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VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 21 2021

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SIMONE SMITH/TORONTO CARIBBEAN

“Emergency” means a situation or an impending situation that constitutes a danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm to persons or substantial damage to property and that is caused by the forces of nature, a disease or other health risk, an accident or an act whether intentional or otherwise.”

(Ontario Government Website)

When many people heard the news that the “Declaration of Emergency,” was revoked on June 9th, 2021, it launched a whirlwind of misinformation and confusion throughout Ontario. For many people, the legislative process is both complicated and confusing, and I hope that this article will clarify exactly what is happening so that readers are able to speak intelligently about exactly what is

going on.

On June 9th, 2021 the emergency orders in Ontario were revoked.

What is interesting is that unlike COVID-19 case updates, and the laws that were prohibiting our freedoms, we heard nothing of this in the media or from the government.

Continued On Page 8

PAGE 2

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021 Photo Credit: Gabriel Lalgie

ALISA CHEDDI The gift that keeps on giving

“I started doing these things because it was a way for me to cope with grief. But I continue to do it because, why not? I live here. I live amongst these families. I live in this community. And the only way to make where you live better is to get involved and get your hands dirty. And that’s exactly what I’m doing.” Alisa Cheddi

From her job to her down time, this week’s Women Empowered is a cheerful servant to her community and is finally getting the recognition she deserves. Her span of active charity work may be short, but Alisa Cheddi’s efforts to make a difference in the city of Brampton are mighty.

Originally from a village called Hermitage in Trinidad, Alisa’s family migrated to Mississauga in the 80’s. As one could imagine, coming from a tropical island to a country that is freezing for the majority of the year wasn’t the easiest change for her Caribbean family. But acclimating to frigid Canadian winters wasn’t their only adjustment issue. Looking back at her childhood, Alisa remembers the struggles of not having much help and not coming from money. Regardless of the lack of material possessions, her and her two other siblings still had a fulfilling childhood, something in which she thanks her selfless parents for.

“We were not your traditional West-Indian family, where the man would work and the woman tends to the home.

My dad took a back seat so my mom could further her education and career. My dad took care of us, raised us, and taught us to be good people while my mom took care of finances. My siblings and I always had what we needed, and if that meant that my parents didn’t, then they went without and we never felt that.”

Eventually moving to Brampton in 1998, Alisa would soon pursue a law degree at Ryerson University, with dreams of being at the forefront of justice. About a decade later, she began her current ad-

ministrative job as a case management coordinator for the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. Today, with a passion to reduce crime, she’s the only one in her position to be a part of an ongoing guns and gangs investigation involving firearm charges, money laundering, tax evasion and homicide.

Alisa’s innate desire to liberally help others is a trait that she believes stems from her late father.

“My dad instilled this attitude where if you’re in the position to help someone, you help them and don’t expect anything in return. And if somebody needs something or wants something from you, you give it to them and don’t ask for anything back. You give with open hands and you never speak about it.”

After the lengthy hours at her job, Alisa continues her benevolence through volunteer work. In particular, she dedicates much of her time and support towards The Kidney Foundation of Canada.

An initiative dear to her heart, it was introduced into her life by her father who made their family participate in the annual fundraiser, the Kidney Walk. Unwilling to let Alisa’s involvement go unrecognized, she was a recipient of the foundation’s 2019 Volunteer Award; an award given to those who showcase caring, leadership and philanthropy within their respective communities to benefit those touched by kidney disease.

“Diabetes is something that runs through my family, I’m also a diabetic.

One of the things that happens to diabetic people in our family is heart failure and kidney failure. My grandfather and father were on dialysis, and watching your loved ones go through that is difficult. It’s painful, it takes up a lot of their lives, it takes them away from family members. I’m hoping that through some of the work that I’m doing, they’re able to do the research required to find ways to treat kidney disease

without requiring organ donors,” she says.

She continues. “After my dad passed away in 2017, I still wanted to be involved, but I didn’t know how much involvement I wanted. I called to help hand out water, but they phoned back saying that they’d appreciate if I could help plan the walk instead. I hadn’t done anything like that, but I said I’d give it a shot. I also did it with the idea that it would be great in memory of my dad. We raised over $30,000 that year. Last year, we did it virtually and though it was tough because a lot of people were financially affected, we managed to raise over $27,000.”

Other community initiatives that Alisa participates in is tree planting.

Through a program in the Bramalea community, she works to reenergize and rejuvenate an area that is filled with a series of low-income housing and seniors. As parent-council chair at her children’s’ school, her next goal is to band together with fellow local schools and reignite a program called “Planting for Change.” She also advocates against period poverty and has made over 500 packages containing feminine hygiene products to donate to Our Place Peel, a non-profit agency providing shelter for homeless and at-risk youth in the region.

With all her extremely hard work being silently observed from the sidelines, she became Brampton’s adult-level Citizen of the Year of 2020. A prestigious award existing since 1974, it recognizes outstanding residents that willingly devote their time to uplifting and making a change in their communities.

“At first, I thought somebody was playing a joke on me. I didn’t know there was such thing as a citizen of the year to be honest. I’m humbled, I’m honored and I’m a little suspicious of people around me now! It’s really amazing but it’s also really sad in a way. For me to accomplish something this huge and not have my dad

with me to see it… he would be so proud.

My mom, my grandmother and the entire village back home is so proud; but the one person I would’ve liked to see it isn’t here.

Still, I’m very happy and overwhelmed with joy, and I’m glad that my kids can see it.”

Alisa sets the example of what it means to be dedicated to your community.

Her compassionate humanitarian efforts should not go unnoticed, as she continues her limitless journey to make a difference in the Peel region. Outside of planning the next Kidney Walk as well as getting prepared for a virtual scavenger hunt on July 25th, The Incredible Kidney Quest, Alisa’s next steps are getting more involved with at-risk youth and steering young people away from crime and poverty.

“Anything that I can get involved in that will help people in my community flourish, I’m in it. And I think everyone should have that opportunity. It’s one thing to sit back and say Brampton’s not a nice place to live. Or Brampton has too much crime. Brampton has this and that.

Well, what are you doing about it? How are you making it better? Whether you’re providing services for people, or helping people, or being the delivery person or the messenger, just do anything you can to make it a better place for anybody in your community.”

Written by Janiece Campbell Toronto Caribbean News

Personal Injury Accident Specialists Motor Vehicle Accident Slip & Fall Injuries Landlord and Tenant

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Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

NEWS

PAGE 3

Mission Possible Aviation releases letter to the public warning people about dying Airline Pilots SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“There are 600,000 pilots and we have to help them.” Pilot Cliff Evans

Restrictions are being lifted, people are out and about, and more than anything else, people are excited about travelling again. There is only one issue….

There have been numerous reports of pilots dying mysteriously. The most recent report was about four British Airways pilots who died, as well as some pilots in India. Interestingly enough, and you can draw the correlation if you choose to, these pilots who have all died had been inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine, and died a short time after. Naturally, pilots are being encouraged to take the shot because they travel from country to country,

and if they don’t, well, this could cost them their careers. We are going to get back to this, but let us first take a look at how this information has surfaced.

The founder of Mission Possible Aviation (MPA) recently released a letter to the public warning people about what has been going on. The letter introduces Captain Fred Fox; their representative for Aviation Safety (spaceace1938@gmail.com). He flew for American for thirty-five years and retired due to atrial fibrillation triggered by aspartame. He shares that pilots have been dying from aspartame since it was marketed; yet no airlines have ever been willing to remove it from their menus. According to what MPA has seen, the airlines are more concerned with their relationship with the diet drink manufacturers. One Delta pilot told MPA “They are thick with Coke, they will never remove it so matter how many pilots die.” MPA claims to have written to the President of Delta many times about the issue.

The artificial sweetener, aspartame, is the bedrock of the diet industry, and can be found in everything from fizzy drinks to vitamin pills and marketed under a variety of different names: NutraSweet,

Equal, Advantame, Neotame, E-951, Benevia, Canderel, m etc.

It is difficult to detect and even harder to avoid. The question that has been researched for years is how safe is it? Does it really cause brain tumours, blindness and other serious illnesses? The FDA has approved it, but its approval was through political dishonesty and not science. Who in the world would approve a deadly poison that is made up of one excitotoxin and two neurotoxins that breaks down into a brain tumour agent and reportedly produces brain cancer?

Before Captain Fox left American he gave MPA the names of six pilots who died recently and Dr Russell Blaylock wrote their Aspartame Pilot Alert.

Pilots are not supposed to drink alcohol and aspartame has free methyl alcohol.

Here is where we tie everything in. The reactions to aspartame are identical to the gene therapy that is being masquerading as a vaccine. Research has shown that they both damage the mitochondria or powerhouse of the cell, and more reports are coming out that they both induce autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

In the news we have been hearing a lot about clots and myocarditis or inflammation of the heart muscle. It can affect your heart’s electrical system, reducing your heart’s ability to pump and causing rapid or abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). It was reported that one of the pilots on American was drinking diet soda and dropped dead. American told his wife it was an aneurysm, but refused to allow her to see the autopsy. This is something else that we have seen with COVID-19 deaths; autopsies are not disclosed.

A physician recently said that if someone is vaccinated and uses aspartame it can be very dangerous, because aspartame interacts with vaccines. It was reported that aspartame could deplete serotonin as much as 74% causing psychiatric and behavioural problems including suicidal tendencies.

Now more than ever, we have to be mindful of what we are ingesting and putting into our bodies. I know we all want to travel, but without a pilot, where are we going? Once again, I urge you to do your research, learn how to build your immune system, and finally, safe travels.

Hi I’m Annamie Paul.

Leader · Green Party of Canada Your federal candidate for Toronto Centre

“ I’m running because this community

deserves real representation, a fearless champion in Ottawa who can say what must be said, and do what must be done for residents without hesitation.”

Connect with us 1-833-ANNAMIE annamie.paul@greenparty.ca

→ annamiepaul.ca

@AnnamiePaulGreen @AnnamiePaul

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Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 5

Sonia Sidhu, Liberal MP of Brampton South, introduces a private member bill on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Diabetes is undoubtedly a disease that is affecting millions of lives all over the world. According to the World Health Organization (who.int) the number of people with diabetes increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. There was a 5% jump in premature mortality from diabetes between 2000 and 2016. There were approximately 1.5 million deaths directly from diabetes in 2019.

There are three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. Type 1, which was formerly known as insulin-dependent juvenile or childhood onset is frequently diagnosed in children, teens and young adults. Type 2, which was formerly known as non-insulin-dependent, or adult-onset, was often diagnosed in people over the age of forty but now is frequently found in children and adolescents. It is often a consequence of the excess body weight and the lack of physical exercise. Gestational diabetes tends to occur during pregnancy and although it may end when the baby is born, it puts the mother at risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future.

It is fitting that Sonia Sidhu, Liberal MP of Brampton South, introduced a private member bill on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin in 1922 by Canadians Frederick Banting and Charles Best of the University of Toronto. In the press release on June 30th it states, “This discovery remained one of the most important medical achievements of the 20th century, saved countless lives and won Canada its first Nobel Prize.”

The press release notes, “This bill requires the Minister of Health to create and report to Parliament on a national framework to defeat diabetes.”

The Public Agency of Canada

has identified risk factors for diabetes to include not just being of advanced age, but having a family history of the disease and belonging to certain high-risk ethnic groups (Blacks, South Asians, Hispanic and Indigenous people). Facts released in the press release states that currently there are 11 million Canadians who are presently living with diabetes and pre-diabetes and there is one case diagnosed every three minutes. The rate is between three hundred to four hundred percent higher among First Nations than among the general population and Indigenous peoples are at significant risks of developing diabetes.

There was a consultative process involved in the formation of this bill between provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous communities and diverse concerned individuals who has a common goal of increasing access, prevention and treatment of this dreaded disease. The passage of this legislation ensures that the framework: •

Identifies the training and education needs of health care professionals related to diabetes Promotes research and improves data collection of diabetes prevention Promotes information and knowledge sharing Takes into consideration any existing diabetes prevention and treatment strategies and best practices, including those that focus on addressing health inequalities

• • •

MP Sonia Sidhu states, ”I am thrilled that my fellow parliamentarians have unanimously approved this bill. Millions of Canadians are living with diabetes, and almost all of us have a loved one that does.

It costs the healthcare system billions of dollars to treat and put undue pressure on the health care system. Now that the bill has passed, it is time for the government and stakeholders to come together to create a strategy that will lead us in the fight against diabetes and ultimately to a cure.

100 years ago, Canada gave insulin to the world. We can lead the way again.”

CANADA’S LEADING CARIBBEAN NEWSPAPER Selina McCallum TC REPORTER selina@carib101.com

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Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

Trudeau’s China-Style Internet Laws MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Justin Trudeau’s government is moving full throttle ahead to put an end to what it calls misinformation and disinformation online in Canada.

Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault, has released the so-called blueprint of diversity on online content to assist reporters in doing their jobs correctly and help them to fight fake-news.

Here is what he had to say about their new rules, “We can no longer ignore the challenges and opportunities that come with an increasingly digital world.

We have to act now to ensure a healthy ecosystem online for all citizens.

Any measure to address disinformation and misinformation should ensure respect for the right to freedom of expression,” the statement said.

The definition of misinformation, per the guide, is “False or misleading content shared without harmful intent though the effects can still be harmful, e.g. when people share false information with friends and family in good faith.”

Even though enforcement details were not discussed, the government stipulates that “Ethical journalism standards should be upheld and encouraged.” It also said that “Information about media ownership and funding sources should be made accessible to the public and transparent to safeguard a diverse and pluralistic media ecosystem.”

Guilbeault who is a supporter of Bill C-10 also blamed the conservative party for the weeks of what he called delay in passing this bill which he wanted passed as soon as possible.

While on the subject of this “China style bill” one government official had this to say to Canadians, “That said, it is only the beginning of your fight. While your efforts to sign petitions, contact politicians and raise your voice worked this time, you’ll need to do it again.”

Those were the words of MP Pierre Poilievre (PC-Carleton) who released a vid-

eo where he announced that Bill C-10, the controversial bill that would have regulated Canadians’ content online, has failed to pass through the Senate before summer break.

“We did it! We won a battle for freedom of expression!” Poilievre announced. “Remember Bill C-10, the censorship bill that would allow governments to control what you see and say online? Well, the Senate closed its doors for the summer without passing that bill.”

Poilievre had some comforting words for Canadians and some not so comforting advice for Canada’s PM, “In other words, it is not the law today, and if Trudeau calls that early election he’s been warning about, then the bill will die. Even if he wins that election, he’d have to re-introduce the bill from the very first stage and start all over again.

If he loses and Conservatives take office, we’ll make sure this bill never again sees the light of day,” Poilievre vowed.

With all that is happening across the globe these days when one measures it up, something just does not fit and this leaves folks in countries like the US asking the question why.

Why is the government of this country so hell bent on shoving things down the throats of Canadians without any thought of how these dictatorial moves will affect the people?

As to why all this is happening to Canadians? American political commentator Dave Rubin said it best, “I love Canada,” he said, “I think Canadians are so pleasant and fun and light and that is what the government is using against them in some ways. You guys are very decent and very live and let live. What I am seeing about the lockdowns in Montreal is just insane. I have friends there and I see what’s going on.”

Rubin had some well-founded advice for Canadians and it was that they all should stand up to this tyranny and just do not comply in any way, shape or form because there is strength in numbers which is well known by any and every oppressor or oppressors. They may make an example of a few, but they can never make any example of millions who stand for freedom.

“It might be,” Rubin said, “that the sun is setting on what a truly free Canada looks like that’s what it looks like to me, I mean you’ve got an absolutely ridiculous clown of a Prime Minister in Justin Trudeau who is more than happy to use the levers of power to silence his own people.”

NEWS

PAGE 7

PAGE 8

NEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Emergency Orders have been lifted; why are we still locked down?

Continued From Page 1

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On July 15th, 2021 Bryan Thomas, adjunct professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa, explained that Ontario did revoke a declaration of emergency under its Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) on June 9th, 2021.

This was not done by the courts and “Would have been headline news” if it had been.

Even though the emergency has been lifted, regulations related to the pandemic are enforceable under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act.

You see, that is the one part that people forgot to take into consideration.

Even though certain aspects of the EMCPA were revoked, unfortunately the government has found a way to keep us limited in our movements.

What I am going to do is share with you some information that you should know, and then I am going to leave it up to my intelligent readers to take the helm and do their own research. I would recommend for business owners, and anyone interested in understanding exactly what has been revoked and when to visit www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90e09#BK12 Let’s take a quick look at EMCPA Act established in 1990. The acts regulation covers: • Regulated health professionals • Compliance orders for retirement homes • Extension orders • Enforcement of COVID-19 measures • Standards There is a second tab that has all of the revoked/spent regulations under the act. This is the part that we should pay attention to, but not get too excited about because I want to remind you that the government is utilizing their loophole, which is the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA), which has been extended to December 2021. This is a completely separate law, which gives the same arbitrary and unilateral emergency authority to the Premier.

So yes, while the “State of Emergency” has been lifted, almost all of the rules that restrict us remain in force, just under a different act. I know. Not the news you wanted to hear, but I want to ensure that our readers are clear on exactly what is going on.

So, we have the bad news out the way; let us attempt to look at the mediocre silver lining that has been offered to us. I am only providing a few examples of what has been revoked, and more details can be found on the website.

Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act ONTARIO REGULATION 288/21 CLOSURE OF PUBLIC LANDS FOR RECREATIONAL CAMP Note: This Order was revoked on June 11th, 2021. (See: O. Reg. 25/21, Sched. 1, s. 2)

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SCHEDULE 1: Recreational Camping on Public Lands Prohibited Interpretation 1. For the purposes of this Order, recreational camping on public lands refers to occupying any public lands within the meaning of the Public Lands Act, including public lands covered by water or ice or both, for the purposes of outdoor recreational accommodation and includes occupying on the public lands any equipment used for the purpose of outdoor recreational accommodation such as a tent, trailer, tent-trailer, recreational vehicle, camp-

er-back and any watercraft equipped for overnight accommodation.

Camping on public lands is no longer prohibited, as long as your actions fall under what is seen as abiding under the ROA. Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act ONTARIO REGULATION 265/21 STAY-AT-HOME ORDER Note: This Order was revoked on June 2nd, 2021. (See: O. Reg. 25/21, Sched. 1, s. 1) SCHEDULE 1: Requirement to remain in residence 1. (1) Every individual shall remain at the residence at which they are currently residing at all times unless leaving their residence is necessary for one or more of the following purposes: Work, school and child care 2. Working or volunteering where the nature of the work or volunteering requires the individual to leave their residence, including when the individual’s employer has determined that the nature of the individual’s work requires attendance at the workplace.

3. Attending school or a post-secondary institution.

4. Attending, obtaining or providing child care.

5. Receiving or providing training or educational services. Obtaining goods and services 6. Obtaining food, beverages and personal care items.

7. Obtaining goods or services that are necessary for the health or safety of an individual, including vaccinations, other health care services and medications.

8. Obtaining goods, obtaining services, or performing such activities, as are necessary for landscaping, gardening and the safe operation, maintenance and sanitation of households, businesses, means of transportation or other places.

9. Purchasing or picking up goods through an alternative method of sale, such as curbside pickup, from a business or place that is permitted to provide the alternative method of sale.

10. Attending an appointment at a business or place that is permitted to be open by appointment only.

11. Obtaining services from a financial institution or cheque cashing service.

There are about twenty nine of these, but basically, you are now allowed to move around the province as you please. You no longer have to be stuck in your home. My question is, who would want to be at this time.

There is something that I want to mention before I leave you to digest all this information. The Emergency powers and orders have a purpose. According to 7.0.2 (1) of the order, the purpose of making orders under this section is to promote the public good by protecting the health, safety and welfare of the people of Ontario in times of declared emergencies in a manner that is subject to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 2006, c. 13, s. 1 (4).

It is that last part that I find interesting; has anything that occurred during this pandemic followed the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? I would love to hear the community’s thoughts on this. How do we move forward? It seems like any way we turn we are being restricted. When are the citizens of Ontario going to stand up and say enough is enough? Our government continues to dangle the carrot in front of us, and too many of us are okay with living with limited freedoms.

NEWS

Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 9

Black Business and Professional Association launches Financial Literacy Program for Black youth and young adults PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

It is hard to believe that it has been thirtyeight years now since the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) has been making a difference in the African-Canadian Community. Since its inception in 1983, this non-profit, charitable organization has been at the forefront of providing programs that “Offer business classes, financial literacy, business readiness and marketing” (www. bbpa.org).

The organization is known for its signature event, the Harry Jerome Awards

(HJA) which honours outstanding Blacks who have excelled and contributed in twelve fields: athletics, leadership, business professional excellence, community service, life achievement, RBC young entrepreneur, media, technology, decade leader and president’s award.

In addition, it offers BBPA National Scholarships and hosts the National Black Business Convention (NBBC). Although its office is closed because of COVID-19, it still offers a wide range of programs such as the thirteen-week series master class in Finance and Funding for Black-led Business. This is meant to ‘‘Successfully navigate the minefields of funding as a Black business owner.

From gaining access to funding, managing debt, navigating tax-season, preparing a solid business case for loan applications, and walking away a winner when seeking to acquire capital funding,” (www.bbpa.org/ financial-literacy-level-up), Anyone interested can register at http://bit.ly/BBPALevelUp. These will be held every Tuesday from May

11th, 2021 to August 3rd,2021.

The Community Financial Literacy Space is intended to “Develop your financial literacy by helping you understand financial concepts, financial statements and financial managements.” This online financial literacy/ personal development program has the following objectives: •

•

• •

To provide the tools for Black youth to be better prepared socioeconomically (the application of social skills and integration of financial literacy) To ensure that Black youth have a better sense of how to sustain a regimen that will allow them to build wealth while also maintaining a health trajectory of personal development To increase understanding between the affiliation of how life skills can increase the probability of financial well-being Character development and leadership skills in all aspects of learning, personal and professional development

•

•

Engaging participants in interactive learning and capacity building through appealing content nestled in the appeal of pop culture Leaving participants with practical transferable life and professional skills set that will render them competitive on the open marketplace and in a number of industries and interests

Virtual sessions were held on May 15th and June 5th in which Irene Henriques (Professor of Sustainability and Economics and Area Coordinator of Economics of Schulich School of Business), discussed the power of markets, incentives and government.

Dr. Marcia Annisette (Associate Dean, Accounting Professor in Accounting of Schulich School of Business), discussed accounting by focusing on the importance of wealth, income and cash. There were additional sessions on July 10th and July 17th.

Ontario supporting auto manufacturing workers MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The government of Ontario is investing $7 million to train and provide paid job placements in the automotive manufacturing sector for up to 800 people from disenfranchised groups, including: women, youth, people with disabilities, racialized groups and Indigenous people.

This project, which is piloted by the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA), will help develop a new talent avenue for a sector with an older workforce and help historically ignored people to train for, access, and retain gainful employment.

The Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, announced this initiative recently alongside Christine Hogarth, MPP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, and Kinga Surma, MPP for Etobicoke-Centre.

“Our automotive sector has openings across the province for talented, trained

and eager workers,” said Minister McNaughton. “This program will help ensure people who face multiple barriers get access to free training and get on track to promising careers in assembly line work, machine operation or quality assurance, to name a few. This will energize our economy, workforce and, just as importantly, create great, local jobs that make our communities stronger. We will once again make Ontario’s automotive sector one of the most competitive in the world.”

As of this month, APMA is working with community agencies and employment service providers to place up to 100 trainees per month with many auto parts manufacturers across Ontario, most of which are small and medium-sized businesses, and APMA members.

Those in training will participate in financially gainful job placement sessions that will last at least three months. Participating employers will receive up to $8,000 in support per trainee, of which a maximum of $3,000 can be used as a wage subsidy and $5,000 to offset the costs of related training.

The job placements and training happen concurrently, starting between June 2021 and March 2022, with training customized to fit each trainee by APMA and their employer, which can include on-the-job training, in-class or online learning.

This training will include manufac-

turing essentials, such as problem solving, document use, basic math, project management, as well as oral communication, critical thinking and interpersonal skills.

“Ours is an industry with an incredible future that is critically short of people to share in it,” said APMA president Flavio Volpe. “Partnerships like these allow us to build permanent pathways into new communities who would otherwise not have accessed this prosperity.”

This new program is part of Ontario’s $115 million Skills Development Fund, made to support fresh ideas for training and skills development that will help the economy recover and prosper.

Kinga Surma MPP for EtobicokeCentre said, “This kind of innovative training program benefits jobseekers by providing an opportunity to learn valuable skills with on-the-job training while also enabling employers to develop new talent so they can expand production. As the province’s economy recovers, it’s programs like this that will have a positive impact for both the people and the job creators in Etobicoke and across Ontario.”

“This program,” said Christine Hogarth MPP for Etobicoke Lakeshore “will help trainees gain valuable training and skills so they can secure well-paid jobs, and provide employers in Ontario’s auto parts manufacturing sector with fresh talents so they can

produce their products at full capacity. I am excited that our government is partnering up with the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, which is headquartered in our beautiful Etobicoke, to deliver this important program to help underrepresented people and small and medium-sized businesses in the industry.”

Here are some facts to consider.

• According to the Future of Canadian Automotive Labour Force, numerous automotive manufacturers have a workforce composed largely of workers over age forty-five.

• There were 2,280 job vacancies in Ontario’s transportation equipment manufacturing sector during the fourth quarter of 2020, an increase of 35% since the fourth quarter of 2019.

• Skills Development Fund projects are supported through labor market transfer agreements between the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.

Applications are being accepted through APMA’s partner community agencies, employment service providers and its 300-plus member organizations. Individuals who wish to apply may do so through APMA’s website.

Ontario announces support for Summer Programs to Combat Anti-Semitism in Schools PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

There will be $327,000 spent on new training initiatives and resources that educators can use to help students fight against antiSemitism. The press release revealed that there were 296 police-reported incidents in Canada of anti-semistic attacks in 2019 according to Statistics Canada data. The announcement was made with the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies alongside MPP’s: Robin Martin, Gila Martow and Stephen Leece, Ontario Minister of Education.

Minister Leece states, “Anti-Semitism is a scourge and historic evil that must be eradicated from our schools and from our communities. The funding will go towards two summer learning programs, which will be characterized by the following: •

•

The ‘Unpacking Intolerance: Equity and Diversity Training for Educators’ program, which will provide professional development sessions to help educators learn about dismantling systems of oppression and anti Semitism in: homes, schools and communities.

The ‘Tour for Humanity Virtual Summer Camp’ which will help students learn about human rights, dealing with injustice, and encourage ideas for creating positive change.

Minister Leece elaborates further, “We will fight anti-Semitism with every tool available to us to ensure Jewish students feel safe and supported in Ontario schools. That is why

we are partnering with the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies to strengthen training for educators and supports for students, with the aim of promoting respect for all students, irrespective of their faith or heritage.”

The Ontario government had previously announced in March 2021 that it would be spending $1.6 million on a new Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate Grant program that would be geared to bring recognition of the impact of racism and hate.

In the press release, Michael Levitt (President and CEO, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies states), “We are thankful to the Ontario government for the funding provided to our organization, which will help advance our work in delivering education programs that teach about the Holocaust, human rights and the importance of standing up against antiSemitism. Combating hate starts with education. Amid rising anti-Semitism, it is so important for young people to learn about the

consequences of hate and be both inspired and empowered to stand against it.”

Gila Martow, MPP for Thornhill notes, “No country is perfect, but what’s unique about Canada is our ability to learn from previous mistakes. I’m proud our government is partnering with the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies to help students and educators alike learn to identify the root causes of hate from a Canadian perspective, and equip them with the skills and knowledge to prevent it from taking hold.”

Robin Martin, MPP for EglintonLawrence observes, “Last year, the Ontario government formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of anti-Semitism. Now we are taking concrete action to ensure our classrooms are safe learning environments for all students. Together, we will continue to stand against the scourge of anti-Semitism, hate and intolerance in all of its forms.”

PAGE 10

NEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Once again, mainstream media has left out important aspects about the pandemic, like where did it all begin?

SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

It is not much of a surprise that as we move through this pandemic, more is being revealed as to how the world has been tricked into thinking that this pandemic is more than what it is.

Most recently, there has been a theory that the virus that caused COVID-19 escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China, and biosecurity experts are pushing the American Congress to investigate this theory.

“Many threads of investigation are available in the U.S. and would be accessible to a congressional inquiry with subpoena power,” said Rutgers University molecular biologist Richard Ebright, who believes the pandemic resulted from a lab accident.

It appears that Chinese researchers directed the U.S. National Institutes of Health to delete gene sequences of early COVID-19 cases from a key scientific database. This has raised some concerns that scientists studying the origin of the pandemic lack access to key pieces of information. Wouldn’t you know it, the NIH confirmed that it deleted the sequences after receiving a request from a Chinese researcher who had submitted them three months earlier.

Jesse Bloom, a researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, said he found thirteen partial genetic sequences taken from early coronavirus cases in China that were deleted from a US National Institutes of Health database. His examination shows that some of the early cases in the Chinese city of Wuhan are genetically different from the variants that eventually spread causing the pandemic.

In order to determine exactly how and where the virus originated, scientists need to find the so-called progenitor virus, the one from which all other strains descended. So far, the only progenitor virus that has been found are those sampled

from cases at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan. This was initially thought to be where the novel coronavirus first emerged at the end of December 2019. What has not been disclosed to the public is the fact that earlier cases as far back as November 2019 had no ties to the market. What does this mean? It means that the virus did not emerge from Huanan Seafood Market, but from another spot.

Here is what was found; those from cases found at the market include three mutations that are missing in virus samples from cases that popped up weeks later outside of the market. Scientists are relatively certain that the novel coronavirus somehow emerged from bats, so it’s logical to assume the progenitor would also be missing those mutations.

“This fact suggests that the market sequences, which are the primary focus of the genomic epidemiology in the joint WHO-China report in are not representative of the viruses that were circulating in Wuhan in late December of 2019 and early January of 2020,” Bloom wrote in his paper uploaded June 22nd to the preprint database (https://www.biorxiv.org/

content/10.1101/2021.06.18.449051v1.full. pdf)

Thanks to Bloom’s revelation, it is now known that Aisu Fu and Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University had collected the deleted sequences, and a preprint of the research published from those sequences (referred to as Wang et al. 2020) suggested they came from nose swab samples from outpatients with suspected COVID-19 early in the epidemic.

Bloom couldn’t find any explanation for why the sequences had been deleted, and his emails to both corresponding authors to inquire received no response.

I realize that at this point, people don’t care where the virus originated, what they do care about is how it changed their lives forever. What this article is meant to do is to highlight the fact that something is definitely wrong with how this virus has been reported by the news, and we have to hold the media responsible for misleading millions and millions of people.

Peel Regional Police Inspector awarded Brampton’s Citizen of the Year ADRIAN ADORE

adrian@carib101.com

PRP REPORTER

Peel Regional Police Inspector Bob Nagra has shown the City of Brampton what it takes to be a role model in the community.

The City of Brampton is thanking him for it by awarding him Citizen of the Year.

Let’s learn a bit about Bob, begin-

ning with his volunteer work.

Inspector Bob Nagra is highly motivated to raise donations and food for various food banks in the region, including ten years of organizing and fostering community partnerships for Cram-a-Cruiser events. Of important note however, is how cherished he is at the Seva Food Bank. Bob has fostered and built relationships with stakeholders on their behalf and has acted as a mentor, coach, and confidante to many young people at Seva. He received the Seva Founders Award in 2019 stemming from his relentless efforts.

Inspector Nagra is actively involved in his own children’s lives. He has acted as Chair on the school parent council. He has taken on numerous roles in the

Brampton athletic community, including: Brampton Hockey Inc., Brams United Girls Soccer Club, Brampton Youth Soccer Club, and Brampton Minor Lacrosse. He has been involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peel, Special Olympics Ontario, and the Dreams Take Flight program.

An agent of change, Inspector Nagra was the first turbaned officer with Peel Regional Police and in 2020 was the first turbaned Senior Officer promoted to Inspector.

Bob is a skilled ambassador, significantly bridging the gap between the South Asian community and Peel Regional Police throughout his career. He continues to be a mentor, and role model for the large South Asian diaspora and a figure consis-

tently relied upon by the community.

A recipient of many community service awards, including the prestigious 2012 Queens’ Diamond Jubilee Award, Inspector Nagra, has significantly contributed to enriching Brampton’s social, cultural, and civic life.

In recognition of his critical leadership skills, Inspector Bob Nagra is invited to participate in the Governor General’s Leadership Conference in 2022.

Join us in congratulating Bob for receiving this prestigious designation and wish him continued success in his future endeavours. We have not seen the last of Bob Nagra.

Curtis Ennis named as the first Black Director in the history of the Halton District School Board PAUL JUNOR paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The board has been without a Director since its previous Director, Stuart Meller retired and a search process was underway in early December, 2020. According to its website: www.hdsb.ca it provides education for approximately 64,000 students in Kindergarten to Grade 12 in Burlington, Milton and Oakville.

There have been changes at the board and it went through a process to review its mission, vision and values starting Monday, February 8th, 2021. The mission of the HDSB is, “Together we inspire every student to learn, grow, and succeed.”

Its vision is, “Every student will explore and enhance their potential, pas-

sions, and strengths to thrive as contributing global citizens. Every student will be intellectually engaged in their learning and socially engaged in their school.”

The appointment of Curtis Ennis will be a significant loss to the Toronto District School Board. There have been many changes in the TDSB with respect to the loss of senior leadership administrators.

On November 8th, 2018 Christopher Usia was announced as the new chief superintendent for the Calgary Board of Education and left the TDSB to take the helm effective December 17th, 2018. The retirement of Dr. John Malloy, which was set for November 1st,2020, resulted in the appointment of Carlene Jackson as the first Black female Interim Director on June 25th, 2020.

She took over on July 15th, 2020 but two weeks later on July 31st, 2020 announced that she would be leaving. Subsequently, Colleen Russel-Rawlins , Associate Director of Equity, Early Year and School Improvement Plan left the TDSB to become permanent Interim Director of the Peel District School Board (PDSB) starting August 5th, 2021.

Curtis Ennis has served in many leadership positions within the TDSB. He was the Associate Director of Equity, WellBeing and School Improvement prior to his appointment, which will be effective August 2nd, 2021. TDSB’s Interim Director, Karen Falconer, released a congratulatory letter. It commends him for his twentyfive years of service to the board in several leadership capacities and the Ministry of Education. It states,

“His passionate dedication to interrupting and addressing acts of oppression, racism and hate will be deeply missed across the TDSB. Curtis Ennis has consistently inspired others to focus on building a transformative and responsive school system while holding him and others accountable for building trust across stakeholder and community groups. He has been a respected role model and mentor to all levels of our organization, particularly to students and staff of colour who thrive for racial and social equity in our schools and communities.”

The letter by the Chair of the HDSB welcoming him as Chief Executive

Officer ,Secretary of the Board and Director of Education states, “We are excited to welcome Curtis Ennis as the HDSB’s incoming Director. Curtis brings a wealth of knowledge gained through senior leadership in the Ontario education sector.”

Curtis responded, “I am truly honoured and excited to be joining the HDSB as Director of Education. I am grateful to the Trustees for their confidence and I look forward to leading and learning with the students, staff. Families and community partners of Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville in the years ahead. Leadership for me has always been about service and I am deeply committed to working with the staff and the Board to carry out the Halton tradition of excellence in education while being actively mindful of those who have been historically underserved and have faced barriers to positive outcomes. Working collaboratively with students, staff and trustees and communities, I will be intentional and focused on ensuring the success and well-being of students of all identities in HDSB.”

NEWS

Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 11

Zuriel Oduwole - Worlds most powerful girl “Who says a teenager can’t be Governor of California?”

SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

When I received the email that this young lady was exploring the idea of running for Governor of California, I was not surprised. Her name had come across my desk a few times, and from what I had already learned about her, if anyone can do it, for sure she can.

She has met with more than twenty-eight world leaders, mediated a peace initiative between Guyana and Venezuela, and made a strong enough case to end child marriages in Mozambique, which outlawed girl marriages in July 2019. In January 2017, when she was just fourteen years old the US Secretary of State, The Rt Hon John Kerry honoured her at the State Department. It was for her tireless development work across

the globe and advocating for girls’ education, especially in Africa, so they can go to school. Her advocacy brought her profiles in Forbes Magazine at the age of ten, and ELLE Magazine listed her among thirty-three women who changed the world in 2015, and this was when she was only twelve years old.

She has spoken directly to 48,630 youths in eighteen countries about the power of education, including 16,000 screaming youths at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. She has met the Presidents of Malta, Ghana, Kenya, Croatia, Tanzania, Namibia, Guinea, Malawi, and Egypt, to share ideas on addressing the world’s social development and global youth educational challenges.

As a special envoy on climate, she spoke on behalf of six governments (Fiji, Samoa, Marshall Islands, Jamaica, Vanuatu and Tuvalu) about the effect of rising sea level on their primary existence.

Zuriel Oduwole is the founder of the DUSUSU Foundation, and each year, Zuriel and her foundation recognize the measurable efforts of an African First Lady in their country’s gender develop-

ment, including girl’s education. So far, the first ladies of Tanzania (2014), Kenya (2015), Namibia (2016), Senegal (2017), Mozambique (2018), Cabo Verde (2019), and Sierra Leone (2020) have received this now coveted award.

In February 2021, Zuriel was honoured by the City of Beverly Hills in California as one of tenty-eight Americans chosen to feature each day in commemoration of the annual Black History Month events. When she is not advocating for girl’s education, she teaches a basic filmmaking class for unemployed young women, a program she has now delivered in: Ghana, Ethiopia, Mexico, Cote D’Ivoire, and Namibia.

Zuriel always brings a simple but insightful youthful voice to major social development causes, and she is an inspiration to millions of girls, women and families, around the world. Again, it is no stretch that many believe that this young philanthropist will become either the youngest UN Secretary General or the youngest President of the United States.

So who is Zuriel Oduwale? She is a Los Angeles native, born in West Los An-

geles to British parents [who themselves were born in Scotland and England], and whose grandparents are from Mauritius and Nigeria. From the age of ten, she has been quietly making an unforgettable mark across the globe. Zuriel has flipped the script, and re-defined what it means to be a true world changer, and now, Zuriel is exploring a run for Governor of California.

Amid the dysfunction that currently characterizes the political system, this is really the first generation that has the ability to make real change. It is unfortunate that many young people are disengaged, and it is great to see a young person who cares. Zuriel has come to realize that having political ambitions is the only way that she can truly effect change.

She realizes that if you don’t have a seat at the table, even if you are highly effective in a behind-the-scenes kind of capacity, you are not living up to the full potential of options you have.

Zuriel, the world is watching, and the team at the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper stands with you. We will be watching.

Educating the Black community about Benefits of Vegan, Organic and Natural Products PAUL JUNOR paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Leonica Douglas has established herself as a multi-talented and multi-dimensional individual. As an actress, producer and director she has starred in Homeless in America (2018): Signed, Sealed and Delivered. It features the story of two girls who travelled from Jamaica to America for an internship. It shows the ups and downs that they have to endure during their time in the United States.

Leonica started Leonica Cosmetics after travelling to Egypt. She wrote in a Facebook post on December 12th, 2021

that, ”I created this company because I was having a hard time finding a product that met my needs. After a series of disappointments with companies’ low-quality ingredients and cheap packaging choices, I had enough. My frustration led to the creation of Leonica Cosmetics.”

It was her trip to Egypt that enabled her to acquire vital knowledge and information that increased her understanding of the role that Kemites played in the development of cosmetics. She states, ”The Kemites kept their hair and skin cleaned and rejuvenated with their handmade, holistic fragrances, oils and butter. As a token of appreciation, the Leonica Cosmetics logo pays homage to these founders of cosmetics.”

Leonica is specific to the mission of Leonica Cosmetics, which is “To place the same level of pride in our creations as the Kemites.” There are three features that make Leonica Cosmetics stand out. They include the following:

• • •

handpicking holistic ingredients after in-depth research on their quality, benefits and uses. glass packaging exemplifies quality and our commitment to sustainability. products will not only refine and nourish your body but also leave you feeling like a better version of yourself, inside and out

The official launch was on January 4th, 2021. Leonicacosmetics.com is an online store for the organic holistic products it sells. There is free shipping on orders that are $75 or more. The products include: holistic body butter, couple bundle (two 4-oz holistic body butter), organic African Black soap, Egyptian loofah soap, glow bundle, shower essential bundle and dewy skin bundle.

Holistic body butter is made with organic ingredients, is vegan, and goes

through cruelty- free processing. The organic black soap has four simple ingredients; plantain skin, cocoa leaf, Shea butter and palm oil. It can be used as a shampoo and can be used to treat acne prone skin and eczema.

There are many testimonials that are posted on its Facebook page from satisfied customers. It is one of the most amazing moisturizer that I have used.

I have extremely dry hands, and feet, which get worse during the winter. A tiny amount of body butter keeps my hands and feet moisturized for a very long time!

And it smells divine!”

Anyone interested in purchasing these products can visit their social media platforms: Instagram: @leonicaacosmetic Twitter: @leonicacosmetic YouTube: Leonica Cosmetics Facebook: leonicacostics

NEWS

PAGE 12

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Hurricane Elsa wreaks havoc in the Caribbean there were 1,178 initial reports of damage: • • • • • • • • • • •

LA SHAWNA GRIFFITH lashawna@carib101.com

BARBADOS TC REPORTER

BARBADOS -- July 2nd is a day that is forever ingrained in my memory.

Why? It was the day that Barbados was hit by a Tropical Storm that intensified to a Hurricane. It was the first hurricane to hit Barbados in sixty-five years.

It’s hurricane force winds struck my beautiful homeland leaving our island in darkness.

I remember it well; it was midmorning, and I heard the wind howling in the trees, it woke me up. I remember listening to the wind and saying “Elsa is here!”

Initially, my mom asked me if we had any water coming through the windows but through the grace of God, we were fine, no damage. Our home was intact, and we were fine despite being without electricity for seven days after the storm hit my beautiful island. It left our picturesque paradise with fallen trees, palings, damaged roofs and lives that would never be the same.

In an article published by Barbados TODAY on July 3rd, 2021, it noted that

2- flooding 7- Water Damage 13- Roads Impassable 15- electric outage 15- roof leaks 60- fallen poles 62- houses collapsed 85- fallen trees 89- house damage 743- roof damage 87- with other concerns

Since then, there have been further reported cases of structural problems to Barbadian’s homes. In a press conference held by the Government of Barbados a few days after the passage of Hurricane Elsa, there were 2,372 issues reported to the Department of Emergency Management, with 1,333 persons reporting roof damage and 326 individuals reporting other damage.

As of July 13th, 1,300 Barbadians were reported on the Barbados Light and Power Company to not have electricity in their homes.

Barbados was not the only country impacted by the fury of Tropical Storm Elsa, which has been confirmed as a Category One Hurricane.

In Jamaica, Prime Minister Andrew Holness in an article published with Nation News outlined that the impact of Tropical Elsa has been far reaching, and has cost the island $803 million Jamaican.

“The estimates for flood damage are very preliminary, as the storm ended on Sunday and the agency is continuing damage assessment to determine the cost for permanent repairs. The assessment, to date, is divided into two categories – cost to clean and clear roadways and drains of silt and debris and cost to make the roads accessible,” Holness told Parliament.

“Regarding the cost to clean and clear roadways and drains of silt and debris, the preliminary cost has been put at $443 million. Another $360 million will be required to make affected corridors accessible. We are, therefore, looking at a total cost of approximately $803 million,” he added.

Holness said these costs are based on equipment time using standard rates and materials for filling washed-out areas.

He noted that these costs cover: road clearance, drain cleaning, creating access and patching, adding that no costs for rehabilitation and other permanent repairs are included.

“I must point out that the cost to clean and clear the roads and drains of silt and debris focuses on removing the physical obstacles on the roads and providing clear access for communities. Much of this has been done,” he said in an interview with Caribbean Media Corporation.

Moreover, the island of St. Lucia has sustained damage as well in a report by Caribbean Media Corporation. The Prime Minister Allen Chastanet estimated that the island suffered losses estimated at $34 mil-

lion when the hurricane passed on Friday.

“The greatest amount of damage was in agriculture,” said Prime Minister Chastanet, flanked by Infrastructure Minister, Stephenson King and Agriculture Minister, Ezechiel Joseph.

Prime Minister Chastanet told the nation that Hurricane Elsa had also damaged several houses including the stateowned project in the heart of the capital, Castries.

Unfortunately, in St. Lucia individuals have died since the hurricane struck their country less than two weeks ago.

According to an article in the Associated Press, it is reported that one person has been reported dead in St. Lucia following Hurricane Elsa. In addition, a fifteenyear-old boy and a seventy-five-year-old woman died Sunday in separate events in the Dominican Republic after walls collapsed on them.

What is so heart-breaking about the reporting deaths in St. Lucia and Dominican Republic is that there was nothing the families could have done to save their loved ones.

Preaching about disaster management and prevention currently is insensitive. To these persons who lost their families, they will forever be reminded that less than two weeks ago a Tropical Storm that strengthened to a Hurricane took their loved ones from them and wreaked havoc in their homelands.

Door-to-Door Vaccine initiative sparks controversy in America, and has made its way to Canada fectiveness of the vaccine. Biden suggested that the unique door knocking approach was needed now that they are continuing to wind down the mass vaccination sites that did so well in the spring.

SIMONE SMITH

“Now we need to go community by community, neighbourhood by neighbourhood and often times door-to-door – literally knocking on doors – to get help to the remaining people protected from the virus,” President Joe Biden

According to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, other measures would include a renewed emphasis on getting the vaccines to more primary care doctors and increasing access for workers at job sites.

What is interesting is that the same individual, who is now pushing this door-todoor initiative, doubted the vaccine to begin with. Last September Biden expressed reservations about whether a coronavirus vaccine approved by the Trump administration would be safe. He stated that Americans should trust a coronavirus vaccine developed under the Trump administration only if the president could give honest answers to questions about its: safety, effectiveness and equitable distribution, none of which has happened even under his administration.

Another concern; how would they know what areas to target, and who had been vaccinated? Jen Psaki spoke to those concerns when she assured the media that

simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“Our work doesn’t stop there and we are going to continue to press to get 12-18-year olds vaccinated… that’s one of the reasons why we initiated these strike forces to go into communities…”

Jen Psaki (White House Press Secretary) Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo, Republican congressional candidate Sean Parnell, physician and Fox News contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky, and GOP strategist Matt Whitlock have all reacted negatively to the Biden administration idea of going doorto-door to vaccinate Americans.

This idea was proposed after the administration fell short of its Fourth of July goal of having 70% of the adult population vaccinated with at least one shot of the coronavirus vaccine. They claim that the plan is to offer information about the safety and efRY 10TH

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the government would not be keeping tabs on who and who has not been vaccinated.

Critics slammed the idea of the government going to people’s homes and asking about their private medical information. Psaki again insisted that this is not what is happening, and that they will be relying on volunteers to do their outreach in their communities.

Thankfully, there are members of the American government who have not only spoken out, but have stated plainly that they refuse to introduce this in their districts.

One such person is State Rep. Anthony Sabatini (R-32) who is running for the U.S. Congress in Florida’s 7th congressional district.

He has already vowed to look into filing legislation to ban the practice in Florida.

Sabatini knocked Biden’s doorknocking plan as soon as the news was released, “Any Federal government employee that goes door to door pushing vaccination should be treated as a trespasser and ARRESTED. We need to pass legislation to BAN this sick practice immediately. I’m currently looking at legislative options to file this year in the Florida Legislature.”

What I have noticed during this pandemic is a pattern; when America does something, it seems like the world follows, and never too far behind is Canada. I had heard buzz of people going door-to-door already, and we have all seen the pop up clinics that have become a trend in Ontario.

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This initiative is a new program from Ottawa Health Team’s primary care partners table. The team makes vaccination as accessible as possible to some of the cities most vulnerable, by offering them door-to-door in apartment complexes. Health-care workers load up carts with doses of the vaccine and administer them door-to-door to those who want one.

“We have identified buildings that have extra barriers to access the vaccine and in areas that are seeing rising numbers of COVID,” said Raquel De Queiroz, a registered nurse and co-lead of the program. “Not having access to the internet or a vehicle and not speaking English could be some factors making it more challenging for some to get vaccinated. The best thing is that we are able to engage clients one-on-one and have a health professional right there at their door to explain questions, to give them information, and be ready to answer.”

Once again, we are seeing a precedent set that is meant to coerce, and even intimidate people into getting this inoculation. What else do we have to look forward to in the near future? Who knows, but for some, it doesn’t look very promising.

NEWS

Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 13

Pyramid Power - How to use pyramids to vanquish evil

BY JOHNATHAN FREELANCE REPORTER Pyramids are powerful, incredibly powerful. They are also called “hierarchies”.

Employee “hierarchies”, church directories, and so forth. There are two very interesting documents you should read that I would list below. Then, I will discuss pyramid power. Then I will teach you how you can use the exact same pyramid knowledge for good, and the good of mankind.

First, read the United Nations commissioned document entitled “Guide to COVID-19 vaccine communications”. [1]. Next, read the World Economic Forum (aka ‘new world order’) “Think-Feel-Do Framework for COVID-19 Vaccine Communications” document.

It describes how to manipulate people into getting infected, I mean, “injected” for your own safety of course. [2] They describe how to manipulate the “subjects” emotions, by using the head of a pyramid (a leader within a community), in order to get injected with a toxic substance. Aside from the sterilization and depopulation goals, if you get injected and survive, Microsoft is all excited with their patent #2020-060606 [3] to “farm”

you as a “resource”. They want to use your “body activity data” for “tasks” and give you a little bit of “crypto” as a reward for obedience and compliance.

So how are they trying to do this?

Pyramids: Pyramids are powerful. A single person can direct the actions of many. Think of a corporation. You have a CEO. The CEO sets the tone and the culture for the entire organization. A single individual determines the direction of the entire company. Or think of a general in the military.

You’ve probably seen the movie ‘A Few Good Men’. A single individual decides what a large group of people do. They are the “apex” of the “pyramid.

So, how are the psychopaths abusing pyramid power? They are reaching out to these “influencers”, single individuals, to try and direct the actions of many. If they can get the influencer to the ‘dark side’ they feel they can then manipulate the actions of those that follow the influencer. If a CEO tells everyone, “Wear red underwear or you are fired,” very few employees would dare question that directive. If they did, and someone was fired, most others would be scared to come forward. That is how

0.00001% is manipulating most of the world population.

Solutions: So, what do you do? Make it a GOAL of yours to reach out to AT LEAST three small business owners, and three church leaders in your community, EVERY SINGLE WEEK STARTING TODAY. Write an email. Make a phone call. Use a search engine to find contact information. DO IT NOW.

In it - you want to QUICKLY educate them on what is happening, and why. Then you provide a SOLUTION. For businesses: 1. First educate them how Covid is being used as pretence to shut down their business with rolling lockdowns. There never was a ‘contagious’ virus [4]. It a 5-year plan/ March 2025 [5] 2. Then, educate them that if they do not fight back now (stay FULLY open), they will lose their business within five years. It’s destructive capitalism. (Destroy the small business first, and then purchase the patents and properties for cents on the dollar).

3. Then, provide them solutions of how to fight fines, and connect them with other businesses (i.e., JCCF.CA, weareallessential.ca) For Churches: 1. First, educate them how this evil group is trying to launch the church of Satan, and mocking them. [6] They also mock them with symbols (i.e., 6 people or less, 6 inch testing swab, 6 feet away).

2. Tell them they need to LEAD their FLOCK and be a good shepherd.

Don’t hide in the trees.

3. Then, connect them with like-minded individuals to provide SUCCESSFUL FULLY REOPENING STRATEGIES such as the Liberty Coalition Canada. [7].

THAT is what you do. You EDUCATE the influencers and use PYRAMID POWER for GOOD. And vanquish the evil. DO IT NOW. You CAN change the plan for good. Do it NOW! Search this article on TOCaribNews.com to find reference links!

It is time for the government of Ontario to take REAL action; Parents of Black Children 2nd Annual March PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

For two years now, the parent advocacy group, Parents of Black Children (PoBC) has been at the forefront of fighting for the rights of Black students in Ontario schools. It has lived up to its vision “To effectively engage education leaders to create an equitable and peaceful education experience, free from oppression and anti-Black racism for students of African Canadian descent.” (www. parentsofblackchildren,org).

They have been involved in the

development of: Parent Resources, Ontario Trustee Tracker, Education Systems Navigator, Child Welfare Systems Navigator and conducted Capacity Building Workshops as well as a Black Parent Mentorship Program. For Summer 2021. The program will be providing free academic tutoring to Black students. As parents, caregivers, guardians and students look forward to the start of the school year in September 2021, it will be organizing the second annual March for Black Students on Saturday, August 7th, 2021 at 2:00 pm. It will be starting at Nathan Phillips Square/Toronto City Hall and moving to Queen’s Park.

In its promotional material posted on Facebook page it notes, “It’s time for the government of Ontario to take REAL action and ensure that Black students get the education they need and deserve.” It has updated its ten demands that were sent to the Government of

Ontario and the Ministry of Education, which include the following; • • • • • • • • • •

Reform the Education Act Investigate Education School Boards who participate in Systems Abuse against Black children Decolonize the curriculum Eliminate all streaming Police-Free schools province wide Collect race-based data and implement external equity audit of school boards Train, hire and retain Black teachers Implement accountability measures for teachers who exhibit anti-Black racism End Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL) Implement a Student and Parents Bill of Rights

PoBC commend some of the positive changes that have been implemented

by the Ministry of Education within the last year such as: ending streaming in Grade 9, removal of police resource officers from some boards and the collection of race-based disaggregated data but believed that they are not extensive enough. It notes, “These changes do not go far enough and are not clear enough to offer significant impacts for Black children.”

They are particularly concerned about system abuse. They note, “More concerning, in our work with parents across this province, PoBC has begun to be exposed to the collusion of systems and institutions harming our children in overlapping spheres.” They state further that, “Various government entities from policing to school boards to child services are creating inequities that are harming and holding Black children from success.” They are relentless in their struggle.

NEWS

PAGE 14

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Cubans take to the streets after 6 years of silence OMNIYA ALI

amniya@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

What happens when accountability is deflected?

After a sixty-year silence, Cuban citizens decide to take to the streets to demonstrate their dismay. Although the general population had been silent before, their living conditions have gradually been deteriorating, basic goods and services have been lacking, medical attention is not accessible, and numbers of coronavirus infections are on the rise.

Thousands demanding an end to the sixty-two-year-old communist regime were met with deflection and aggression.

Starting on Sunday in the western city of San Antonio de los Baños, protests spread across forty cities and towns including the capital, Havana. Feeling threatened, President Miguel Diaz-Canel called on sup-

porters to take back the streets from the protesters and deployed security forces across the country. Going as far as disrupting communications including internet and phone services, to further silence and isolate the struggles of the population.

In the capital, Havana, state forces and Communist Party militants armed with heavy sticks attacked some protestors and arrested more than 100. As a result, hundreds of Cubans have lined up outside police stations looking for missing relatives. Among those detainees are the leaders of Cuba’s most important opposition group, visual artist Luis Manuel Otero, poet Amaury Pacheco and José Daniel Ferrer.

“For the first time ever, authorities deployed anti-riot equipment. Last night, police used rubber bullets and tear gas,” said Ángel Rodríguez, a 31-year-old human-rights activist in Havana.

What triggered the protests?

With the economy taking a nosedive of more than 11% in the midst of a pandemic, tourism was nearly non-existent as it was globally in the past year. In addition, Cubans living abroad were no longer able to send remittances, both of which

are crucial to a family’s income. As a result, Cubans now stand in lines for hours to purchase basic goods such as chicken or bread, or to access public transit. The island has also been increasingly facing electricity outages for hours at a time.

How did the communist government respond?

According to President Díaz-Canel “protests were being led by a minority of counter-revolutionaries, sold out to the U.S government.”

Although this hostile response raises many red flags and seems aggressive enough, the Cuban government did not stop there. President Díaz-Canel proceeded to encourage supporters of the regime to take back the streets from the demonstrators, causing attacks on protestors. Netblock, a watchdog organization that monitors cybersecurity and the governance of the Internet, reported that the government had partially disrupted access to social media and messaging platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram.

U.S. involvement In the wake of these events President

Biden released a statement of support on Monday. Where he said: “We stand with the Cuban people and their clarion call for freedom and relief from the tragic grip of the pandemic and from the decades of repression and economic suffering to which they have been subjected by Cuba’s authoritarian regime”.

“The United States calls on the Cuban regime to hear their people and serve their needs at this vital moment rather than enriching themselves,” he added.

However, this statement might as well mean nothing as President Díaz-Canel blamed electricity outages, food, and medicine shortages on the U.S embargo and restrictions implemented by the Trump administration to cut off Cuban access to hard currency. Thereby, calling on the Biden administration to remove the sanctions.

With the blame getting tossed between President Díaz-Canel and President Biden, the only person suffering is the average Cuban citizen. Once again, the voices of those in power drain out the rest.

Virtual online event held to honour Residential School victims and survivors PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

There is no doubt that Canada Day, July 1st, 2021 will be forever etched in the minds and memories of Canadians as a time of reflection, introspection and reconciliation.

Thousands marched in Toronto wearing orange and black in an Every Child Matter Walk. The march started at Toronto Council Fire on Dundas Street and ended at Nathan Phillips Square. In addition, there were marches held across other cities in Canada and worldwide to draw attention to show support for residential school survivors. It was about the discoveries of the remains of over 1,000 victims of residential schools in Canada; 251 in Kamloops, British Columbia,751 in Saskatchewan and 182

again in British Columbia.

Elyssa Rose, co-organizer of the Turtle Island Healing Walk in London, Ontario where 10,000 people showed up shared with the media, “It’s beautiful. It shows we’re supported. The goal is for people to learn hope, healing, love, kindness and unity.. And a better understanding of how we can move forward in Canada.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in his Canada Day message, “While we can’t change the past, we must be resolute in confronting these truths in order to chart a new and better path forward. Together, we have a long way to go to make things right with Indigenous peoples.”

On June 30th, 2021, Yahoo Canada changed its logo according to its Canadian editors “To mark Canada’s birth with an acknowledgement that celebrating our nation must hand-in-hand with listening, learning and healing from its difficult history of inequities and abuse, most notably against Indigenous Peoples. With knowledge and acceptance of all people, we will create a more inclusive and enlightened future.”

The Canadian Congress on Inclusive Diversity and Workplace Equity(CCIDWE) held a virtual online event titled, “A Canada Day Reflection on Truth and Reconciliation” between 3 p.m. - 4. pm.

Alex Ihama, Executive Director of CCIDWE who is also a member of the Indigenous Lives Matter movement, hosted it.

There was a lively and engaging conversation conducted between Haudenosaunee educator Kelly Fran Davis at the CCIDWE and Davis, Director of Indigenous Education and Enlightenment settler academic Dr. Stephen Svenson of Wilfred Laurier University. They stated clearly that this is a crucial time for deep reflections on the painful legacy of Canada’s genocidal past in order to ensure that the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) are totally and fully implemented.

Sol Mamakwa, a member of the Kingfisher First Nation and an Indigenous New Democratic Party Member of Provincial Parliament for Kilwetinoong state that it is important to take time to reflect and not cancel Canada Day. He believes that it is

important to stand with Indigenous people as allies. He stated that it would be a great idea to have a Canada Day report card to evaluate how Canada is doing with respect to the implementations of the TRC’s recommendations

There were discussions with respect to the fact that many Indigenous communities do not have access to clean drinking water, although Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had promised a few years ago. Jay Nair notes that it is important to get the labour movement on board as an ally to support Indigenous people.

Parents of Black Children released a statement, which reads, “We take time today to reflect on the disturbing and disgusting legacy of colonialism. All of us at PoBC stand in solidarity with our Indigenous, First Nations, Inuit, Metis brothers, and sisters. We call on everyone to listen to what Indigenous communities have been saying for generations and to take the time to reflect on what it costs to occupy the land on which we stand. This must be the time to ACT.”

NEWS

Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 15

No moderation needed when bathing in the woods vascular function, brain activity, immune systems, self-esteem, and reduced anxiety and depression.

According to Ann Martin, a certified Forest Therapy Guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, the practice of forest therapy originated in Japan, where it is called shinrin-yoku. The Director of the Japanese forest agency coined the term in 1982 as a way to link forest visits with health.

During the 1980s, as Japan industrialized becoming a technological society, chronic stress symptoms emerged in the population. Researchers documented the physiological effects of people taking walks in wooded areas. Martin says, “The forest therapy we know in North America is inspired by shinrin-yoku and also weaves together several other wellness practices.”

A forest therapy walk is a process of spending a couple of hours in the forest or out in nature and slowing down to focus on a connection with nature. “The idea is not only to experience the psychological benefits of being in the forest, but also to be open psychological effects as well – like

W. GIFFORDJONES MD DIANA GIFFORD-JONES TC HEALTH REPORTER

Mae West, the American movie star who rarely lacked for lifestyle advice, once conceded, “When in doubt, take a bath.” She didn’t have a forest setting in mind. But did you know that forest bathing might be just as therapeutic as a soak in the suds?

Some people gravitate, even in unfavourable weather, to the outdoors.

Others are most comfortable in front of the hearth. But a walk in the woods may be just the remedy you could use after months of confinement at home. A glimpse into the research surrounding this little-known “forest bathing” therapy offers insights on benefits including improved cardio-

improved mood and feelings of wellness,” Martin notes. “Sometimes we’re not even aware of the subtle changes that happen when we allow ourselves to really experience a connection with the natural world.”

When stressed, the human body produces adrenaline and cortisol, hormones linked to heart disease, metabolic diseases, dementia and depression. Evergreen trees emit piney-smelling volatile organic compounds, also known as phytoncides. These chemical compounds have properties that decrease the production of adrenaline and cortisol and result in benefits such as lower blood pressure.

One systematic review of the research on forest bathing involved more than 200 studies conducted over a five-year period. The research showed that “Forest bathing activities might have the following merits: remarkably improving cardiovascular function, hemodynamic indexes, neuroendocrine indexes, metabolic indexes, immunity and inflammatory indexes, antioxidant indexes, and electrophysiological indexes; significantly enhancing people’s emotional state, attitude, and feelings to-

wards things, physical and psychological recovery, and adaptive behaviours; and obvious alleviation of anxiety and depression.” That is quite a list. Take note, there were no negative side effects. (One would be well advised, however, to avoid walking in tick infested areas or sitting down on a bee’s nest!)

Dr. Susan Abookire, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, who is also a forest therapy guide, explains, “Even people confined to a hospital bed may benefit from viewing nature.” She references a study comparing gallbladder surgery patients recovering in a hospital room with a window to those with only a view of a brick wall. “People who could see nature recovered more quickly and needed less powerful pain medication than people who could not see nature.”

So, the next time you feel the urge to take a bath, think about another famous Mae West quote, “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful,” and go have a bath in the forest.

Were you coerced and manipulated to take the vaccine by one of these tactics? overcome misinformation, and make the patient think about getting the vaccine.

Advertisements encouraging vaccination have been pushed on the public through various media outlets, including radio, television, and billboards.

The city of Toronto took this step further by partnering up with 280 neighbourhood ambassadors and other organizations to help promote vaccines in their area. The city also invested $6.8M in the Black Community COVID-19 Response Plan to support high-risk communities. Part of that plan was to reduce vaccine hesitancy, address misformation and conspiracy theories through a series of town hall meetings held by the Black Scientist Task Force.

The second step, or the “feel” stage, is to improve feelings around the vaccine. Through repetitive advertisements and slogans, the public is convinced that they are “doing their part” by getting vaccinated and making them feel good about their decision. Another strategy is to play into the fear of missing out (FOMO), whether socially or economically, a method being used by public health officials, and political leaders. They are suggesting that you will not be able to travel or have access to “non-essential” services without being vaccinated.

How many people have you heard say they would take the inoculation be-

AMANDA WILLIAMS amanda@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The World Economic Forum (WEF) suggests that 60-70% of the population needs to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to reach global herd immunity. While other professionals claim that people can achieve herd immunity naturally, we take a closer look at an article the WEF released suggesting three tactics governments and health officials can use to tackle vaccine hesitancy.

The article states that “advertising theory” can be used to “get sceptics through the door of local vaccination centres.” The Hierarchy of Effect Framework suggests that customers think, then feel, then do. If we apply this framework to COVID-19, the goal is to make patients think about the vaccine, improve their feelings around it, and eventually get the vaccine.

In the “think” stage, the WEF suggests ways to increase knowledge, RY 10TH

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cause they want to travel or partake in certain activities? Are you one of them?

The final “do” stage suggests that enhancing convenience and using incentives can facilitate action (in other words get more people vaccinated). Numerous clinics have popped up in high-risk neighbourhoods throughout the GTA, targeting Black, racialized, lower-income, and materially deprived communities. Ontario public health has taken a more assertive approach by going door-to-door offering vaccines in co-op or low-income communities.

Vaccine recipients were offered free patties and chicken soup at the Jamaican Canadian Association pop-up clinic and free Harvey’s burgers at another location. A pop-up clinic at Nathan Phillips Square used free ice cream to lure twelve to seventeen-year-olds to get vaccinated without parental consent. This particular event enraged many parents who responded by protesting at various pop-up clinics.

Other companies and organizations across Canada have also contributed to vaccine propaganda by offering free candy, food discounts, free admission to museums, full-term tuition funds, grants, cash incentives, and other lotteries. In the United States, incentives include free donuts, beer, fishing and hunting licenses, discounted attractions, Super Bowl tickets,

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and even free uber rides to and from vaccination sites.

The WEF admits that people are primarily hesitant due to the rushed invention and approval processes and other concerns of underreported side effects of the vaccine. Despite efforts to promote the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, the number of deaths and adverse effects has been growing, and people are watching public databases such as VAERS, the Yellow Card scheme, CANVAS, and VaxxTracker closely. In addition to the information available on these sites, people have legitimate reasons to feel hesitant; the vaccine is still in the trials phase, is not approved by the FDA, and no long-term data is available to prove it is safe and effective.

Government and health officials seem to have accepted and implemented all three tactics successfully, suggesting that the WEF may have more influence on global COVID-19 measures than most realize. Many of the mentioned tactics are examples of manipulation and coercion, and coercion is not informed consent. Informed consent is essential when making potentially life-altering decisions.

Did you decide to get vaccinated on your own, or were you coerced and manipulated by one of these tactics?

Emancipation Day

CELEBRATING FREEDOM IN CANADA August 1st, 2021

Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario

222 Rowntree Dairy Road | Woodbridge, ON L4L 9T2 | 905-652-4140 | www.thecarpentersunion.ca

@carpenters27 @CarpentersONT

PAGE 18

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Tan lines and good times

4 ways to liven up your backyard

How to choose a kayak If you want to purchase a kayak to paddle along lakes, rivers or the ocean, here are some things to consider.

USE There are different types of kayaks availa­ ble, and each is designed with a specific en­ vironment in mind. For this reason, you should first determine where and how you plan to use your boat. Will you be taking long trips on the ocean or short excursions on small lakes and rivers? If you plan on fishing, some kayaks come equipped with additional features such as rod holders and accessory mounts. If you’ll be kaya­ king with a partner, a tandem model could be a good choice.

SEAT There are sit-in and sit-on-top kayaks. The

sit-in ones have an open cockpit inside the hull, and once you get in, you have to slide your legs under the deck. This helps keep cold breezes and water out of the boat. Con­ versely, sit-on-top kayaks have an open cockpit which makes them more stable.

This also makes getting on and off them easier.

DIMENSIONS The kayak’s length, width and depth will af­ fect its speed and manoeuvrability. Shorter models are easier to carry, but longer ones are faster and have more storage space.

The depth and weight of the kayak should suit your build and accommodate the equipment you want to carry.

TRANSPORTATION It’s important to remember that you’ll have to transport your kayak to the water. Rigid kayaks are heaviest but more durable, folding kayaks are lighter but lack speed, and in­ fla­ ­ table kayaks are great for casual use but take more time to set up.

Once you’ve narro­wed down your options, take the time to sit in a few different kayaks. This way you’ll ensure the one you choose is com­ fortable.

4 summer date night tips Summer is a great time to spice up your usual routine. Here are a few tips for creating a memorable date night with your partner.

1. Check the forecast. Whether you want to take advantage of a sunny day or dress up for a night on the town, make sure to check what Mother Nature has in store.

2. Improvise. Having a plan is great, but being spontaneous can lead to a memo­ rable experience. Let yourself go with the flow.

3. Try something new. Shake things up by going to a restaurant you’ve never been to before or trying a new activity that pi­ ques your interest.

4. Take your time. Give yourself the oppor­ tunity to truly relax and unwind together by planning an overnight stay at a hotel or campground.

Don’t worry if everything isn’t perfect.

Spen­ding quality time together is what’s most important.

Do you want to upgrade your backyard this summer? If so, here are a few ideas that may inspire you to transform your outdoor space into a family-friendly oasis.

1. INSTALL A PLAY STRUCTURE Purchase and install a play structure for your kids to climb, swing and slide on. If you’re a skilled DIYer, you can also build your own tire or rope swing. Just make sure every­ thing’s safe.

sound quality. You can also lay out cushions and blankets to create a cosy at­ mosphere.

To find the materials you need for your back­ yard project, visit the stores in your area.

2. PUT IN A SWIMMING POOL Both in-ground and above-ground pools are great for the whole family. They pro­ vide hours of fun for the kids, and adults can en­joy a refreshing dip or workout.

3. BUILD A TREEHOUSE It doesn’t need to be big or elaborate for your kids to enjoy having their own treehouse.

Just make sure it’s safe, stable and weather­ proof.

4. CREATE AN OUTDOOR THEATRE All you need is a TV or a projector and a large sheet to have a movie night under the stars. If you have a large backyard, you can add a few speakers to improve the

9 things to bring to the beach If you want to plan a fun-filled day at the beach, here are nine things you should bring.

5. Food. Pack a hearty lunch and nutritious snacks to keep up your energy.

1. Sunscreen. Bring a water-resistant va­ riety with the right level of protection.

6. Shoes. Bring a pair of sandals or water shoes to protect your feet from the ele­ ments.

2. Water. Drink plenty of liquids through­ out the day to prevent dehydration. Pack an insulated bottle and refill it often.

7. Entertainment. Liven up your day with books and beach toys.

3. Sunglasses. Protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays with a good pair of shades.

8. Hand sanitizer. Disinfect your hands re­ gu­larly without having to walk to the bath­room.

4. Hat. Choose a wide-brim type that covers your face and neck.

9. Shelter. Set up an umbrella or beach tent to provide shade when the beach isn’t crowded.

Lastly, make sure to bring towels for every­ one in your group.

PAGE 20

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Calabar Grill Bringing the best of Nigeria to the city of Toronto SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“Well where do I start? This place is dope, from the food to the music. I ordered the beef suya which was tender and well seasoned with onions, lettuce and suya pepper. Delicious... I also ordered a beef shawarma, this had a hot dog , beef shredded meat and coleslaw. The place is tastefully decorated, elegant and clean, the owner is extremely hands on and friendly. The menu is full and a vast variety to pick from.” Divine H All I can say is yummy! Doing a business feature on this restaurant was a no-brainer for me. What is wonderful is that it was another business owner in the Caribbean community who recommended Calabar Grill to me. I was in the Weston Rd area, and the restaurant that I usually go to was closed. I was told to go over and meet the owner, and try the Chicken Suya. I am open to trying anything once, so I headed over.

Since my first visit, which was just a month ago, I have visited this restaurant every weekend, not just for the delicious food, but also for the atmosphere, the service, and the remarkable spirit that I now know as Keppy Otu!

The details that have been put into this restaurant are incredible. Down to the name of the restaurant, you can see when walking in that great care was taken to ensure that it represents everything that Keppy wants it to represent. From the iTunes Jukebox, to the selection of wines, and spirits, the energy that has been put into making this restaurant exactly what he wanted it to be is evident.

I learned that the name Calabar is reminiscent of a city back in Nigeria that is known for good food. If you ask someone who knows about Calabar, they will tell you that they have great food. This is where

Keppy is from.

Keppy made some time for me, which in itself was a feat. When I finally pulled him away from his hectic schedule, I had a chance to learn more about his sensational story.

“I come from a family that owns restaurants,” Keppy began. “My family back home has owned a restaurant for over twenty years. When I came to Canada in 2004, I already had my first degree in Marketing. I went to Centennial College for Business Operations, and I completed my Masters from York University.

I was doing other jobs, including project management and hospitality.

I ended up working for EcoLab as a prehealth inspector for restaurants. I worked with them for seven years. This provided me with the opportunity to get into the kitchens of North America. All of these experiences prepared me for the opening of my own restaurants.

He had to learn the operations of running a business in Canada. It had taken him five years to get there. He did not take any loans from the government, and this meant a lot of work for Keppy. “I had to put things together on my own. I wanted to focus on cooking, which is my passion, not worrying about price points.”

He opened up Calabar in February 2020, just shortly before the pandemic hit here in Ontario. “We did a trial opening, and then we were supposed to do the grand opening on March 26th. Unfortunately, COVID-19 had other plans for us.

The restaurant was not built for take out, it was supposed to be a dine-in, lounge and restaurant. It was crazy, now the restaurant had to depend on take out and delivery.

I had six employees at the time, and it saddened me that I had to let people go. It was tough. I didn’t qualify for any loans because I was not open in 2019. All I could do was defer the rent for three or four months, but I had to make huge cuts, and change the operations. This meant fewer employees, less items on the menu, and less alcohol at the bar. At the end of the day, I only had enough to pay my few employees, but I did not pay myself.

The restaurant business is crazy, I

am not in competition with any other restaurant, just myself. If you are doing something right, people will find you. Before it comes out of the kitchen, it has to pass my standards. This is important because I cannot lose one customer.”

It is because of this that people continue to love the food and are happy that Calabar is here. It is something different. Keppy has found a way to bring downtown to where they are. The ambiance is what attracts people. He admits that they have to work on the service; the team at Calabar Grill want to ensure that everyone who walks through their doors has an amazing eating experience.

“We make everything fresh. I don’t want to serve stale food to anyone. People may have to wait fifteen to twenty minutes for their food, but it is fresh.

You have to believe in what you are doing because it is easy to give up.

Business is not something you jump into and expect to see profit right away. It takes work. There have been many challenges, and if I didn’t believe in what I was doing, I would have given up a long time ago. I have people come from Barrie, London, and Milton, from all over Ontario. When your product is good, people will find you.

There were a lot of naysayers, people who told me that it was a bad idea to open the restaurant in this location and at that time, but I had faith. It may not be paying off right now, but I know it will.”

Keppy shared some exciting news with me that definitely will intrigue our community.

“Starting last Thursday, we introduced Caribbean food on the menu: Jerk Snapper Curry Goat Escovitch Fish We are changing up to suit our demographic. I hired a chef from the Caribbean to make it authentic.”

Anyone who has owned a restaurant knows that it is a tough business to be in, but Keppy’s faith, knowledge, and culinary skill will keep him in this industry for years to come.

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PAGE 22

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

MICAH PIERCE Learning to pivot through life’s disappointments

“Man plans, and God laughs.” Micah Pierce

I had asked for a quote from my Classic Man, and when he provided me with the one featured above, it all made sense, especially in context with his life.

I have really come to enjoy speaking to powerful, and motivated men, and then sharing their stories with the global community. The story that I am about to tell you is one of great importance, especially during a time when many of us are feeling disappointed because the last year and a half has not quite gone the way that we had planned.

When life doesn’t turn out the way we’d hoped, planned or expected, we can feel devastating disappointment and start doubting everything, including ourselves. There is a term that I recently learned called “expectation hangover.” This term speaks to the disappointment and other negative reactions we experience when things do not go our way. The symptoms of an expectation hangover are similar to the ones you feel when you have had a little too much to drink. They include: lack of motivation, lethargy, anxiety, anger, regret, depression, physical discomfort, and confusion, self-judgment, shame, denial and faith crises.

After hearing our Classic Man’s story, I could only imagine how many of these feelings he experienced, but yet, he was able to push through and create a life for himself that serves a larger purpose than personal gain, fame, and notoriety. I would like to present to you a man who has learned how to pivot through life’s many disappointments, fire fighter, community worker and teacher, Micah Pierce.

For the last twenty years Micah Pierce has worked as substitute teacher for the Paterson Board of Education, and for fifteen years, he has worked for the City of Paterson New Jersey as a firefighter. Admittedly, this is not how he expected his life to turn out, but he shares how he has managed to transform his life into one that blesses others.

“A little fun fact for you Simone,” Micah began. “I was born in Paterson, New Jersey, where the movie “Lean on Me,” was filmed. I went to a Blessed Sacrament Catholic School, which I despised when I grew up. I didn’t come from money. My father was a police officer, and my mom was an analyst, and later worked for the city. One thing that was for sure was that my dad made sure that the three of us were taken care of.

I was at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School until the eighth grade; I believe that this is where my spirituality came from. I wanted to go to Eastside High School, but my parents sent me to Rosa Parks High School for performing arts. I went there for four years, and while I was there I became actively involved in sports. I played basketball, football, and I ran track.”

Micah ended up getting a full riding scholarship for football. When he did get into his postgraduation schooling, he didn’t really know what he wanted to do; he was just taking classes. In his sophomore year, he ended up meeting a professor who in a way acted as foreshadowing for his life.

“I spoke to Dr Stafford (God rest her soul), and she was a very loving person. She made sure that I did what I needed to get into education. She told me that our community needed more Black men to teach.

I changed my major late, so I couldn’t graduate in four years. I didn’t really care, because I had aspirations to play football professionally. I was

rated 22nd in the nation, as a free safety.

My coach was a well-connected individual.

He was so impressed with me that he called Green Bay and Buffalo and told them they should look at me. Just like that, I was scheduled to do a combine the next day. I was so excited because for so long, I planned on playing for the NFL. I said to myself, ‘I am going to sleep until tomorrow.’ Of course I couldn’t sleep. I heard a lot of noise coming from outside, so I looked out the window and they were having a spring fling.

There was a group of people playing softball, and I decided that I would hit a few balls with them. I did so well and was having so much fun, a team wanted me to play for them, and so I decided to play a game. You know how things go, things get rowdy and testosterone can rage, and one of the players began mouthing off to me.

I was in no mood for that. Remember, I had a combine the next day, so I said, ‘Forget this,’ and began to walk away. The next thing I know is I am being charged and, and naturally I had to defend myself. I ended up tussling with this guy, and when I flipped him, I ended up breaking my fibula and tearing ligaments in my leg. Yes, instead of going to my combine the next day, I was in surgery.”

“You can’t have quit in you.” It worked out that he finished his education degree in 1977. For a year Micah was off his feet. For six months he had screws in his legs, and when he had them removed, he was bedridden for another six months. Here is when he first learned how to pivot.

“When I began to work in the community, I was initially working in a group home in the morning, then I would take the kids to the school and work as a gym teacher, then I brought them back to the home, and then took them to the evening centres to help them with homework. I was also retraining myself at the time because football was still my first love.

I ended up playing arena football for the New Jersey Red Dogs, and the Norfolk Nighthawks, for two years. As life would have it, I sustained another injury. I ended up tearing my hamstring during a game and had to stop.”

“You have to be flexible, so that if your plan falls through, you know how to pivot.”

After that last injury, Micah turned his attention to community work, and education.

“I ended up teaching math and English at the high school level. I also worked at an alternative school, which I enjoyed because they needed someone to really understand them. I got that from my father who used to also work with youth.

Now, I substitute on the days that I am not working as a firefighter. When I was in college, my dad tried to make me take the test to become a firefighter, but it fell on the day of the big game. I obviously choose football. My dad had died just before all of that, so I didn’t have the guidance, someone to tell me to keep my options open.

The opportunity came again to take the test, and I did, and got in. This was in 2006. What I really enjoy about firefighting is the fact that it is not mundane. It is ever changing. It suits my personality. I need that variety.

What life has taught me is that your disappointment might be the best thing that has ever happened to you. It can open the door to opportunities for healing past issues, and changing how you are living now, as well as creating a future based on who we are — not who we expected to be.”

Written by Simone J. Smith Toronto Caribbean News

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PAGE 26

FOOD

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

l’s

Chef Noe

T U N O C O C N E K C I H C JERK FFLE WA ets West! e m h t u o S

Waffle • 1 cup flour NOEL • ¼ cup cornmeal CUNNINGHAM • 2 tsp baking powder • ½ tsp cinnamon noel@carib101.com • 1 tsp salt • 1 tbsp sugar CULINARY EXPERT • ¼ cup of water Listen, homemade chicken and waffles have never tasted better; super crispy and perfectly flavoured coconut fried chicken paired with fluffy and tender golden waffles!

The most perfect pairing! Chicken and waffles are an American dish combining chicken with waffles. It is part of a variety of culinary traditions, including soul food and Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine, and is served in certain specialty restaurants in the United States.

I switched things around to Carribeanize it by marinating chicken pieces with jerk seasoning and a coconut brine and instead of a regular waffle I serve these with my festival (fry dough) recipe which resulted in a crispy cinnamon festival waffle. If you’ve missed the recent virtual Jerk Fest this was one of the dishes that I prepared.

Here is your chance to give this simple soul food dish a try in the comfort of your own home. The sweet and spicy hot sauce with the chopped scallion is the star of this dish.

Ingredients • 1 whole chicken, cut in 9 pieces • 1 (2 cups) can coconut milk • 2 tsp salt • 4 tbsp jerk marinade • 2 cups flour, for dredging • 1 pack coconut powder • Oil for frying

Hot Sauce • 1/3 cup hot sauce honey • 3 tbsp hot sauce • 1 stalk scallion, chopped Directions 1. For the fried chicken: Thoroughly rinse the chicken, then marinate with jerk seasoning and salt then cover all the pieces with 2 cups of coconut milk.

Soak in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours.

2. Combine flour, 2 tsp salt and coconut powder in a bowl. Remove chicken from the refrigerator, pour off excess liquid and dredge into the flour mixture and deep fry until golden brown roughly 15 minutes.

3. For the waffle: Mix baking powder with festival mix and water then add to a heated griddle and cook until golden.

4. For the sauce: Combine all the ingredients and mix to combine. Drizzle over chicken and waffle.

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Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

HEALTH

PAGE 29

Finding truth in science is a moving target W. GIFFORDJONES MD DIANA GIFFORD-JONES COMMON SENSE HEALTH

Having a good debate about matters of your health is not a bad thing. As has been said, “It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.” Recently, having a difference of opinion has become too closely associated with the polarized politics that is endemic in many countries. People have lost their sensibilities amid noisy pundits arguing nonsense about facts and fake news.

So if you do not know whom to turn to for the “truth”, you are not alone.

Maybe you are chasing in the wrong direction.

In the old days, there were fewer

authorities holding credible and accessible medical knowledge. Research was bound in books, and it was the “good doctor” who held a monopoly on the practice of medicine. Well trained, experienced and distinguished, it was customary that the doctor could explain disease symptoms and treatments with confidence, clarity, and compassion. Patients could trust the doctor for medical expertise and outstanding judgment in the face of difficult decisions.

Today, even the wisest polymaths on the planet cannot compete with the computing powers that effortlessly generate big data, crunch statistics, run algorithms, and deploy artificial intelligence that can predict problems before they occur. The volume of published research is growing exponentially. To boot, an upheaval in communications has multiplied the sources of good and bad information for patient and doctor alike.

Some old lessons stick. In 1902, Henri Poincare, the French mathematician published Science and Hypothesis

in which he argued the absolute truth of science is non-existent. He wrote, “Experiment is the sole source of truth. It alone can teach us something new; it alone can give us certainty.” To appreciate his point, one needs to understand the purpose of research.

The Lancet, one of the world’s leading medical journals, stated nearly a decade ago, in a 2012 editorial on medical research, “Truth in its purest form is rarely apparent. Results are presented not as facts, but as probabilities and uncertainties. The job of medical researchers is to ensure that these probabilities and uncertainty margins are robust—a task that is contingent on the pursuit, not of truth, but of methodological rigour.”

Still, people want answers to their questions. Before jumping to conclusions based on the latest YouTube video or Facebook post, or even the statements of esteemed public health authorities, have a look at the objectives of the research they cite, the questions that have been posed, the quality of methodology, and

the communication of findings.

Be cautious about interpreting findings from medical research as rigid facts. The perspective of a statistician will differ from an ethicist when looking at the same experiment. Ask the director of a clinical trials unit if the objective is finding truth. The response will be an emphatic no. Clinical trials are about evaluating an intervention to weigh effectiveness in a controlled experiment.

Reviewing the detailed parameters of research is not a practical pursuit for most. Selection and synthesis is the job of the journalist – and now the public too. People need to be far more discerning in their assessment of information.

This means, don’t expect absolute certainty in the answers to medical problems. Rather, accept that finding truth in science is a moving target. Bertrand Russell, a British Nobel laureate and a champion for freedom of opinion, wrote, “When a man tells you that he knows the exact truth about anything, you are safe in inferring that he is an inexact man.”

Take time to heal yourself, by yourself, for yourself MICHELLE CLARKE michelle@carib101.com

HOLISTIC CORNER

Do not wait for someone to come and rescue you. Truth is we all have to accept the reality that the most important and significant healing happens solo. Learn to heal yourself. I’ve had to face this reality since I was a young girl, trying to fight off grown men. I think I’ve done pretty well in the cycles of healing, letting go, growing, forgiving and restarting. I’m alive!

So the first tools in the Heal you Toolkit is faith and gratitude! You can read the New Living Translation Version in the Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth for yourself, but I will share my favourite faith and gratitude verses: Psalm 91:11, Isaiah

41:10 and Psalm 9:1.

Next to healing is prayer and meditation. Prayer is praise and request.

Meditation is listening for the answers and instructions for next steps. Some have their take on the act of meditating, as it has a witchcraft reputation, but I have my Bible. Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Corinthians 12:1-12, and John 17:6 is about manifestation!

Yup! The Bible is the base of most if not all “self-help” books. Just simplified and re-worded and rebranded. There is no “secret,” it is just a different level of awareness, and determination to see whatever you have to grow through hell to get to where you desire.

Most importantly your purpose!

We all have one, a purpose. But L.I.F.E (Lessons Instructions Freedom Everlasting) happens. Our purpose gets clouded and our vision distorted until we start to heal. Ask hard questions of yourself. Forgive those who can’t or won’t apologize.

Let go faster, so you can make room for what feels good.

Acknowledge that you are where you are not necessarily because you’ve done something wrong, but because there are pieces of you that still need healing.

Healing doesn’t have to be complete for you to elevate to the next phase in life. In fact it happens and should happen simultaneously, so that as you heal, you can check your faith, your prayer life, how you spend your time, and most importantly, how you talk to yourself and how many times you let yourself replay negative or hurtful scenarios.

Choosing to want to heal is also another major factor in this journey. As we know, we and many others around us have become real comfortable with where they are at, even if where they are at is not where they should be. Sometimes we see so much potential in others, and fail to extend that same admiration or expectation to ourselves. This only drags out the healing process because we then get trapped in a cycle of comparison and made-up scenarios.

I encourage you to give yourself permission to be kind to yourself, and to take time to heal yourself, by yourself, for yourself. Your future self is depending on you to pull up your socks, wash your face, replenish yourself and get focused. The last tip for healing yourself; EXERCISE! I can’t emphasize enough the importance of daily exercise. If you cannot do High Impact Training in a quick 30 - 45 minute session, please go for a brisk walk daily for at least 60 minutes. Please stay hydrated.

I didn’t realize how dehydration has effects that look like mental illness, but that is a story for another issue.

This week, focus on you. Reorganize. Reassess, Revaluate, and never give up until you reach that feeling deep inside where you know that is your purpose. Remember, once GOD is within, you cannot fail. Why? How? It’s Bible (Psalm 46:5). The Creator’s Word never returns void. Peace, Love, Health and Healing all.

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Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

COMMUNITY

PAGE 31

Believe in yourself and trust that your hard work is not in vain DAVID ANDERSON d_anderson@carib101.com

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The journey to becoming an entrepreneur is a road less travelled. You are attempting to be someone and go places you have never been. The only limitations you have will be self-doubt. In order to be successful you have to input that thought in your mind. You have to tell yourself that you deserve everything that comes to you. No action exists without thought.

It is going to be uncomfortable chasing your dreams because most people

in life never take action. Living day to day with no real intent to improve themselves.

Those are the people that cannot support you on your way to success. You need to believe that you can achieve anything you put your mind to. Now understand, there is a lot of patience that is put in.

People don’t like to talk about the struggles they have overcome because they are scared how people will judge them. Those who are scared to talk about what they went through allow others to set limitations for them. We need to reflect on the lessons learned and only speak kind words into existence. You have to be empathetic to the person you were then. You have to understand that you could not have been who you are today without yesterday’s failures. In fact, deciding not to use your wisdom of experience to help another is a selfish act. Don’t allow the judgment from others stop you from growing.

There are a few examples that

come to mind when I think of living life without limitations. Jeremy Meeks has been in and out of the criminal system as a teenager. The last time he got arrested, his mug shot went viral and the internet called him prison bee. Since his release he has landed multiple movie roles and a $15 million dollar collaboration deal with a Germany based fashion company. Jeremy was able to understand that him being incarcerated was not the end all be all. He knew he could do better for himself. Sometimes that realization may come from other people in your support system.

Support is a huge factor that allows entrepreneurship to take risks. Being able to bounce ideas off people in your support system allows you to see how others view you and your brand. These analytics help entrepreneurs figure out their goals, find a target audience and ultimately scale their brand. Your support system should also be comfortable enough to tell

you when you are wrong. Constructive criticism has only helped those willing to hear.

If you are not willing to hear your flaws and actively seek to improve them, then being an entrepreneur is not for you.

There is no room to be average.

You were born to be a leader. God put you on this earth for a reason. Make use of your gift and become something more than you were told to be. Success starts within. You already made it if you believed you could.

Understanding the process will test your commitment to your dreams. Each setback you face builds your mental and physical toughness. As an entrepreneur I recommend watching ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ to get an understanding of how you can get anything you desire with patience, dedication, hard work, a team and a vision.

This is David Anderson and I would like to thank you for reading entrepreneurial minds. I hope this inspires you.

LIFE

Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 33

Seven things you must start doing to live a life of impact and relevance DANIEL COLE

daniel@carib101.com

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Start embracing your worth and values. Stop selling yourself short. Don’t discount the struggles and challenges you’ve overcome that have taken you this far. Selling yourself short always stems from low or poor self-esteem, coupled with a sense of unworthiness.

Oftentimes, these are fragments of an abusive childhood, the lack of validation from people we look up to as a child, be it parents or guardians. Nonetheless, the moment we take full responsibility and ownership of our lives and stop blaming the past, we’re liberated

from such influences. You’ve paid the price to get to where you are, you’ve made some sacrifice, you’ve put in the hours, and you’ve had your fair share in life pain and struggles, don’t underplay any of that.

Learn to say no. If you are not in the best position to help someone, don’t force it.

Your middle name is not “Jehovah-Jireh” It is toxic to your mental health to commit to a thing you deeply don’t want to commit to, but you’re doing it to please others. It’s unhealthy and wrong. Author Mark Manson got it right, “We are defined by what we choose to reject.

And if we reject nothing, we essentially have no identity at all.” We must say “no” to what, in our hearts, we don’t want. We must say “no” to opportunities that compromise our values and integrity. We must say “no” to doing things out of obligation, thereby cheating those important to us of the purest expression of our love. We must say “no” to treating ourselves, our health, our needs as not as important as someone else’s.

Stay focused and be consistent.

Consistency is the building block for trust.

People trust what is consistent. The ability to concentrate single-mindedly on your most important tasks, to do them well and to finish them completely, is the key to great success, achievement, respect, status, and happiness in life. The key to success is action, but most importantly, a focused action. The current outcomes of your life have much to do with what you’ve been focusing on.

Build a strong, resourceful, and profitable relationship. We don’t always rise to the level of our skills and intelligence; we rise to the level of our network and relationships.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.” Sometimes, the only thing wrong with your dream is you are trying to do it alone. It takes collaboration to scale new heights. In the words of Alexander Graham Bell, “Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds.”

Learn how to sell. Everybody is a salesman. Life is all about exchange. An exchange of value, an exchange of products,

or an exchange of services. To impact your world, you must learn how to bring your values to the marketplace. Your talents and gifts have a commercial value; let the world pay you for it. Take some courses on basic selling skills. You don’t have to be a pro.

Teach what you’ve learned through life. The only way to not waste your pain is to teach the lessons. One of the easiest ways of living a legacy is to write a book. Even when you are long gone, the world will still read about you. Don’t let somebody else repeat your mistakes and struggles, write about it.

Paulo Coelho once wrote, “One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.” Live life with a sense of urgency, life is brief and short.

DaTake inventory of life every ninety days. Don’t go through life on autopilot. Take time out every three months for a self-inventory. What is working and what is not working? Where do you need to adjust and what do you need to stop or start doing? Live life thoughtfully and live it intentionally.

PAGE 34

LIFE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

The riot was over, and everything was getting back to normal, or was it?

SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

HUMAN SPECIALIST

There is just so much to say about my time in Panama, and I am glad that you have been able to hang in there with me. I have flashes from, and things come to me from time to time, some things that I want to share, and other things that I do not. It is not that I am ashamed of anything; it is just because I am not sure how to share that type of information.

During these times I think about my parents. When I first started writing about this experience, I remember the look on my mom’s face after reading the first article. I know how much this whole situation had devastated her, and seeing it replay in front of her every two weeks must have been hard. I have had to explain to my mom a few times that the reason I am telling this story is not for me, but it is for a young woman out there, who maybe caught up with the wrong people, and could possibly put herself in the situation

that I had put myself in. I do not wish that on anyone.

I believe where I last left off, I was sharing the end of the riot experience. It is not something that I have told my parents about, so I know when my mom reads this, it might cause some palpitations. Don’t worry mom, that part is done. It is time to move on to the next part of this story.

The residual effects of the riot stay with me. I remember that a few days after, when everything had calmed down, I saw exactly how much damage had been done, and the chaos that had happened in those 36 hours. I found out that some of the prisoners had broken into the administrative part of the prison and had gotten into where the inmates’ personal property was.

This is where my suitcase had been stored, along with the personal belongings of other inmates.

No one can comprehend how tough it is to see people wearing your clothes, and not being able to do anything about it. I saw my dresses, my shoes being traded for other items, and I had to just sit there and watch this. There were times that I would walk around the prison and see pieces of my clothes drying on clothing lines. There were times that I wanted to go and snatch back my clothes, but I used my better judgement. It really wasn’t worth it.

It burned in my soul though. I had some really nice things.

It only took a few days for everything to get back to normal, but it also meant that security became extremely tight. There were more guards than before, faces that I had not seen in the two weeks that I had been there. I noticed that there were more men. I didn’t know if this was an intimidation ploy, but whatever it was, it worked. They had rounded up the dangerous offenders and sent them off to other prisons. Now they had two or three correctional officers stationed at the door of each home, and these officers rotated by the hour. I had heard that maybe, just maybe some of the former officers had played a part in the riot, so the prison had to do an overhaul of staff.

Me, I felt safer with all the new officers around. I know that the other inmates didn’t like it because this meant that they couldn’t get away with the things that they had been getting away with.

For the few days following the riot, the prison was calm. Control had been restored, and now, we were back to our regular schedules.

For me, I just continued to pray and count the days. I knew that things were going to change for me, I just didn’t know when.

You can’t heal what you won’t feel GARCIA AKUA

garcia@carib101.com

COSMIC CORNER

Divine Greetings family! I hope you are well and staying safe. In many regions here in Toronto and the surrounding GTA more restrictions are beginning to be lifted. We are venturing back outside to once again find a sense of “normalcy”. Visiting our family and friends, going back to our favourite shops and restaurants does bring a certain level of comfort, but is this YOUR normal?

What is normal may not always be right.

Over the last year and a half, we have had to experience various forms of new norms. We had to make a quick shift to working/schooling from home, wearing masks and isolating from family and friends. We had to learn new stages and colour codes to figure out where and when we could go to various places. New measures seem to come up almost weekly. It seems chaos is the new normal.

These changes have had a signifi-

cant impact on not just our physical wellbeing, but our mental and emotional health as well. However, we also have to take into consideration that many have been carrying emotional and mental burdens prior to the pandemic; this time of mass confusion can most definitely exacerbate these issues. My question again is what normal are we returning to?

Chiron isn’t that well known in mainstream/pop astrology but this little asteroid is a master healer of spiritual and emotional wounds. The mythical story behind Chiron is that he was abandoned and rejected as a child. He knew pain and trauma from a very young age however he used his experiences to encourage and heal others. He became a master of spiritual practices and in turn healed himself.

Chiron is our wounded healer, whom I call the master healer.

Trauma and healing have something in common, they are not linear. Your trauma does not send you a text letting you know it’s about to show up. Your healing doesn’t colour code the lifting of the restriction of pain you are in. In order to heal, we have to face our feelings and allow the healing process to grow within us.

Chiron has joined the retrograde party. He is inviting us to join him on a journey of deep healing in order to create

a healthy new normal. It is a new normal that isn’t based on material indulgence for emotional satisfaction. It is a new normal that allows us to truly face our fears, be vulnerable in our circumstances and define a truth that we can stand on.

We can’t pacify or run from our fears forever. Our emotions are energy in motion and they need to go somewhere.

When we don’t deal with our traumas, they are stored deep in our psyche or in our body. Eventually you are either triggered emotionally or physically through sickness or disease. It doesn’t have to end this way.

Feel so you can reveal what you need to heal.

Chiron is retrograde in the sign of Aries from July 15th to Dec 19th. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac; it’s a fire, an element symbolizing self. This includes your identity, your drive and ambition and what you are willing to fight for to get what you want in life. Are you willing to take some time to fight for your healing? Are you willing to face your past traumas to find inner happiness for today? Are you willing to burn away the illusions and the pain from the past that is currently holding you back from your best life now? Chiron wants to know and he is willing to walk with you for the next five months to do so. Feel so you can heal, thank me later!

LIFE

Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 35

Ontario plans to spend $12.5 million to recruit and train new French teachers PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

YOUTH EDUCATION

The lack of qualified French teachers in Ontario has been a chronic, troubling problem for many years. The Ontario government is aware of the magnitude of the problem and has decided to invest $12.5 million to fix this severe shortage.

There is no doubt that given the decline of teaching positions over the years in Ontario, many French teachers have left Ontario and moved overseas to fill positions. This has contributed to a decrease in the numbers of French teachers available for both the public school

boards, and the French language school boards

The investment of this additional funding will occur over the next four years and is intended to go a long way in addressing the pressure for secondlanguage programs. The Canadian Press reported that Stephen Leece, Ontario Minister of Education released this investment strategy. He states, “We are acting to meet the clear needs and fix a decadelong shortage in Ontario, and to be fair, a challenge right across this country. Rather than a patchwork of efforts, we are implementing a comprehensive strategy.” Minister Leece hopes that Ontario will be able to add 500 extra French teachers per year while admitting that it will not occur overnight.

In order to deliver this plan, the Ontario government is partnering with the three French-language faculties of education. The first university is the University of Ottawa. As Canada’s largest bilingual university, it offers an Honours BA

in Second-Language Teaching, teaching French as a second language offered by the Faculty of Education and Faculty of Arts, through the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute. This is a unique program to the University of Ottawa and it enables its graduates to enter the Faculty of Education once admission requirements are fulfilled.

In addition, if students decide to major in Second-Language TeachingTeaching French as a Second Language, they gain admission to the Faculty of Education and become a second language teacher. Further information can be obtained at its website uottawa.ca

The second university is Laurentian University, which is located in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The consecutive B.Ed. program is only delivered in French. In addition, students can take French as a Second Language program, which is geared to those whose first language is English.

They will be exposed to aspects of francophone culture.

The third university that has a French-language faculty of education is the Universite de l’Ontario Francais that will be situated in downtown Toronto on Lower Jarvis Street. It will be a French-ony university that is expected to attract Francophone students. It was expected to start accepting students in 2021.

In a publication from the Ministry of Education titled “Teaching in French in Ontario,” which can be seen at www. edu.gov.on.ca it states the urgency of the need for French teachers. “There is a strong demand for learning French in Ontario schools, because it opens up a world of career and social opportunities, which enriches life. However, the province is facing a severe and long-term shortage of qualified French teachers. Currently, both French-and English-language school boards are experiencing a shortage of French-language and French as a second language teachers.”

LIFE

PAGE 36

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Amani Artz; A voice through the arts GLORIA O’KOYE

gloria@carib101.com

CREATIVE SPEAK

I got to meet this young talented individual in the poetry scene a few months ago. I wanted to showcase her talent and story because our young creatives need our support as they continue to navigate their creativity through this world. I want to highlight Amani Artz in hopes that the community will get to know her and support her in her journey.

“Tell us a bit about yourself?” I asked.

“My name is Amani Omar, I’m a visual artist, spoken word poet, and writer born in Toronto and now based in Hamilton, Ontario. Most of my work if not all relates to my complex identity as a first-generation Muslim Somali-Canadian woman with a chronic illness. Much of my work is based on inspiring questions, fantasy, and ideas and creating the representation of these different parts of my identity in the media to show the complexities of human beings, and also the variety of stories that live in our realities and our minds.”

“How did you first get involved in your art practices?”

“What started me down my art journey was my brother. At the time he was going to school for animation and he was a great artist, and being the youngest in my family I always looked up to my siblings and tried to do what

they would do. My sister loved creative writing, and so I became a writer as well.

A lot of my early inspiration came from anime, a lot still do. The creativity and messaging in shows such as Sailor Moon, Naruto, and Fruits Basket inspired me to try to inspire other people through my words and my ideas. Poetry came later on in life, as I was in middle school learning about poetry in French class. It was a form of expression in a time of isolation due to my illness.

Poetry was my revenge, my hopes, my anger, my fears but most importantly it was my truth. It was a truth that stood out as I progressed and got more into community work and social activism. It was through poetic forms attending conferences and events where I realized I had a voice that was not going to be silenced, and an opinion that mattered.”

“Who inspires you?” I continued.

“I think I draw inspiration from every person that I meet. Whether that is at poetry slams and open mics, or people I meet in passing, but I think if I could say a person who inspires me most is myself. Not in a weird way, but I often live in my mind, because at the end of the day, the person who understands you most is yourself. I’m not afraid to admit that I inspire my creativity by listening to myself.

Looking into my past, exploring my ideas and thoughts without fear of failure. I look up to the person I want to become and I strive to become the person my younger self would be proud of.

Other people who have inspired me are my parents who have been my greatest support. My mother puts her best foot forward to help me reach my goals and my father helps me question and understand my present. I am constantly inspired by the people I have had a chance to work with and

talk to in the past as a teaching artist with the Hamilton Youth Poets: Spin El Poeta with One Mic Educators, Sal Sabila founder of Youth Gravity, Yasmin Yusuf who works with Midaynta Community Services, Chukky Ibe with TRAD Magazine where I also am a writer, and designer for. These people constantly give me the courage and the drive to truly move forward with my work and have always pushed me to improve. I don’t think I would be able to be the person I am today without having been able to meet such amazing people who not only work to better the community but also to better themselves.”

“Do you feel like you are getting the support you need to pursue your craft?”

“I think that the support is there, however, for young artists who are just starting, such as myself, it’s hard to find them. I’ve been blessed to have been able to find opportunities to showcase my work in Hamilton, however, I can’t say I have enough support financially to pursue my craft. However, I have always been open to new opportunities and learning more on how to find these supports and take advantage of them. I think support for young artists needs to be more accessible so we can find the information and learn how to live off our work.”

“What are some challenges and lessons you have learned during your creative journey?”

“Something I have learned is that art is a conversation. It is a community and there’s only so much work you can do alone. Ideas, inspiration, motivation, networking, these are all found within the world outside your home or studio space-if you have. A challenge I still constantly face is realizing that there is no right way to do art. It is an enigma that we choose to create. While we draw our

inspiration from outside sources, we also must be reminded that we need to look inwards and find our true style, which is always evolving as we evolve.

“Any upcoming projects that we can look forward to?”

“Right now, I am working on releasing a webcomic on Line Webtoon and Tapas. This story is a jumping-off point for my work on populating media with good and interesting Muslim representation, and Somali representation. I also have a Youtube Channel where I have a project in the works that challenges the idea of the Artistic Standard of Beauty and questions art itself and what it means.

“What are some words of wisdom you would want to share with the youth in the city?”

“Don’t rush to grow up. Don’t try to think realistically. Live in your dreams and creativity.

Create the stories and the world that you want to live in. Don’t be limited by formats and structure and set your imagination free in the way only your know-how. The world needs it, and no one can give us the creative spark like you can.”

“What is the best way that we as a community can support you and your art?”

“Share my work, talk to me. I love to engage in conversation. Use my services, buy from my shop, network so we can share opportunities and if you can donate to my Kofi page to help fund my projects then please do so! We need to grow together rather than doing everything alone.”

You can reach her through email at: is.amani. arts@gmail.com or through her Instagram @ its.amani.arts

Shanell beautifying with Shamani’s Creations LA SHAWNA GRIFFITH lashawna@carib101.com

SPOTLIGHT FEATURE

Shamani’s Creations is a beauty skincare company that is located in Boarded Hall, Christ Church, Barbados. The company is owned and operated by Shanell Lewis and offers a wide range of products in the beauty industry ranging from cosmetology services to the creation of body oils and body butters.

“Shamani’s Creations began ten years ago as I started out doing hair,” Shanell shares with me. “I remember wearing a wig I made and a girl that was my friend from a previous job saw me and asked me, ‘Who made that wig for you?’ I said, ‘Me.’ She subsequently booked an appointment with me and I created a wig for her. At the time I had never made any wigs for anyone else, but the end result was very beautiful.

After making the wig for my friend successfully, I began marketing myself on Instagram @shamaniscreations and building my clientele. In 2019, I did a nail course, and then I started to do nails and even built a small salon at my home.”

Lewis, who is a multi-talented entrepreneur, decided in 2020 that she would undertake a Certificate in Lotion and Soap making so she could understand the art of making natural skincare products. After suc-

cessfully completing that course, she decided to launch her own skincare line.

“In July last year I saw a beauty course online and it was reasonable. I decided to take it. I have very dry skin, so I decided that if I could learn how to formulate a cream that could work on my skin, it could work for others. After the successful completion of the course, I began to make my own lotions and soaps.”

Lewis tells me that that one of the most rewarding experiences of her business is when she makes someone happy.

“My most rewarding experience is making someone happy. Whether it is when I am creating a wig for someone and the client starts freaking out, or when I do someone’s eyelashes or a nail set; as long as the customer likes it, I feel good. Once a customer gets their service and they are pleased, I feel rewarded.”

Lewis said her skincare line is extensive as it caters to the entire body and is all organic products.

“The response has been great with my products thus far. My skincare line is very extensive as I offer a line that consists of: body butters, lotions, hair oil, pain relief oil, pain relief balm, lip butter, lip balm, body scrub, soap which is catered to persons with eczema and dry skin, body fragrance oil and baby body butter. Persons can also customize their order to meet their specific skin needs as well.”

The qualified nail and lash technician said that she did a lot of research into her skincare line and realized that having natural products is best because it nourishes your body.

“Organic products are better suited for the skin because they give the skin all of the nourishment that it needs.”

AFRO CANADIAN CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION

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Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

5 ways to help your partner deal with depression If your significant other is experiencing moodiness, irritability, a change in appe­ tite, altered sleep patterns and a loss of in­ terest in things they once enjoyed, they might have depression. Living with some­ one who has this mood disorder can be challenging, and it’s normal to feel helpless and overwhelmed. Here are some ways you can offer your support.

1. Learn more about it. There are many reputable resources online you can refe­ rence to educate yourself about depres­ sion. Demonstrating compassion and understanding is one of the most power­ ful ways you can support your partner.

2. Encourage treatment. Depression sel­ dom improves without treatment. You can help your partner by encouraging them to seek support from a qualified professional.

3. Focus on small steps. Urge your part­ ner to create micro goals and acknow­ ledge each achievement. Positive rein­

forcement can help your partner to make progress.

4. Spend time together. People with de­ pression may avoid social interactions.

You can help them stay connected by planning activities such as watching a movie, playing a board game or going for a hike in the woods.

5. Help them make healthy choices. En­ courage your partner to exercise regu­ larly and eat nutritious food. If you do these things together, you’ll both reap the benefits. Consider going for a daily walk, bike ride or swim and preparing heal­thy meals.

If you want to be able to support your partner, it’s important that you also take care of yourself. Be sure to make time for the things you enjoy doing and reach out to friends, family members or a support group. Finally, don’t hesitate to seek profes­ sional help if your own mental health starts to deteriorate.

Couple conflicts: 3 common arguments and what to do about them Are you having the same fight with your partner over and over again? It’s normal for couples to disa­gree from time to time, and arguments can lead to positive chan­ ges when handled constructively. Here’s how to address some issues that couples com­ monly fight about.

sex drives can lead to frustration and misun­ derstandings. It’s important to have an open and honest conversation about your sexual expectations. Agree on a frequency you can both live with and schedule sex dates. If you need help discussing the issue, consider talking to a qualified sex therapist.

1. Money It’s not unusual for couples to argue about each other’s spending habits. To address this area of contention, sit down with your partner when you’re both feeling calm and make a list of all the things you spend your money on. Then, set an objec­ tive such as paying off a shared debt or sa­ ving for a major purchase. Once you’ve agreed on mutual goals, create a budget to help you achieve them.

3. Chores To avoid constantly bickering about who takes care of the household tasks in a rela­ tionship, make a list of all the chores that need to get done and divide them up equally. Determine who will do what jobs and when they’ll be completed. If you can’t agree on who should perform a particu­ larly unpleasant task, consider hiring someone to do it for you.

2. Sex Intimacy is a key component of any roman­ tic relation­ship. Though it’s normal for part­ ners to have different libidos, mismatched

Remember, never run away from an argu­ ment. If things get heated, take some time to cool off, but always come back and work through the issue. Your relationship will be stronger for it.

LIFE

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HOME

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

5 living room design tips Your living room is one of the most important rooms in your home. It’s where you entertain guests, read, watch movies and more. Here are a few tips for making your living room both stylish and functional.

How to add a pop of colour to your kitchen If your kitchen is looking a little lacklustre, consider adding a splash of colour. Here are some simple ways to brighten up the space.

1. APPLY PAINT A fresh coat of paint can do wonders. Changing the colour of your walls, cabinets, countertops or chairs can transform the look of the entire room.

2. INCLUDE ACCESSORIES If you want to change your decor and keep up with the latest trends without breaking the bank, decorative accessories are the answer. Go wild with stylish placemats, curtains, door handles and hand to­ wels.

Patterned teapots and eye-catching light fixtures are also great options.

3. INCORPORATE PLANTS Another simple way to brighten up your kitchen is to include plants. It’s best to choose varieties that can withstand temperature fluctuations such as hyacinths and mai­denhair ferns.

Additionally, you can brighten up your kitchen with colourful appli­ ances like a mixer or toaster. You can even purchase a retro-inspired pastel fridge. Just make sure the appliances you select complement the style of your kitchen.

1. POSITION THE COUCH Since it’s likely the biggest piece of furniture in your living room, you should position your couch first. If the room is small, push it up against the wall to create more space. However, if you have an openconcept home, pull the couch into the middle of the space to create a distinct living area.

2. SET UP THE TV Your television should be visible from the sitting area. However, don’t place it in front of a window, as viewing will likely be impacted by glare.

3. ADD AN AREA RUG On top of being comfortable and stylish, an area rug can help soundproof your living

room. As a rule of thumb, it should fit under all pieces of furniture in the sitting area.

4. OPTIMIZE THE LIGHTING Since your living room is a multifunctional space, getting the lighting right can be a challenge. The best approach is to incorporate a combination of overhead, accent and task lights. In addition, installing dimmer switches will allow you to adjust the ambience as needed.

5. CHOOSE COMPLEMENTARY FURNITURE You should choose furniture that complements the space. For example, bulky furniture can easily make a small living room feel crowded. How­­ever, investing in a good coffee table and stylish entertainment unit are a must.

Given that you probably spend a lot of time in your living room, it’s worth making the effort to ensure it’s as comfortable as possible.

FUN

Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 39

WEEK OF JULY 18 TO JULY 24, 2021

ARIES

The luckiest signs this week: ARIES, AQUARIUS AND PISCES

You could develop lucrative real estate goals. A few renovations will double the value of your home, or at least make you appreciate your space more. A friend or family member will suggest a sponta­neous activity.

TAURUS

HOW TO PLAY :

The idea of a getaway will grow in your mind as the week progresses.

You’ll also be inspired by some type of pilgrimage. As you discover new ways of thinking, you’ll be more open to the subject of spirituality.

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

You’ll have to deal with certain emotions for one reason or another. You’ll be asked to show your generosity; just beware not to exceed your budget or your physi­cal limits. Remember, stress and fatigue generally aren’t a good mix.

PUZZLE NO. 740 ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 740

GEMINI

CANCER

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.

Even if you aren’t always a conciliatory person, you know how to keep the peace. As the saying goes, the ends justify the means. You’ll have to choose between two propositions from people close to you.

LEO

PUZZLE NO. 30

ACROSS 1. Seize 4. “____ Gun for Hire” 8. Renoir’s output 11. Female sheep 12. “____ We Go Again” 13. Cut of meat

15. Got hitched 16. Province 17. By oneself 18. In-____ (relative) 20. Cured, as meat 22. Recipe direction 24. Relay ____ 26. Taboo

27. Flowed out 32. Bit of gossip, e.g.

33. Plant fluid 34. “Saturday Night ____” 35. Punish 37. Conception 38. Certain poems 39. Tie

40. Brutal 44. Take the gold medal 45. Arkin or Alda 46. Jot down 49. Nibble 52. Sample 53. Sidewalk border 54. ____ Galahad 55. Regard 56. Historical times 57. Stallone, to friends

22. Trim with scissors 23. Carry 24. Home 25. Stun 28. Legal excuse 29. Cleanliness 30. Equal 31. The Grateful ____ 36. Ship’s diary 40. Was located 41. Malt drinks

42. Flower holder 43. Poker-pot contribution 44. Spiders’ traps 47. “____ American Cousin” 48. Refrain opener 50. Have a cold 51. Bring to court

DOWN 1. Unexplored 2. Great respect 3. Sheets and pillowcases 4. Melt 5. Not him 6. Bitter resentment 7. Ocean views 8. In addition to 9. Certain chess piece 10. Floor square 14. Show agreement 19. Fragrance 21. “Eight ____ Out”

ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 30

It’s vacation time, but only once you’ve completed all your chores. At home, you’ll be proud of housework you got done or renovation projects that are completed. A family member will need your help.

VIRGO

Good self­esteem is essential to develo­ping your personality. You’ll be proud of an accomplishment that helps you go far. If you’re single, your confidence will allow you to shine and get noticed by a future love interest.

LIBRA

You don’t have to go far for a relaxing vacation. At home, you’ll have a great time in the company of your family. With enough organizing, you’ll manage to re­connect with people you haven’t seen in a long time.

SCORPIO

You won’t be able to sit still, and you’ll have plenty to say. You’ll spend hours making conversation with people from various cultures and getting to know them better. You’ll have an insatiable thirst for knowledge.

SAGITTARIUS

Despite delays and confusion, you’ll make up for lost time. You’ll take on a major project at home during your vaca­tion. You’ll also find the means to achieve your personal and professional goals.

CAPRICORN

You need to get moving, broaden your contacts and maintain dynamic relation­ships with the people you care about. You’ll have activities scheduled one after another, and your popularity will sky­rocket. You’ll be hard to keep up with.

AQUARIUS

A health concern might slow you down, and you’ll need to catch up on your sleep. At work, there’ll be lots to do and many of your colleagues will be on vacation. Fortunately, you’ll be generously rewar­ded for your extra effort.

PISCES

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

You’ll need to cleanse your social circles so that you can make your interactions more enjoyable. Afterward, you might plan a trip or quick getaway with loved ones that will create many unforgetta­ble memories.

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PAGE 42

REAL ESTATE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Lack of affordable homes in Ontario can cause mass exodus among young people JAY BRIJPAUL brijpaul@carib101.com

REAL ESTATE PRO

A society that nurtures, educates and accommodates the younger generation will prosper. According to research done in June 2021 for the Ontario Real Estate Association, 46% of home buyers under the age of forty-five are considering moving out of the province to find affordable homes. The survey shows that 56% of these would-be buyers are despondent about the hope of buying a home in the community where they currently reside.

“Unfortunately, for too many, the current real estate market is a frustrating game of musical chairs, with more and more people circling a fewer number of chairs,” said Tim Hudac, CEO of The Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA). OREA is a professional organization that represents around eighty thousand realtors in Ontario. 55% of those surveyed said that they think house prices will continue to climb in the next year.

“The lack of housing supply is leading many to look outside the province for their first homes and that will make it difficult to retain and attract talent in Ontario in the near future,” said OREA’s CEO. In a recent statement, Mr. Hudac mentioned that “The Government of Ontario’s More Homes, More Choice Act is an excellent first step but if we want to reverse this brain drain, municipalities also need to deliver by opening up more housing opportunities.”

Of those who were surveyed, 68% think that the Ontario government can work harder to make housing more affordable. 91% supported the fact that money laundering in the real estate market is a major cause of lack of supply. 90% of those surveyed backed the idea to give incentive to home owners to make improvements on their home. 89% liked the idea of giving bigger tax rebates to first time buyers and 87% endorsed the

concept to convert under-utilized commercial space into residential units.

Presently, Canada has 424 housing units available for every 1,000 Canadians. This is the lowest level among the G7 countries. Between 2021 to 2023, an estimated 1.2 million immigrants are expected to land, with the majority settling in the big cities. To quench the thirst for housing, Ontario needs to invest in infrastructures that will open up land to build more houses. It is a delicate balance, allotting land for food, conservations for clean air, and land for industrial, commercial and residential uses. It’s not so easy to reallocate land for housing without affecting another area. To build more homes, the city must have allowance for adequate water supply and sewage disposal. Considering all aspects, affordable housing is possible in smaller towns within the province.

Home prices in the GTA has grown by about 1.5 times the cost of living. The roaring housing market has created a major housing catastrophe. This is driving the younger generation to more fertile grounds outside of Ontario to raise their families. If the trend continues, businesses will lose their competitive edge. It will become more difficult in recruiting and keeping good workers at a reasonable pay.

Increasing the interest rate is an option that can chill the market quickly.

However, this can be catastrophic. Approximately 24% of Ontarians are employed in real estate services, such as contractors, technical workers and realtors. Taxes generated from real estate and other related industry accounts for over 20% of the province revenue. If the market collapses, other operations such health care will suffer. The Ontario Government will not have enough revenue to kick start the economy and we can head into a recession. Real estate also accounts for about 54% of the assets held by people in Ontario. A drop in home prices can be devastating.

The Ontario Government must take a careful approach in order to cool the market without disrupting the fragile covid stricken economy. The first step is to give homeowners incentives to

build a secondary suite in their existing home. This will inject more safe rental units. Foreign buyers should pay a larger share of sales tax and property tax for investment properties within GTA. This action will cause foreigners to invest in smaller towns and spur new growth. Vacant homes should be heavily taxed. This will discourage investors from tying up homes that can be become readily avail-

able for others. Penalize money laundering ventures and speculators.

The Ontario Government is walking a tight rope; a delicate balance, a juggling act to keep the economy humming and maintain housing affordability. The outlook for affordable accommodation is bleak. The clock is ticking. For many, relocating is the only option.

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PAGE 44

FINANCE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Planners, agents, and advisors aren’t strategists CLEVE DeSOUZA

•

cleve@carib101.com

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

At first glance, a financial strategist and a financial advisor (or planner) may look the same but make no mistake. They are very different. There are big differences between the two, and you could pay a high price for choosing the wrong one at the right time.

Traditional planners, agents, and advisors are primarily transactional.

Their goal is simple – they want to sell you financial products. In some cases, the products they promote may be exactly what you need, but in many more cases, the products they promote will serve their needs better than yours.

You work hard for your money.

You deserve an unbiased financial strategist who considers your needs above and beyond completing a sale. A strategist is with you for the long term. I work with clients for years, helping them to optimize their money and wealth-building game through effective strategies.

A strategist is hard to find, so how do you know whether you are working with one? Simple. Think about these situations below:

•

•

Are you getting financial solutions to specific problems or is your advisor taking a holistic approach toward achieving multiple goals? The transactional agent focuses on immediate challenges. A strategist considers all your goals and builds a roadmap to success, even taking into account goals you haven’t verbalized. It is similar to the difference between an ER doctor focused on immediate injuries and a primary care physician who addresses overall health. If you are in debt, a strategist helps you pinpoint the root cause, often solving multiple problems.

Who is the agent working for? If you are not paying the bill, then the agent isn’t working for you. Instead, he or she is working for the company that provides the product you’re buying. A strategist, on the other hand, is your personal consultant. Since you’re paying for the services, there is no conflict of interest. Your needs come first.

So you think you’re safe with your banker? Think again. Many bankers are transactional agents. First, they will sell you anything to tap out your entire credit capacity. They have no regard for what you can afford. For example, bankers issue loans after collecting just enough financial information to protect the bank’s interest. They are not concerned with whether you eat or travel or have fu-

•

•

•

ture plans. Profiting off your money is their game.

Do you get an annual financial checkup? If not, you are most likely dealing with a transactional agent. A transactional agent only calls when there’s a problem. A strategist will routinely check in on your progress. He or she will help advance your financial education and stay focused on your success.

Who’s talking about risks and making sure you take on what you can manage? It sounds good when you have access to lots of cash but look out. The transactional agent will only disclose as much information as the law requires. A strategist will explain what you’re risking and guide you toward the best decision for you. I’m sure you know people who bought houses they couldn’t afford and lost them to foreclosure. This is a tragedy of working with a transactional agent.

Do you take away a written plan that is easy to follow? Many plans consist of complex financial jargan and worksheets that ultimately collect dust. Not all plans are equal. A onepage business plan that is referred to daily is much more effective than a 100-page plan that no one follows. A good plan is easy to execute.

A strategist will show you how to achieve peak financial health.

Child RRSP vs child insurance for home ownership and retirement ANDREW STEWART andrew@carib101.com

FAMILY ADVISOR

When parents think about their children’s future, we envision giving them options in life to succeed and the competence to avoid costly mistakes. Instilling social and self-awareness skills, confidence, empathy, and discipline in today’s world is prevalent. When saving money for their future it’s not abnormal for us to be narrow-minded and not think out the box.

Today I want to discuss how we can better create a stronger financial landscape for children who are earning income and for specific future life events, owning a home, and retirement.

As adults, if we knew what we know back when we were sixteen. We would all start saving money earlier. Two financial instruments that are available to children the same way they are to adults are RRSP and life insurance.

Can You Open an RRSP and life insurance for a child: Yes, you can open a child RRSP in Canada. A minor can set up an RRSP with the consent of their parent or legal guardian.

But if they are in their teens and working and paying income tax, then yes, you can open an RRSP for them. As a parent, grandparent, or legal guardian you can

be the owner of a whole life insurance policy with the child is the life insured.

Good reasons to open an RRSP: By investing early in an RRSP you take advantage of compound interest. You have numerous qualified investments at your disposals such as GICs, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs. The income, dividends, and capital gains earned in an RRSP are subject to tax-deferral, but all funds are taxed as income on withdrawal.

For example, if your child starts working at age fourteen and invests $100 per month assuming a 6% interest rate, compounded monthly they’ll have $35,323 at age thirty-five and $403,311 at age sixtyfive.

The child can take advantage of the Home Buyers Plan (HBP) that allows them to withdraw amounts of $35,000 or less from the RRSP to buy or build a home without incurring income. An added benefit is the RRSP deductions can be deferred until they are earning higher income to reduce net income on their tax return.

It promotes excellent investment habits to learn to properly save money and have their money working from them.

Good reasons to open an insurance plan: Investing $100 per month in a twenty pay Participating Whole Life insurance plan at age fourteen provides the child with two benefits, cash value and life insurance coverage. The non-guaranteed cash value growth inside the policy at age thirty-five would be $32,800 with $164,404

of fully paid-up life insurance. They could utilize the cash value by either withdrawing from the policy or taking a loan from it to purchase their first home. If we look forward to age sixty-five the value of the cash value is $186,244 and $371,187 of fully paid-up life insurance. Looking at the numbers one might think that the RRSP wins out. Let us look a little deeper at some differences.

Differences: With the RRSP contributions, they would have to be made consistently at those ages to obtain the above mentioned values without missing any years. Also, it could be difficult to achieve a 6% return.

Principal invested would be $20,400 at age thirty-five and $61,200 at age sixtyfive.

The total insurance premiums would only have to be paid for twenty years. That total is $24,000 and the child would not have to make a single premium payment for the rest of their lives.

There are no government rules on how and when to use the cash value. You lose control over investment selection and flexibility with this type of insurance policy.

If your child is earning income an RRSP can be a good option. If you are more on the conservative side and value protection and safer investing in a life insurance policy can also be a good option.

Key points are to establish good saving habits and get ahead on their retirement nest egg.

PAGE 46

SPORTS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, July 21, 2021

This Week in Sports: Party in Tampa Bay damages priceless hockey relic MARCEL MARIAK marcel@carib101.com

TC JUNIOR REPORTER

Soccer: Italy Clutches Euro Cup in dramatic penalty shootout The 2021 Euro Cup Finals ended spectacularly as Italy won the match in a tense penalty shootout.

On July 11th, the stands of Wembley Stadium were packed with English football fans gathered to watch their team compete for the cup.

Started in 1958, England has never won the European Cup, only coming as close as winning third place in the 1968 Euro Cup against the Soviet Union. With that being the case, English fans were ecstatic that they might not only win the Cup for the first time but also do it at their home stadium.

For weeks, the English national team had been fighting their way through formidable opponents for the chance to win the world-famous prize. After defeating Germany and Ukraine, and just barely squeezing

by Denmark with a game-winning penalty, the only thing left to do for the English was to win the cup and go home victorious. Unfortunately, Italy had different plans. Hardened by having fought their way through Austria, Belgium, and Spain, the Italians went into the final match ready for battle.

At first, it looked as though England might secure a victory, as left-back Shaw opened up the scoring after only two minutes of play. The English were able to retain this lead for over an hour of play before Italian centre-back, Leonardo Benucci, tied the game at 1-1. The teams remained locked into a tie for the remainder of regular time and throughout the half-hour of extra time. After 120 minutes of play, the match would be decided with penalties.

Both teams had their fair share of penalty shooting errors, but Italy was able to make one less mistake as they won the shootout with a score of 3-2 after England missed three penalties in a row.

Hockey: Montreal loses NHL finals but still gets the Stanley Cup! English soccer fans weren’t the only people disappointed to have the final slip through their fingers. After losing the first three games of the finals series to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Montreal Canadiens were under pressure to perform.

With the Canadiens competing in the NHL finals for the first time in over two decades, Canadian hockey fans were thrilled that the famed Stanley Cup could finally make it back to its home city.

With Montreal’s impressive performance leading up to the finals (which included a 4-game-sweep of the Winnipeg Jets), the Habs looked strong headed into the finals against 2020’s NHL Champions, the Tampa Bay Lighting.

Despite being from Florida, a place not usually renowned for its prowess in winter sports, The Lightning had seen a shocking

amount of success in the past two seasons.

Boasting some of the biggest names in the NHL, Tampa Bay would be a worthy and challenging opponent for the Canadiens.

To the sorrow of Canadian hockey fans, the series got off to a rough start for Montreal. With the Lightning putting on an impressive offensive display and securing a 5-1 win in Game 1, the pressure started to mount on the Habs. Montreal’s spell of bad luck continued as they lost Games 2 and 3, putting them at risk of losing the finals in an embarrassing sweep. Montreal managed to barely squeeze past the Lightning in Game 4 with an overtime victory, but it was too little too late. Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup in Game 5 in front of their hometown fans.

While Montreal went home in tears, the party picked up in Tampa Bay. The Lighting’s players even got so rowdy that the Stanley Cup got severely damaged during the festivities.

The 129-year-old sports relic was promptly taken out of the hands of drunken hockey players and is now undergoing repairs in Montreal. The Habs might not have won the Stanley Cup, but at least it still came home – albeit in slightly worse shape.

UFC: The end of Conor McGregor’s career?

When Conor McGregor’s teammates told him to “break a leg” before his UFC 264 fight against Dustin Poirier, they didn’t mean it literally. But Notorious doesn’t follow the rules.

So, he broke it anyway.

Leading up to his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor was back to his antics. The brash attitude and heavyhanded insults that McGregor is known for

were on full display in the weeks before the bout.

After being respectful and cordial in his second fight with Poirier resulted in a KO loss, McGregor figured it would be a good idea to resort to the schoolyard insults that got under his foe’s skin in the first fight. This time, Poirier wasn’t having any of it. Even when McGregor threatened to kill him and implied that Dustin’s wife was cheating on him, Poirier remained unphased. McGregor’s trash talk was falling on deaf ears.

During the fight, Poirier quickly took the upper hand, continuously pressuring McGregor and even knocking him down at one point. In the final moments of the first round, things took a turn for the worst for McGregor. He stumbled back during a punch and twisted his ankle. The pressure caused his leg to snap a few inches above the ankle.

The referee stopped the fight and Poirier won by TKO.

As Poirier got his hand raised, McGregor continued to hurl insults while being treated by doctors. For Conor, the fight is far from over.

Despite his enthusiasm to keep fighting, there’s a high chance that McGregor will end up finishing his fighting career. Between having an injury, three children, a fiancé, multiple business ventures, and more money than he can count, there isn’t much keeping Conor in the Octagon. As younger, more dangerous fighters get added to the UFC roster daily, it might be time for McGregor to consider hanging up the gloves while he’s still in relatively good health. As sad as it would be to see a UFC legend like Conor retire, it would likely be for the best.