl.

Set whites aside. Mash yolks with a fork; add mayonnaise, mustard, cayenne, salt, paprika and black pepper, and stir until smooth. cover the yolk mixture and put aside.

3. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high to 350°F. Fill a shallow dish with water. Place

flour in a second shallow dish.

Whisk the 2 additional eggs In a third shallow dish Place breadcrumbs in a fourth shallow dish. Dip each egg white half in water, letting water drip off.

Dredge in flour, gently shaking off excess. Dip in beaten egg, letting excess drip off. Dredge in breadcrumbs, gently shaking off excess. continue this process until all your eggs are fully coated.

4. Fry coated egg whites in hot oil until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Pour the egg yolk mixture in a piping bag and pipe about 2 teaspoons of yolk mixture onto each fried egg white half.

Sprinkle evenly with scallion to garnish. If you don’t have a piping bag you can always use a ziplock bag. All you gotta do is snip off one corner of a plastic bag with a yolk mixture to make a small hole.

A harmless coffee break can do more harm than you think.

Wear a mask, wash your hands and physically distance to stop the spread of COVID-19.

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Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

HEALTH

PAGE 29

“Beeting”yourself to Increase good health W. GIFFORDJONES MD DIANA GIFFORD-JONES COMMON SENSE HEALTH

Would you like to improve your physical endurance? An exercise routine is the answer.

Being physically and mentally active leads to a longer life. But diet can help too. You can start “beeting” yourself to improved health simply by adding beets to your menu. You should also know that nitrates in beets treat more than one medical problem.

Atherosclerosis, thickening of the inside lining of arteries, decreases the flow of oxygenated blood to coronary arteries.

This results in anginal pain or heart attack.

For years researchers have known that nitroglycerine eases angina. They had

no idea why it dilated coronary arteries and increased blood flow to the heart.

Then, three U.S researchers received the Nobel Prize for proving it was nitric oxide (N0) that caused arteries to dilate.

Early in life, the inner lining of arteries processes large amounts of NO. As we age, the amount of NO decreases. This is often with disastrous consequences.

In 2009, a research team at the University of Exeter in England reported a surprising discovery. They showed that athletes who drank beet juice for six days improved their physical endurance by 16% while cycling. Equally amazing, beet juice was even more effective than physical training!

The active ingredient in beets is nitrate. This becomes converted into nitrite and finally to nitric oxide, which is continuously synthesized in the endothelium (the inside lining of arteries). Lay this exceedingly thin layer of endothelial cells on a flat surface and they would occupy an entire soccer field!

Nitric oxide has been labelled the “miracle molecule” as it helps so many di-

verse medical problems. For instance, since it dilates coronary arteries it can help to decrease the pain of angina and lower blood pressure.

Experiments show that NO also adds lubrication to the circulatory system.

NO travels to all organs and in the process can prevent blood platelets (part of the clotting process) from sticking together causing a heart attack. It also decreases chronic inflammation, another factor associated with coronary attack.

Other research shows that NO lowers blood cholesterol, triglycerides, increases good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol. It also prevents bone destruction by osteoclasts.

Today, millions of North Americans suffer from asthma due to inflamed, constricted, mucous clogged airways. Part of the problem is pollution and allergies. Experts at Hammersmith Hospital in London, England, report that NO helps to maintain a biochemical balance in the air passages, decreasing inflamed airways.

Another major problem worldwide

is the epidemic of Type 2 diabetes. This disease causes insulin resistance, making it hard for glucose to enter cells. High blood sugar gradually destroys the circulatory system triggering a series of problems, the big one atherosclerosis. Decreasing the amount of blood to organs results in blindness, kidney failure, leg amputations and heart attack. NO helps to control these problems.

What can you do to increase NO? Losing weight and exercising boost NO levels. But people with unhealthy endothelial cells may have diminished nitric oxide bioactivity as compared to those in good health.

So why not improve the diet with foods rich in nitrate? Adding more beets is good advice. Other foods with a high content of NO include leafy green vegetables such as spinach, wild radish, kale and Swiss chard.

You don’t like any of these vegetables? Try dark chocolate and wine. Both increase NO. But remember moderation.

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Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

COMMUNITY

PAGE 31

Growing your greens can be a good way to save money; Let’s learn about Urban Homesteading NIKITA YOUNG

nikita@carib101.com

MIND, BODY, SOUL

Urban homesteading is the hot new thing in the self-sustainable movement.

As people lose their jobs and start to realize that they may get shut out of society (if they do not take the jab), there seems to be an uprising in those who plan to grow food this year. The term “Urban Homesteading” refers to growing food and processing it at home in the city.

Spring is approaching and the seasoned growers are already planting their seeds for this year’s crops indoors so that they will have a head start. At times, you may need to be a little creative to grow food in a concrete jungle, but where there’s a

will there is a way.

In city dwellings, it can be hard to find a space to grow your food especially if you want to grow fruit and vegetables that require a lot of sun. Those with limited space for growing outside could use containers or grow bags. Almost anything you plant in the ground can be planted and grown in containers. Grow walls have also been popular amongst urban homesteaders, grow walls are made with small pockets that hang on the wall that usually are used to grow different types of lettuces and herbs. Another option for anyone looking for space to grow food this year is in a community garden. Many parks and private organizations offer growing space for rent in community gardens.

If you are limited to growing only indoors, micro greens and lettuces are a good option to work with. Growing your greens can be a good way to save money and eat more nutrient-filled food. Here in Ontario, our summers are

bountiful, many fruits and vegetables are grown in the province. Vegetables that can be grown from early in the season are things like bell peppers, broccoli, and kale, if the seeds are started indoors then transplanted outside when things warm up by the end of April you will be able to start harvesting some things by mid-May.

It’s rewarding growing your food but not everyone has a green thumb.

The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to grow your food to be an urban homesteader. There are ways to get fresh organic produce from farmers such as: visiting local farms, from friends that grow, or by going to local farmers’ markets. The idea behind homesteading is to have more control over where your food supply comes from and to process and store your food so that you have a long-term supply. Preserving food you ensures that there aren’t any added synthetic preservatives. Your food will be healthier overall. Ways to preserve your

food: canning, dehydrating, and freezing your foods. Over the summer these food preservation methods can be used to keep foods well into winter.

If you are new to growing and preserving food it can be a fun and useful thing to learn. Organic, locally grown produce is better for both you and the environment overall. Less transportation is needed and you get the food freshly picked so more nutrients are retained.

Creating food security for yourself and your family is important these days when things are so uncertain. Getting to know local farmers that provide the foods you like is a huge asset.

Every choice we make has a direct impact on our lives. By supporting local farmers you are ensuring the preservation of our resources and keeping money flowing in the local economy rather than supporting corporations that do not source produce from small sustainable farms. In turn, you will be eating healthier and living better overall.

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LIFE

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 33

The power of long-term thinking Will you be better off in five years’ time, given the kind of friends or relationship you are keeping right now? Given your current eating or health habit, will you be in a better healthy state in five to ten years from now if you keep to it? We often don’t think about these things, and by consequence, we live our lives doing damage control.

Chet Holmes has rightly said, “Most people spend more time planning a vacation than they do planning a life.” Your ability to think, plan, and work hard in the short term and to discipline yourself to do what is right and necessary before you do what is fun and easy is the key to creating a wonderful future for yourself. Your ability to think long term is a developed skill. As you get better at it, you become more able to predict with increasing accuracy what is likely to happen in the future. This is a quality of the superior thinkers.

Long-term thinkers are not overly worried about temporal problems or setbacks; they have a longer time-frame that helps them put life and its happenings into perspective. The most successful people are long-term thinkers. They look into the future

DANIEL COLE

daniel@carib101.com

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Law of Time Perspective says: The most successful people in any society are those who take the longest time period into consideration when making their day-to-day decisions. In other words, these people make long term plans and start working towards those plans on a daily basis. This law implies that the longer time you take into consideration while setting your goals: the better you get and the more successful you’re likely to be.

Think about these questions, in five years’ time, given your current spending habit or lifestyle, do you think you will be financially secure or financially independent?

as far as they can and come back to the present to make decisions that will lead them to what they’ve seen.

Thinking and planning long-term requires sacrifice. The success of every dream requires discipline. The discipline of how you use your time, how you allocate your resources, and the discipline to stay focus

Be futuristic in your thinking. Plan ahead of time. Be careful of shortcuts and short-term gain. Stay committed to your goals, even if your efforts don’t seem rewarding at the moment. Whatsoever endeavor you give your waking hour to think about its benefits in the long-term. If you don’t see a future in it, reconsider your priorities because the best you could give to anything or anyone is your time. Think about your current skillset, if they are aligned with the demand of your industry, because sometimes in life, the knowledge that got you this far might not get you any farther, as the world keeps changing and improving so also its requirement to get along.

Great visionaries are long-term thinkers, they do not just know where they

are going five years, ten years, or twenty years from now, but they also have an action plan on how to get there. They might have to take so many detours in the course of their journey, but they have a clear sense of direction. You have to be well-positioned to the trends of your time; otherwise, you might lose relevance. How can you leverage technology to scale what you are doing?

Think long-term.

A classic example of long-term thinking is the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative launched in the United States, aimed at curing and managing all diseases by the end of this century. Another similar illustration is Dmitry Itskov initiative, the Russian billionaire and entrepreneur who is currently working on the “Future evolution of human being; (Cybernetic Immortality)”.

Approach life and its responsibilities with a long-term perspective. The beauty of building anything worthwhile is not really what is being built, but the memories and moments we collect along the way.

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PAGE 34

LIFE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

It takes a different level of courage to talk about what one’s gone through SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

HUMAN SPECIALIST

“It takes a different level of courage to talk about what one’s gone through.

Your bravery has, and will always be, admirable. I can only hope that those who watch this and listen to your story, they take with them the lessons of resilience and continuous struggle for triumph.

Often times, when we’re in the thick of it, and see others doing well, we think/ feel that we can never achieve that, feel that being in the thick of it is all we’re ever going to be, but in reality, one never knows what another has gone through, to be in the shoes they’re in, so I hope your story can shed light on many who feel they’re stuck in the thick of it, that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that the fight is worth it. Congrats!” Mehrab Mirza What I have come to realize is that this column has turned into what will soon be my book.

It is an interesting experience; realizing that your life story is playing out and people are actually interested in it.

My past is conflicted and messy.

It is not the white picket fence, dog, husband and two children. I don’t hear the pitter-patter of feet, I don’t wake up with a husband beside me, and at times I wonder why. Why me?

I have been told time and time again that God will not give more than you can bear, and it makes me wonder just how strong does God think I am? He must think I am pretty strong because as I tell my story, I see the times when I should have been scared, where I should have been crushed by the pain that I was feeling, but that didn’t happen.

I felt the pain, and I worked through it. It has not been easy, and I have had my challenges, but I persevere.

“Greetings my sister! Congratulations on your new movie. I am sure it will be able to help many young people from falling down the deep precipice that you have fallen into. Continue to be true to yourself and walk with your head held high.”

Mansa Beycando KanKan Musa This week, I found out that the documentary about my story had been entered into the Ottawa Black Film Festival. The director of the film is the young and talented Selina McCallum, who took the time to be sensitive, and portray my journey in an intriguing way. The Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black chose Selina for their mentorship, training and creation program that is entirely dedicated to black filmmakers. They chose

twenty filmmakers from across Canada to share stories just like mine. Stories that motivate, inspire, and make you think.

Prison Bars to Page Lines was selected to be a part of the Ottawa Black Film Festival. The festival is dedicated to giving a unique voice to black filmmakers, and to promote more films about the reality of black people from around the Globe. I knew that the film was going to be in a few film festivals, but what I didn’t expect was the outpouring that I received from people I have met, and even people who I don’t know.

“Lessons, resilience, confidence….

Takes us all on epic journeys, and your journey will change lives!” Dawn Davis This is exactly why I choose to tell my story; to help others realize that their journey is important, their stories are important. We all have a story to tell, we have all suffered pain, trauma and loss. The question is, have you faced your trauma, and are you ready to? Are you ready to show your scars to the world, let them see that you are not Instagram perfect? You may not be, and that is okay, but I hope that at some point, you will be.

Thank you for sharing your story! So many in our community can relate, yet feel so alone. Your bravery is inspiring!

Anika Austrie I want to thank everyone for their support. My heart feels full.

You can’t rush greatness, slow down, reawaken to the new you! Sun in Aries, Full Moon in Libra GARCIA AKUA

garcia@carib101.com

COSMIC CORNER

Happy New Year Beautiful Beings! Spring has officially sprung! We have started a brand new cosmic year. Although we have had a hard year in some cases, this is much reason to celebrate, simply we’re alive.

Light has returned. The days are now brighter and longer. This is a season of renewal and intention setting. As the Sun entered Aries, we are now in the fire element of initiating new things. Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac. It represents our drive, ambitions, desires and actions.

The combination of the beginning of Spring and this fire can make us ready to go.

However, we must give ourselves the opportunity to renew our energy.

We have just been in the winter season for the last three months. Winter is likened to hibernating, a deep sleep. As Spring comes along we need to give ourselves a moment to stretch and wipe the

sleep of winter from our eyes. Then once renewed and revived we can start to plan our intentions. Listen to your body and restfully awaken. There’s no rush. We are dealing with fire energy on barren land.

Here in Toronto, it isn’t green yet outside.

The trees are just beginning to bud. The grass is still brown and patchy. If we rush the fire energy, we’ll burn out or burn the place down. Just as nature unfolds in divine timing, we do too, we just have to slow down to realize.

On Sunday March 28th, we will have our first Full Moon of our cosmic year. Full Moons always take place in the opposite sign of where the Sun is located. In this case the Sun is in Aries, we will be having our Full Moon in Libra. Aries is the sign of self, Libra is the sign of partnership and relationships. This Full Moon welcomes us to explore our relationship first with ourselves and then how we connect to others.

With the Sun in Aries, we also have Venus (our heart) and Chiron (our wound). The Sun will be shining or giving life to the issues in heart including our wounds and trauma. The Full Moon will be illuminating our relationships. Libra is the sign of balance, harmony and justice. Where do you need more balance in your relationships? Are you overextending yourself? Are your relationships based on mutual respect and reciprocity?

Are your actions in harmony with your heart’s desire? These are some questions we ask ourselves before we start to plant our new goals for the season. If we are out of balance you will plant imbalance.

If our actions are not aligned with our heart, we will plant resentment. If we are leading with clarity our intentions will bring us justice.

Although nothing much has changed since March 2020 in the world around us. Much has changed within us.

It’s time to realign. We now have a better understanding of ourselves and whom and who we wish to utilize our energy.

Your energy is important, protect it. Take your time to reawaken to your reality. You have the ability to create your reality. The work is not always easy, but it’s worth it.

So why rush it?

It is said it takes twenty-one days to create a new habit. How many twenty-one day cycles have we already lived?

If we want to change our lives, we have to change our lives and that will take time.

As the weather gets better, get outside and spend some time in nature.

Look at how the trees and flowers take their time to bloom. Breathe in the fresh air, take off your shoes and get grounded. Feel the rhythm of Mama earth. Align yourself.

You can’t rush greatness, slow down, reawaken to the new you.

LIFE

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 35

Toronto District School Board’s plan for a return to in-person classes in the fall of 2021 PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

YOUTH EDUCATION

There is no doubt that the current school year has been very challenging for the largest school board in Canada.

With a population of 246,000 students in 583 schools, it has tried to ensure that there was equitable programming for all its students.

Ryan Bird told the Toronto Star on March 4th, 2021, that, “The ministry asked school boards to plan for no COVID-19 related funding at the time, meaning that we will plan for in-person learning. The TDSB recognizes that this will depend on the status of the pandemic and advice of public health officials.”

He reveals that currently, the TDSB is in the process of making preparations to ensure that it is able to accommodate students who opt for remote virtual learning, as well in-person learning. Bird told 680 News that currently, 160,000 students are obtaining in-person schooling compared to 80,000 who are learning virtually.

The Toronto Star revealed that other boards are providing parents with the options to choose either virtual schooling or In-person learning, but without the possibility of switching. There are still many uncertainties regarding details around the COVID-19 rollout plans and the transmission of variants within school settings.

The TDSB revealed an update from the Minister of Education on Friday, March 5th, 2021, regarding the Ontario government’s plans for vaccinations for education workers and child care workers. It states, “The province, which continues to expand capacity and ramp up efforts under the phased roll-

out of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan has now announced that they are moving forward with Phase Two of this plan, which includes education and care workers. Phase Two focuses on vaccinating populations based on age and risk.

It is expected to begin in April and be completed by the end of July. Vaccine prioritization for education and child care workers will commence with those who work directly with children in both schools and licensed childcare settings.”

Education workers include bus drivers who transport students.” There is much work that the TDSB has to do within the next six months before the 2021- 2022 school year starts,” Trustees Shelly Laskin and Parthi Kandavel told the Toronto Star.

As a result of the committee meeting that was held on March 2nd, 2021 to discuss finance, budget, and enrollment matters it is understood that elementary students will be expected for in-person learning. Laskin states, “We seriously have no idea right now about

vaccine rollout and what that’s going to mean. No vaccines have yet been approved for children under 16.”

Trustee Kandavel indicates that a final decision will not be made until April in order to ensure that education stakeholders are able to prepare in advance especially to ensure that the remote learning option is equitably administered.

She states, “We know COVID-19 hot spots are in lower socio-economic neighborhoods, so being able to adapt to the concerns of parents in those areas is very important.”

One of the challenges for the TDSB will be the amount of funding.

At present, funds are accessed through grants such as the Grants for Students Need (GSN) and Priorities and Partnership Fund. The Ministry of Education sent an email to school boards in February which indicated that school boards should anticipate laying off thousands of frontline workers in the coming school year.

Tremendous achievements for the 1st year nesew Seti DAVE RANKIN dave@carib101.com

AFRICAN HISTORY

From the very onset Rameses the 1st was appointed the new ruler of ancient Kemet, he had one thing in mind, to uphold the tradition of having his heir succeed him on the throne. As we have seen with the pharaohs of the late 18th Dynasty, namely King Tut, Aye, and Horemheb, a nesew without an heir leaves the nation in great peril. History would not repeat itself this time as we introduce this week’s subject, Seti the 1st.

Unlike his father, who was clearly aged at the time of his ascension. Seti the 1st was in the prime of his adult years, something that Kemet

hadn’t witnessed in a while. Rameses the 1st made sure Seti was schooled in the ways of kingship. Rameses the 1st appointed his son to hold various positions of office during his short reign. The two positions that should stand out to us are the following.

The first, Seti the 1st, was acting general of foreign policy. However, the second and more important one, was a position similar to that of a vizier.

As vizier, Seti the 1st would be privy to major nation building discussions while his father was alive. But as nesew, Seti the 1st displayed what he had learned during his time in office, coupled with his military experience. This laid the foundation for one of Kemet’s greatest dynasties.

With his visions set on the glorious days of Thutmosis the 3rd, Seti the 1st set out on a campaign to reclaim the empire once established in Asia. Similar to Tuthmosis the 3rd, Seti had his feats of war etched on the North Wall of the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak, a mag-

nificent structure that has stood the test of time. He departed from the “border fortress of Tjel” and headed straight to Raphia, a Palestinian city located somewhere along the Gaza Strip.

Along the way, he battled with the Shasu Bedouin. The semitic speaking nomads were pests along the eastern Palestinian frontier and needed to be dealt with. This inscription from the Great Wall tells us the following. “Their tribal chiefs are gathered together…

They have taken to cursing and quarreling, each of them slaying his neighbor, and they disregard the laws of the palace.”

What the Shasu didn’t know was that there was a reason why Seti the 1st was named the “Powerful bull that give life to the Two Lands after having been crowned at Thebes.” Seti the 1st captured Raphia relatively easy. Kemetian military fortified this giving the Kemetians a strategic foothold, as it secured fresh water from the wells along the trade route through Gaza called “The

Ways of Horus.” It is here where I will insert a small passage from the chiseled reliefs at Karnak that tell us of the victory. “The destruction which the mighty sword of the Pharaoh made among the vanquished of the Shasu… his majesty marched against them like a fierce-eyed lion, making them carcasses in their valleys…”

He then went on to capture Gaza and sent the army of Ra, ‘Plentiful of Valor’ to Beth Shan and Reheb. He also sent the armies of Amen, ‘Mighty of Bows’ and Seth, ‘Strong of Bows’ to Hamath and Yenoam. Successful in their battles, they also captured Acre, and Tyre and had sights on Lebanon. The nesew beat the local Lebanese chiefs into submission, and as one author put it, ‘they were compelled to cut down valuable cedar woods as tribute.’

Tremendous achievements for the 1st year nesew who adopted the name ‘Repeater of Birth.’ It points us to a new beginning adding to the greatness of Kemet’s legacy.

PAGE 36

LIFE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021 Photo Credit: Jamar Knight

Dev has the creative edge: Online hub for Caribbean creatives LA SHAWNA GRIFFITH lashawna@carib101.com

SPOTLIGHT FEATURE

Devon Greaves is the founder of Dev’s Edge, an online platform that has become a hub for Barbadian creatives to express themselves.

Greaves, who is an avid lover of the cultural industries, said he became involved in the cultural industries because he found creatives to be alluring in the way they presented themselves.

“For as long as I can remember, I have been a perceptive individual, always curious to find out how others view the world. While studying at the Barbados Community College (BCC), I remember looking at the Creative Arts students in a perplexed manner asking myself questions like ‘Why does she have orange hair?’ or even, ‘Why is he dressed that way?’ I found these creatives so interesting, and I wanted to find out more. After approaching them, I realized that they had such exciting stories to tell and that is exactly what I decided to do.”

His love for the cultural industries cupped with the struggles creatives faced, led him to creating his website www.devsedge.com, which allowed up-and-coming Barbadian, regional and international artists to showcase their talent.

Dev, as his peers affectionately call him, said his platform Dev’s Edge was created with the purpose of having a platform to be the voice for the individuals who are featured on it.

“It’s an online space for creatives to be recognized, and a source of inspiration along the way. In short, we do this in three main ways. The Dev’s Edge site first comprises our ‘Life on the Edge’ blog where you will find the awe-inspiring journeys of the island’s best creatives and entrepreneurs. Secondly, there is the ‘Style & Fashion’ section that tackles fashion from a psychological standpoint, while sharing style tips and highlighting designers, models, and the regions’ fashion brands in a series format. Then last but certainly not least, there is our ‘Entertainment’ section where the additional fun happens as we bring you the ‘Song of the Week’ and the most exciting entertainment news from the region.”

Greaves said one of the highlights since starting his business is that he is able to see creatives and entrepreneurs in Barbados develop their brands and bring their ideas to life.

“I have also had the opportunity

to do so internationally by travelling to Colombia. While I was there, not only did I get to promote Barbados and what we have to offer, but I also created a Latin American Campaign where I collaborated with a few promising individuals including a: photographer, makeup artist, model, and YouTuber. It gave them the opportunity to utilize their skills to produce a promotional project. This experience was very rewarding and a lot of fun. I am pleased to say that these individuals are now further developing themselves by working together, creating short films, and most importantly, following their creative aspirations.”

How was Dev able to go to Colombia and form these meaningful relationships?

Dev is a holder of a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with Management Studies and currently speaks and thinks in four languages - English, Spanish, French and Italian. Therefore, travelling to Colombia to market his business was definitely in his wheelhouse.

However, he soon realized that his platform had international reach.

“I started receiving feedback that other influencers and organizations abroad were beginning to embrace and reach out to my featured individuals. Little did I know that Dev’s Edge was developing a small following in Canada, the USA, Colombia, and even the UK? That is when I fully realized that the brand would be bigger than I could ever imagine.”

Greaves said he is seeking to have a European tour and campaign once COVID-19 is not as prevalent, so he can begin to lay the groundwork for his brand’s expansion.

“I would love to do a European tour and campaign, similar to that of Colombia where I would lay the groundwork for brand expansion by connecting with new creatives there. I would also like to create content in different languages namely Spanish, French, and Italian to reach a wider international audience. If they do not come to us, I am willing to take the brand to them. Either way, our Caribbean talents are exceptional, and their work must be known globally. Long live Dev’s Edge - The Home of Self-Expression.”

His mantra is similar to his goal for his European tour “The grave is a rich placefull of unsought ideas.” He is passionate about pursuing his goals helping others to never give up on their dreams.

For more information on Dev’s Edge contact him on any of the following channels: IG: @devsedge FB: Dev’s Edge Website: www.devsedge.com Email: devsedge246@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

Adversity is knocking TARA MYSHRALL tara@carib101.com

COMPELLED TO CHANGE “It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how life’s story will develop” DietermF. Uchtdorf Logically we know that we are going to face adversity in life and that there are lessons to be learnt. When the sun is shining and we feel enthralled in the game of life, we feel we can accept any challenge that is thrown at us. But when a crisis unexpectedly hits it is hard to recall that clear thinking and we can get wrapped up in the story and drama of the situation.

Life is all about yin and yang. There is a balance to the universe and this law means there will always be an equal reaction for every action. If this is the case, then we know that those wonderful moments that take our breathe away with joy will not be possible 100% of the time and conversely the moments that feel dark and lonely will pass as well. I try to remind myself that this too will pass. Nothing good or bad is forever.

Despair and uncertainty can be very hard to navigate and it’s easy to get lost. I’ve felt that several times in my life, and it certainly isn’t easy to just dust yourself off and move forward. I tend to feel the pain, cry the tears, lie on the couch, walk, yell, write and whatever else I can do to process the emotions of what I am feeling.

Once these emotions are processed, I feel freer to move forward from those feelings.

As much as we want to avoid this process, it is a part of life and we need the darkness as much as we need the light.

When you are in a high or low how do you not get intoxicated by the moment?

A gentle reminder…feel everything, process and release. What we resist persists, so instead of resisting or ignoring your feelings allow them to flow and understand the lesson they are trying to teach you. I have heard many times in my life not to get “emotional” and for a long time I avoided my emotions and was so stuck in logic. We can feel our emotions and not get stuck in them.

But how do we dust ourselves off after feeling like we have hit rock bottom?

Three things will help.

First, don’t compare your journey to others. Many times, the way we perceive other’s situation is very different than the reality of their life. Your journey is uniquely yours for the stage that your soul is in. You will process differently than others and only you have the answers within on the lesson that is being presented to you.

Secondly, don’t judge yourself against what you logically think you should do, what your positive thinking app told you to think or the last self-help book you read. “I should haves” don’t serve you. You cannot change the past decisions and your harsh judgment of self will not allow the flow to happen.

Lastly, trade your expectations for appreciation. If we can flip our focus to what we are being taught in any moment, we can gently remind ourselves that although it may feel like every part of our life is falling apart, we still awoke and took another breath today. We still have someone in the world that loves us, even if that is not clear to us in the moment and we still have someone out there that we love dearly, and love is the strongest force on Earth.

Be gentle with yourself, my friends, as this game of life can certainly throw us curve balls. But with the correct mindset, we may just hit that ball out of the park.

Parental burnout: how to recognize, treat and prevent it You may already know that work-related stress can lead to burnout, but did you know that parenting can also cause this issue? Here’s an overview of this under-discussed syndrome.

Symptoms Parental burnout is typically characterized by extreme mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. You may also feel overwhelmed and ineffective as a parent.

It’s common for affected individuals to emotionally distance themselves from their children due to a lack of energy and time. These symptoms often develop among parents who set unrealistically high expectations for themselves or who neglect self-care to keep up with the demands of parenting.

Treatment While there’s no instant cure for parental burnout, the best way to recover is to seek support. Opening up to a loved one or

some¬one in a similar situation can help ease your guilt about not being good enough. This can enable you to revise the expectations you set for yourself as a parent. Additionally, you shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to relatives, friends and babysitters when you need time to recharge.

Prevention It’s important to accept that no parent is perfect, and you can’t do everything on your own. To avoid stretching yourself too thin, be sure to prioritize your responsibi¬lities and divide tasks with your partner, parents or older children. Keep in mind that asking for help when you need it and taking care of yourself will allow you to be a more effective parent.

If you feel overwhelmed, exhausted and isolated by the demands of parenting, consider reaching out to a health care professional for support and treatment.

LIFE

PAGE 37

PAGE 38

HOME

4 questions to ask before pruning a tree Since pruning trees can be tricky and even dan­gerous, this job typically requires the ex­pertise of a professional arborist. If you’re thin­ k ing about doing your own pruning, there are four questions you should ask yourself first.

1. IS IT NECESSARY? There are several reasons to prune a tree, in­cluding to remove dead and damaged bran­ches that are at risk of falling. Pruning a tree simply to improve its appearance should be avoided. After all, each cut you make is a wound that takes time to heal and puts the tree at risk of infection.

2. IS IT SAFE? Never prune a tree that’s within three metres of a power line. It’s best to leave this extremely hazardous work to a professional, and in some places it’s the law.

Similarly, cutting large branches can lead to serious accidents and injuries if you don’t use the right tools and technique.

3. WHAT EQUIPMENT IS NEEDED? To safely prune a tree, you need to use specialized tools. Pruning shears, loppers and saws may all be required. Make sure your tools are clean and sharp to facilitate

the tree’s recovery. You’ll also need personal protective equipment including safety goggles, a helmet, work gloves and possibly a harness.

4. WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO PROCEED? Before you start pruning a tree, analyze its structure and determine where you’ll make each cut. Most importantly, you should limit your alterations and respect the natural shape of the tree. This is the best way to keep your tree healthy and improve its appearance.

If you don’t feel comfortable pruning your own trees, contact an arborist in your area.

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Is your lawn mower ready for summer?

Cutting the grass is a crucial part of maintaining your lawn. If you want to simplify this task, make sure your lawn mower is in good condition at the beginning of the season. Here’s a checklist so you don’t forget anything.

THE BLADES Since damaged blades can’t be sharpened, you’ll need to replace them if they’re cracked or dented. Blades that are in good shape should be sharpened to ensure a clean cut.

To help your mower perform efficiently, do this at least twice every summer.

THE OIL If you have a gas-powered lawn mower, change the oil in spring or after about 50 hours of use, which­ever comes first. Be sure to disconnect the spark plug before you begin. Place a container near the drain­ pipe, gently tilt the mo­ wer toward it and remove the oil cap or plug. Once you’ve drained the old oil, replace it. If your mower has a fuel filter, change that as well.

THE SPARK PLUG To ensure your lawn mo­ wer starts easily and runs

smoothly, replace the spark plug once a year. All you need is a spark plug socket and wrench to re­move the old plug and install the new one.

THE AIR FILTER Like the spark plug, your lawn mower’s air filter should be changed annually. In some cases, however, simply cleaning this compo­nent will do the trick.

In addition to these steps, remember to inspect the wheels, lubricate all moving parts and clean the underside of your lawn mower. If you have an electric model, charge or replace the battery as needed.

Don’t forget to fill up the tank if you have a gas-powered mower.

FUN

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 39

WEEK OF MARCH 28 TO APRIL 3, 2021

ARIES

The luckiest signs this week: CAPRICORN, AQUARIUS AND PISCES

You may have to jockey your way up the professional ladder to find success. There will be plenty of it, but first you’ll need to deal with a considerable amount of stress.

TAURUS

You’ll need to make a few com­promises to reach a suitable agreement with certain peo­ple. You’ll get justice and set­tle a conflict before it escala­tes further.

PUZZLE NO. 732 ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 732

HOW TO PLAY :

GEMINI

There’s a lot of work ahead. The competition will know how to win you over by offering a more interesting position. You risk being tormented by questions about how to maintain your in­tegrity.

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

CANCER

You’ll attract a lot of attention after you successfully diffuse a situation by making people laugh at your antics. You can also ex­pect some warm applause.

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.

LEO

You’ll have plenty to do at home or with your family.

Fortunately, your loved ones will see your balancing act as heroic. You’ll demonstrate your ability to be responsible by establishing your priorities.

PUZZLE NO. 22 41. Performance by one 44. Mr. Karloff 48. Broadcast 52. Mexican entree 53. Mine output 54. Colony insects 55. Ship’s hands 56. Although 57. Subtraction term 58. That woman’s DOWN

ACROSS

1. Big quiz 5. Baggage 9. Kid 12. Solemn vow 13. Wheel shaft 14. Corn portion 15. For keeps 16. Bookish 18. Railroad

station 20. Fountain treat 21. Dinghy, e.g.

23. Vent 27. Whit 30. Pacino and namesakes 31. Birchbark or dugout 32. Expire,

as time 34. Show up 35. Deal out 36. Stocky antelope 37. Commandment number 38. Spends 39. Song of worship

1. Having foot digits 2. Roofline detail 3. Stride 4. Ache 5. Sal, for example 6. Has being 7. Female voice 8. Oboe insert 9. Afternoon brew 10. Rowing blade 11. Strive 17. Navigational device 19. Melba ____ 22. Beer’s kin 24. Module 25. Small bay

26. Minor 27. Boyfriend 28. Woes 29. Legend 31. Small particle of bread 33. Search party 34. “____ Wednesday” 36. Phantoms 40. Degree 42. ____ Office 43. Type of dance

45. Steak order 46. Frosting user 47. Piglets’ mothers 48. Playpen item 49. Sooner than, in poems 50. Say yes 51. Snaky curve

ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 22

VIRGO

You’ll know just what to say to stand out from the crowd and make your point. You’ll spend the week driving people around so you can show off your new car.

LIBRA

You may take steps toward buy­ing a property or finding a more suitable place to live. At the very least, you’ll shop around for something for the family. It’ll end up being quite the ad­venture.

SCORPIO

You’re a dynamic person who’s up for any challenge, be it at work or in other areas of your life. A quick vacation with your partner, friends or family would be appreciated. No matter how old they are, children can be a challenge.

SAGITTARIUS

If you let yourself become fa­tigued, you’ll be more vulne­rable to germs. Don’t forget to make time for rest when you have several demanding pro­jects on the go.

CAPRICORN

You’ll be surrounded by confu­sed people, and you’ll occasion­ally need to take some alone time. You’ll also be inspired to explore a new form of spiritua­lity with others who are close to you.

AQUARIUS

Time is in short supply for many people and this week, you’re no exception. You’ll need to work extra hard at your job to get everything done on time.

PISCES

Either with your partner or your friends, you’ll start to plan a trip abroad or somewhere lo­cal. You’ll also make changes at home, even if it’s just moving furniture around.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

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PAGE 42

REAL ESTATE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Tax saving tactics JAY BRIJPAUL brijpaul@carib101.com

REAL ESTATE PRO

Normally, the interest paid on a principal residence’s mortgage is not tax deductible.

However, according to the CRA, interest paid on money borrowed to invest is tax deductible. The ultimate goal is to reline mortgages to make them tax deductible.

Albert Einstein asserted that the hardest thing in the world to understand is income tax. When you pay a mortgage, a portion of your payment goes towards reducing the principal, and a portion towards interest. Lowering the principal portion would increase the equity in the home and this equity can then be borrowed for an investment. Let’s assume that the principal residence has a remaining mortgage of $200,000. It is best to convert this sum into a secure line of credit. Now, with every mortgage payment comes new equity to invest.

Gradually, the entire $200,000 will change from a mortgage on the principal residence

to money put towards a new investment.

The $200,000 debt remains the same but it has been changed from a “bad debt” where the interest portion is not tax deductible, to a “good debt” where the interest portion is tax deductible.

In order to save on taxes, Gautam converted his mortgage so that anytime he paid down the principal, he can borrow against it. Every month he withdrew from the principle, he paid down and invested in shares from a chartered bank. The tax-deductible portion of the interest he paid triggered a refund which he then used towards paying down the line of credit and reinvesting into the principal. Gautam took advantage of his tax-free saving account and also bought an RRSP. This in turn triggered a bigger tax refund. He also received dividends from the stocks he bought. With all the tax savings and dividends, he was able to pay down the remaining line of credit faster.

Junior used a slightly different strategy to save on taxes. His property was mortgage free. He took a line of credit against his principal residence for $300,000. He then used this as a down payment on an investment property he bought for $600,000. Next, he took a mortgage for $300,000 on the investment property. Note that this was a “no money down” deal as the entire $600,000 was borrowed. The interest payment on the

line of credit and on the mortgage of the rental became tax deductible against his gross income.

A basement apartment or a home office in a principal residence can also provide a tax saving strategy. The cost involved in retrofitting and registering the basement apartment is tax deductible. A portion of the mortgage interest, property tax, utilities and insurance can be written off against the rental income. For example, if the basement apartment is one-third the size of the property, then one-third of the mortgage interest, property tax, utilities and insurance can be written off. The good news is that the CRA will consider the entire property as the principal residence if three criteria are met.

The first is that the portion of the home used to generate income is from the principal residence. For example, the basement of the home the owner lives in.

The second is that there is no structural change done to the property for income generation. Structural changes can include an addition done to the existing property.

The last criteria that must be met is that the owner does not claim capital cost allowance on the property. A property is considered a depreciating asset in the eyes of the CRA because of wear and tear.

While a yearly deduction is allowed on the

income producing portion, if a homeowner takes this allowance, then upon sale, the owner must pay capital gains on the portion claimed as a rental apartment. This is noteworthy because there is no capital gains tax paid on a principal residence.

Income splitting is another great way to save on taxes. The party with the lower income must be actively involved in the day-to-day activities of the rental property. Some of the duties of that certify you as “actively involved” include bookkeeping, communicating with tenants, collecting and depositing rent; doing so will allow for the opportunity to split the income. An unemployed family member that is eighteen years of age or older and living at home can be compensated for taking on duties related to the rental unit. The expectation is that if you are renting your basement, you should be making some profit. It should be noted that claiming losses from year to year is a red flag and the homeowner can be audited.

My advice is to have a professional accountant to guide you. Their fees are tax deductible. Always keep receipts and if you are renting the basement apartment, set up a separate account for rental income as well as expenses. After all, you are now running a business.

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PAGE 44

FINANCE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Staying home during the pandemic saved lives and cash CLEVE DeSOUZA cleve@carib101.com

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

As the COVID-19 vaccines become more and more commonly available, we’re all looking forward to the end of the monthslong pandemic that has affected every part of our lives.

Before you start planning vacations and nights out with friends, though, take a moment to consider some financial gains you may have made over the last year. The pandemic closed businesses and forced people to stay home. We spent less money on entertainment, transportation, clothing, shopping sprees, and more.

Slashing our budgets wasn’t the intent of the restrictions, but it did have that effect. As a result, in the first quarter of 2021, the CIBC reported that Canadian households were sitting on about $90 billion in cash. On average, each household saved about 13% of their income during

the pandemic. Before the pandemic, we saved less than 4% of our income.

If you’ve been keeping that “extra” money in a savings account, it’s time to move it. A savings account is safe, but you can do so much better. On average, a savings account pays 0.05% interest, while inflation means your expenses rise about 2% a year. That means if you leave your money in a traditional savings account, you can expect to slowly watch your bottom line whither.

Instead, that money you saved during the pandemic could represent the perfect opportunity to begin building your wealth.

The first thing you need to do is educate yourself about money. Read books

by Rich Kiyosaki, who offers down-to-earth advice. Or Google articles about self-made billionaire Warren Buffet. Don’t forget to consider the benefits of a good mind-set.

Reading about Carol Dweck, an expert on adopting a growth mind-set, will help you in every part of your life.

While you’re studying, make sure you familiarize yourself with key financial principles. You need to understand the difference between simple interest, which is interest paid only on the principal amount of your investment and compounding in-

terest, which is when you earn interest on the principal amount plus any interest you accumulate. (Hint: you want investments that pay compounding interest).

Learn everything you can about proven money-making opportunities such as real estate. Examine how investors buy homes, and then turn them into rental properties to make money. If you’ve got construction experience, consider buying a fixer-upper, making repairs, and then selling it for a profit. Real estate also is a great way to leverage your money. In simple terms, leverage is using other people’s money to make more money for you.

Next, begin taking calculated risks. Sure, your money is safe and protected in a savings account. But if you are willing to accept a little bit of risk, you can make your money work for you. The more risk you are willing to take, the more you stand to benefit. Contact a trusted adviser to help gauge your risk tolerance and to steer you to appropriate opportunities.

Finally, remember that even as businesses open up again, you don’t have to open your wallet. Choose wisely when deciding what activities to resume. Sacrificing a few dinners out now can pay off with a financially secure future.

Our brain’s pitfalls towards financial decisions ANDREW STEWART andrew@carib101.com

FAMILY ADVISOR

The human mind makes millions of decisions each day. If each one required a comparison of pros and cons, we would often fail to act, resulting in limited productivity.

To help aid us and our brains in decisionmaking, we utilize mental shortcuts called heuristics. In many cases, a heuristic is a simple procedure that helps us find adequate, though often imperfect, answers to difficult questions. In some instances, the use of heuristics results in flawed judgements and interpretations and sub-optimal outcomes based on inaccurate, illogical, and irrational thinking.

Financial advisors often use heuristics in the form of rules of thumb. Some of the most common include: •

•

•

•

50/30/20 Rule: allocate 50% of aftertax income to necessities, 30% to financial goals (such as debt reduction or saving), and 20% to wants Six-Month Emergency Fund Rule: keep enough to cover at least six months of expenses in liquid assets for emergencies 70% Retirement Replacement Income Rule: plan to generate at least 70% of current after-tax income in retirement to maintain your lifestyle 10% Retirement Savings Rule: save at

•

•

least 10% of earnings towards retirement 4% Withdrawal Ratio: withdraw less than 4% of invested retirement assets annually to help preserve retirement savings Age Rule for Equities: subtract age from 120 to determine the percentage of equities that should be in an investment portfolio

The reason I am alluding to our brain’s use of heuristics is because when combined with biases, it can have devastating financial consequences. In processing information, the human brain classifies and categorizes new information and experiences to help it make sense of the world around it. It determines whether that information aligns with personal beliefs and also takes into consideration feelings about the information and any resulting decisions. Errors in inaccurately understanding reality based on stereotypes are biases.

Many factors affect biases, including an individual’s sex, gender, culture, religious and spiritual beliefs, current circumstances, learned behaviour, and the heuristics we use to make decisions. Let’s discuss some common biases that affect our decisions with financial matters.

When we make judgements and decisions based on an initial point of reference and focus on one piece of information and discount all other pieces of information it’s called the anchoring and adjustment bias. For example, the cost of insurance can be a sticking point for families who feel that what they will pay exceeds the potential benefits they will receive. They fixate on the cost, rather than taking into account the benefits insurance provides.

The conservatism bias is the tendency to alter a belief insufficiently when presented with new information. People compare new information to their pre-existing knowledge and beliefs. Many times, they overlook the importance of new information, even when it is accompanied by strong evidence. Rather, they attach greater credence to their existing knowledge and beliefs. If people do choose to revise beliefs and/or act on new information, they tend to be slow to do so, which can have significant consequences.

The illusion of control is the belief that you can influence an outcome that is outside your control. The human brain prefers predictability and order to arbitrariness, so it is wired to believe that it can, given enough information, identify, predict and control events. Many individuals don’t think they need life, disability or critical illness insurance because they come from a family with longevity in their genes, eat healthy foods, exercise, and avoid smoking and drinking. They believe they have full control over their health but, of course, they are still at risk of dying, acquiring a disability or developing an illness.

People generally seek financial support in two circumstances. They decide they need to make a change and/or change is thrust upon them. We do not like change.

It can be an unsettling experience filled with unknowns, discomfort, apprehension and fear. All of this can be tiring, particularly for the mind. It is no wonder that so many people favour the status quo. Only when the status quo becomes unacceptable are people truly motivated to make a change. This is as true for financial matters as it is for losing weight, stopping smoking or finding a new job.

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PAGE 46

SPORTS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 31, 2021

This Week in Sports NHL Referees Being Paid Off?!

MARCEL MARIAK marcel@carib101.com

TC JUNIOR REPORTER

Tennis: Fans Devastated - Serena Williams withdraws from Miami Open.

Tennis fans around the world were left shocked and disappointed last week when women’s tennis icon, Serena Williams, announced she would be pulling out of the upcoming Miami Open. Citing oral surgery as the reason, Williams becomes the latest tennis celebrity to retire from the competition.

Having won the Miami Open a record eight times already, tennis fans around the globe were excited to see if Williams could add another tally mark to her dominant career; unfortunately, they’ll have to wait another year. Williams released a statement about her upsetting absence, “Miami is a special tournament for me because it’s my home. I am sad I won’t be able to see the incredible fans this year, but I look forward to coming back soon.”

Hockey: Mic’d Up Madness - Are NHL referees being paid to fix games?

Sports are more than just a game. For some, they are part of their culture. For others, they’re a way to bond with family.

But for others, like sports gamblers and club managers, sport is serious business.

As such, it’s no surprise that there have been elaborate cheating schemes concocted in the past to fix matchup results and swindle the system. During a game between the Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings, a broadcasting error may have uncovered a league-wide matchfixing conspiracy!

As the game broadcast was going to a commercial break during the second period, the referee, Tim Peel’s, Mic’d Up microphone was momentarily broadcasted live. While the broadcast was quickly cut out, it had played long enough for everyone to hear the referee make a concerning comment, “It wasn’t much but I wanted to get a [explicit] penalty against Nashville early in the…” NHL fans were immediately furious after hearing this broadcast. Not only does it seriously harm the integrity of the game, but it also poses a bigger, more ominous question: if referees were biased in this game, how many other games are being fixed? Was this a one-off comment, or is there a serious fraud conspiracy in the NHL? And if so, who’s involved?

Basketball: LeBron James Injured Postseason position hangs in the balance!

Just when Lakers fans thought things couldn’t get much worse, their star player, LeBron James, sustained a game-injury.

With Anthony Davis getting a calf-strain just weeks prior, and the Lakers in an intense post-season positioning battle, the last thing the team needed was another injured all-star.

In a game against the Atlanta Hawks, James was forced to retire from the match in the second quarter. During a scramble for the ball, Hawks shooting guard Solomon Hill tripped and fell on James’ leg, twisting the all-star’s ankle in the process. Despite clearly being in a good amount of pain James stayed in the game for one more play, sinking a 3-pointer from the corner before leaving the court and retiring from the game.

Post-game x-rays showed no bone damage, but an MRI scan revealed that James had a severely sprained ankle. Initially, LeBron’s medical suspension was indefinite but it was eventually announced that he would be missing for at least a couple of weeks.

With the Lakers now fighting hard for a good post-season position, LeBron’s absence from the court will certainly be felt by the team and it may throw a wrench into the gears of their playoff game plan.

Boxing: Tyson v. Holyfield 3 - The date is almost official!

Unless you’re a boxing historian, you’ll be hard-pressed to think of a rivalry more prolific than that of Tyson v. Holyfield. Not only are the two warriors both legends and icons of the sport, but their previous bouts are also steeped in controversy.

When the two last met in the ring over two decades ago, their matchup went down in history as one of the famous boxing bouts ever. Appropriately dubbed ‘The Bite Fight’, the bout ended by disqualification when Tyson bit a part of Holyfield’s ear off during a clinch.

Unsurprisingly, the boxing community was outraged by Tyson’s actions in the ring and the fight gained massive notoriety as a result.

Now, despite their controversial past, the two icons are looking to step into the ring for one final showdown! Although both boxers are reportedly looking towards the bout, recent reports from Holyfield’s camp stated that Tyson rejected an AUD$32 million offer (equivalent to CAD$3,057,315). Despite this, the 54-yearold Tyson claims that he is very close to signing the paperwork and making his fight with Holyfield official, “The only thing we have to do is get some small, fundamental paperwork done and then it’s all to the races for me and Evander.”