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VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 22 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2021

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FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

KEREN BURKETT

Taking a chance with $500, a maxed-out credit card and a dream “I love making sure that people of colour are the centre of my stories because you don’t see that often, and I want to use that to bring more light to people of colour in the industry. Everything that I can do to help prop us up, I want to do that, because there needs to be more of it. In 2020, there was the whole Black Lives Matter protests and people were advocating for us… and then it died down. And I don’t want it to die down. My form of protest is to always make sure anything I write or do is black focussed. All I want to do is serve the community.” Kerën Burkett Who doesn’t dream of being famous?

Walking along that extended crimson red carpet, paparazzi beckoning for your gaze, with all eyes focussed solely on you?! For the dream chasers alike, this edition’s Women Empowered, Trinidadian Canadian Kerën Burkett, is all about rolling the dice and taking a chance on life to get to that stardom. Her story hopes to shed some inspiration that all goals are attainable, so long as you’re ready to go the extra mile (or in her case, thousands of miles!).

With a name meaning bright light, it’s no surprise that Kerën (pronounced kuh-reen) is a star in the making.

Her spontaneous and hilariously extroverted personality shines through so brilliantly that one would never believe that she was extremely shy for most of her life!

It was her love for drama in high school that really allowed her true persona to be revealed, something she calls a happy accident.

“I had to pick two electives, and I picked dance and art. My mom had to sign off on it and she was like “No, you can’t draw.” So, she actually checked off drama for me and I was heartbroken. I could not do drama! I was super insecure. I always cared what everyone thought of me. But it ended up changing my life! I was able to climb out of my shell and not be as shy, and it took a while for me to not be insecure, but it definitely helped with my shyness.”

When it was time to move on to post-secondary, Kerën decided to pursue acting. With the full support of her parents, in 2014, she graduated from Humber College’s program Acting for TV and Film. Once she finished school, Kerën’s life took an interesting turn from there.

Rather than obtaining a job in her field, she became a front-office hotel manager for a brand-new Delta Hotel in the downtown core after the recruiters loved her contagiously beaming energy. Through working that job for a few years, an amazing opportunity soon came knocking: the ability to transfer hotel locations to Vancouver, British Columbia.

“In 2017, I felt so stuck. I felt like my acting career wasn’t moving in Toronto. It’s a big city with a lot of competition.

So, a friend encouraged me to move.”

Kerën had a total of $500 in her bank account. She had a maxed-out credit card after buying her one-way ticket to Van-

couver. Upon arrival, she had nowhere to live, and she wouldn’t be working for two weeks. The one thing that helped her overcome all these obstacles was her faith; she had a peaceful feeling that everything was going to be fine.

“I made the move, and it’s been really successful. In Vancouver, there’s only a 1.5% Black population. Especially with being an actor here, there’s not a lot of competition. It’s just me and maybe ten other Black girls to go up against, whereas in Toronto it would be hundreds of amazingly talented actors there.”

A year after becoming a hotel supervisor in Vancouver (and absolutely hating it along the way), she then quit to dedicate her full time to acting. Finally, Kerën was much closer to chasing the dream she always had. You can catch her on the big screen often in receptionistlike roles in a few Hallmark films and CW Network shows, and she also has credits in a few Disney and Netflix series. Though thankful for the lessened amount of competition when seeking work, she wasn’t prepared for the marginalization and lack of knowledge on Black culture that came with being a part of such a small minority.

“I dealt with a lot of microaggressions. In the film industry, I’ve been on major sets, and they’ve told me to my face that they cannot do my hair. I was on a set, and they didn’t have my shade of makeup, which is a load of crap because when you book a show, the production gets emailed your headshot. They knew that a Black woman was coming, they just chose not to have makeup to match my skin. They’ll be like “Did you bring your own makeup?”

And that’s not something they’d ask other White actors. While working on a Toronto set, at least there’s a little more knowledge and sometimes there might even be a black hairstylist.”

Though the lack of diversity is certainly in your face, Kerën still encourages Black professionals to consider moving out west, as the opportunities are endless.

“We need change, and we need more people to come here. I have about ten actor friends that are really trying to change the industry. They’re holding texture workshops, where White hairdressers can learn how to braid type 3C-4C textured hair. But it can’t be left on the shoulders of ten people. On an actual career level. I think it’s a smart idea for Black actors to come because there’s so much work here! When you get casted in a movie in Toronto, sometimes you’ll get a role and you’re not the lead. In Vancouver, there are so many opportunities to book a lead role. In Toronto, you have peak seasons and off seasons. There are only peak seasons in Vancouver. You’re always going to be working and auditioning. The industry never stops.”

After killing it in the industry for a few years now, Kerën is ready to embark on her next step in her west coast journey: moving to Los Angeles! Though she loves her home and native land, she doesn’t believe that there’s enough support in

Canada to elevate her to where she wants to be. Referring to other Toronto-bred artists such as Drake and The Weeknd, no one truly got their flowers until they left the city.

“We don’t have our own content per se.

We have CBC but that’s about it. If you really want to be a household name, it can’t happen in Canada just yet. Which is why I want to move to the States. Of course, Hollywood is the land of TV and film, but I also believe it would open more doors for me.”

Kerën is just scratching the surface of what’s about to be a life-long expedition in the industry, yet she’s made outstanding strides thus far. For now, her aspirations include to continue auditioning, eventually getting to L.A., and completing her horror short film script, where the Black characters will not be the first ones to die as usual due to that being “unrealistic because we’re the ones that don’t answer the door!” she humorously says.

“I hope readers are inspired. I hope they start to think outside of the box and realize they don’t need to be stuck in a city, whether they want to be an actor or not. Move around and do what you gotta do to make your dreams happen. Whether it’s Montreal or Calgary, just do it and don’t let anything stop you. Obviously be smart and don’t move anywhere with only $500! But know that when you put God first, anything can happen.”

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Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 3

“Playing it Forward,” with the Kiwanis Club of Toronto Caribbean SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

In the workplace, doctors and nurses are complaining about the lack of equipment in health facilities. Over the months, junior doctors that have worked in hospitals across the island have lost patients due to lack of equipment.

With the increase in patients, health practitioners have found themselves experiencing stress. This shift has negatively affected the performance of these practitioners because patient demand has increased, but facilities remain understaffed.

Also revealed in this situation is the scarcity of resources available to health clinics on the island. The flood of patients has caused issues such as a delay of blood work and a shortage of medication. There have even been situations where patients had to purchase the medical supplies necessary for their surgery, and in Mandeville Hospital, people are sleeping on the ground.

Jamaica’s healthcare system has been hard hit by this pandemic, but thankfully, a committed group of individuals and organizations have rallied support for the island are actively finding ways to ensure that citizens in Jamaica are provided with the best healthcare possible.

On Saturday, November 20th, 2021, from 10:00 am-10:00 pm, the Kiwanis Club of Toronto Caribbean hosted JAMM-A-THON, a

specific fundraising initiative with the goal of shipping medical supplies and equipment to hospitals in Jamaica. The theme was ‘Play It Forward’ a play on words, to spark the charitable spirit of Jamaicans, and Caribbean’s living in the diaspora. They are working tirelessly to assist hospitals that are in desperate need of resources and support.

The Kiwanis Club of Toronto Caribbean is the newest club in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area and is a part of the Kiwanis International, a global community of clubs, members and partners dedicated to improving the lives of children one community at a time for over 100 years. Today, we stand with more than 550,000 members from K-Kids, Key Club, Circle K to Kiwanis Clubs and many ages in between in over eighty countries and geographic areas. Each community has different needs, and Kiwanis empowers members to pursue creative ways to serve the needs of children, such as fighting hunger, improving literacy and offering guidance.

On Saturday, people across Toronto, and around the world were entertained for twelve hours by four DJ’s: Rosie Murray, Marcus Ouja, Doc Jules and Dave Toomer. As I sat down writing articles and jamming to some Mary J. Blige and Chakka Khan, I had an opportunity to speak with the President of The Kiwanis Club of Toronto Caribbean, Sharon Barnes-Simmonds, who I could tell had been working hard. We had a brief dialogue, and Sharon filled me in on how she became involved with this initiative.

“I learned about what was happening in Jamaica hospitals from a friend of mine here in Toronto. She happens to be the sister of Michael Sharpe, the famed journalist from Jamaica who died from COVID-19 complications after receiving his vaccination.

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I only bring that up because this was when I learned about the conditions in the hospitals.”

COVID-19 has put a strain on resources in Jamaica, and it is the people who are suffering. Sharon’s friend reached out to her because she knew that she had the means to do something to help out. Sharon is involved in several programs in Toronto, but when she heard the story, she knew that Kiwanis would be the best platform to assist with this task.

“I reached out to the Jamaican Consulate General, and he was already thinking about doing something like this,” Sharon shares with me. “He has a positive working relationship with Rahul Singh, and both of them were like, ‘Let’s get it done.’

About three weeks ago, Rahul reached out and told me that he was ready to go with two barrels. The timing has been impeccable.”

With the containers, it made the fundraiser even more feasible. Now they had a target goal for this project.

“Our target goal is $20,000. We don’t have a full cost as to the amount to ship one container. We turned to our affiliates at the Kiwanis Club of Toronto Foundation and asked them to match our donation, but we did not get the request in on time. We have asked other clubs within Kiwanis to assist us with this project, and I believe that we will be able to get their support.”

It is at times like this when you see the spirit of good nature in our community.

There is another private donor who donated 1,000 cotton thermal blankets. These have to be shipped as well. Half of them are going to Spanish Town Hospital, which is the main contact from the Kiwanis Club of Spanish Town. There have also been 150,000 COV-

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ID-19 gowns to protect hospital workers, and the other container has disinfectant wipes and sanitizing napkins, donated through Global Medics.

The supplies have been split between Spanish Town Hospital and six other hospitals that include: • • • • • •

University Hospital of the West Indies BustaMante Children’s Hospital of Jamaica Black River Hospital Mandeville Hospital Port Maria Hospital Princess Margaret Hospital

“We are collaborating with the Ministry of Health in Jamaica so that we don’t have to pay duties,” Sharon tells me. “The Ministry of Health and Wellness in Jamaica is working closely with us as well. Our work is not done because we are also trying to source mattress and beds to help with the shortage that we heard about at Mandeville Hospital.”

The Kiwanis Club of Toronto Caribbean and the Consulate General of Jamaica Toronto, extends their gratitude to their partners: Global Medic as they have secured two shipping containers with approximately C$500,000.00 of medical supplies and equipment; the Toronto Kiwanis Foundation and the Kiwanis Club of Riverdale Foundation for their support in assisting with the shipping costs.

They are passionate about making a difference. Helping kids grow and succeed is at the heart of everything they do. As sons and daughters of the Caribbean, let us all do our part to ensure that we are taking care of our families, and communities. You can donate at: kctorontocaribbean@gmail.com

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PAGE 5

Mixed reactions to United Nation COP26 Climate Change Glasgow Agreement •

PAUL JUNOR

Increasing carbon pricing to cover a greater percentage of greenhouse gas emissions, from the current $40 per tonne to $170 per tonne by 2030 Net zero emissions from electricity generated in Canada by 2035 Capping and reducing pollution from the oil and gas sector to net zero by 2050 Protecting 25% of Canada’s land and oceans by 2025 Planting 2 billion trees, ending and reversing deforestation globally and helping developing countries do the same

•

paul@carib101.com

•

TC REPORTER

• There was drama at the end of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which concluded on Saturday, November 13th, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland. For over two weeks 200 countries have been meeting to hammer out a climate change deal. It was the 26th meeting of the UN’s Conferences of the Parties. The first one was in 1995 in Berlin.

There was a deal agreed upon by these countries on Friday, November 12th, 2021, which would have seen the use of coal being “phased out. This would have been an historic development if China and India, two of the world’s largest users of coal, had not pressured the other countries to change the language to “phased out.” This last-ditch change to the agreed upon climate change deal provided vitriolic and acrimonious responses from many countries.

Alok Sharma who was appointed President for COP26 hosted it. As early as 1989, the Montreal Protocol drew attention to the importance of reducing the “production and consumption of ozonedepleting substances in order to protect Earth’s ozone layer.” Historically, it was the Kyoto protocol, which was agreed to in 1997 in Japan that “committed major industrial nations to reducing their annual carbon emissions to below 1990s levels, while producing financial support to developing nations to encourage them to follow suit.”

Canada ratified it in 2002 but withdrew from it in 2011. It was, however, the Paris Agreement in 2015 that highlighted the importance of limiting earth’s warming to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels. On Monday, November 8th, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would end thermal coal export by 2030. This hopefully will force developing countries to seek alternatives to fuel and significantly decrease pollution in the oil and gas sector. He committed to:

•

Canada will increase its contributions to $5.3 billion toward climate finance and $57.5 million towards developing countries. Trudeau states, “Climate action can’t wait. Since 2015, Canada has been a committed partner in the fight against climate change, and as we move to a net-zero future we will continue to do our part to cut pollution and build a cleaner future for everyone.”

President Biden told the delegates that he is hopeful that the U.S. will attain a “Net-zero emissions economy.”

There were many calls from the leaders of island nations for economic support as many of their economies are directly impacted by climate change. The Washington Post reported on November 13th that Alok Sharma stated, “We’re all well aware that collectively, our climate ambition and action to date have fallen short of the promises made in Paris.” Simon Lewin and Mark Maslin identified five things about the Glasgow Pact that you need to know in an online article for The Conversation, which are: 1. Progress on cutting emissions, but nowhere near enough 2. The door is ajar for further cuts in the near future 3. Rich countries continued to ignore their historical responsibility 4. Loopholes in carbon market rules could undermine progress 5. Thank climate activists for the progress - their next moves will be decisive There is hope that there will be great gains made as nations continue to search for solutions to the challenges of climate change in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

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Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

Dr. Rita Cox; the Caribbean, Canadian Icon who just won’t slow down MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The name Dr. Rita Cox is synonymous with storytelling not just in Canada, but worldwide.

This icon of the story art form hails from the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago but has spent the majority of her life in Canada and has contributed immensely to the growth of Caribbean culture in Canada, North America and universally.

Here is a little insight into this star of the story world.

Cox joined the Toronto Public Library in 1960 as a children’s librarian. In 1974, she moved to the head of Parkdale Branch, where she stayed until her retirement in 1995.

In her time there, she launched literacy programs and other initiatives that boosted multiculturalism and literacy throughout Toronto. She has touched the lives of many Canadians through her life’s work, especially those new to this country and their children.

There is so much to tell when it comes to Cox that one wonders where to start. This is a woman who worked her way from children’s storyteller to librarian right into citizenship judge and is still educating and entertaining folks up until this moment.

Here are some of her awards and accolades from over the years • Canadian Library Association Public Service Award and Black Achievement Award (1986) • Honourary degree, York University (1993) • Honourary degree, Wilfrid Laurier University (1994) • Order of Canada for outstanding work in

• •

storytelling and literacy (1997) Rita Cox Park named in her honour (2008) Caribbean Tourism Organization Lifetime Achievement Award (2019)

I spoke recently with Dr. Rita Cox about her latest storytelling CD called “Wit and Wisdom” and her life’s work as an artist. “Storytelling,” Cox said, “Is a journey that brings people together, both listener and teller.”

“I am very honoured to have been nominated to do one of the stories “Save Candidates” for this CD. I have been telling stories almost all my life, and everything I have been involved with, had something to do with stories,” Cox told me.

“I have had a very fantastic life and I am honoured and very appreciative of the Toronto Public Library and all the other services that have made it possible for me to excel in my storytelling here and abroad.”

Cox had a bit of advice for up-andcoming youngsters in the culture field, “Tell your stories,” She said, “Our generation was working so hard to lay a foundation that we never told our stories enough.”

Cox highlighted that some of our younger ones have lost a lot by not being taught things like our culinary arts and culture and have not fully grasped the roots of our cultural expression. “That is our fault,” she said.

“To the young people, remember your history, remember your heritage. We have a rich heritage; a rich history and nobody can tell us otherwise. We have to tell the great stories of our ancestors, and even the great stories of those who are in our community today.”

On November 30th, 2021, join Cox for a fascinating online panel discussion to officially launch the highly anticipated CD. For more information www.storytellers-conteurs.ca/en/shop/RitaCox-Wit-Wisdom.html

Streaming of students in Grade 9 subjects will end in school year 2022 PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

There has been a call from advocates and activists for an end to this discriminatory practice, which has curtailed the academic potential of marginalized, racialized and lowsocioeconomic backgrounds. The partition of students into the lower applied level pathway and the higher academic pathway has been a troubling feature of the Ontario high school system.

Stephen Leece, Ontario Education Minister made the announcement in a memo sent to school board directors on Tuesday, November 9th, 2021. In the memo, Nancy Naylor, Deputy Minister of Education writes, “Beginning in September 2022, all Grade 9 students will be offered in one stream.” Initially, when Minister Leece announced the phase out of streaming, it only involved Grade 9 mathematics.

With this recent announcement, streaming will take effect for: Science, Geography, English, and French as a second language courses. Details of what the destreamed Grade 9 courses will look like have not been released as yet. With respect to Grade 9 Science, it will cover materials in: Biology, Chemistry, Physics as well as Earth and

Space Sciences. In addition, there will be focus on STEM which the Ministry has emphasized in the revised elementary math curriculum which was introduced in June 2019.

The Ministry of Education has indicated there will be extra materials that will be offered in the school year 2022 - 2023 to help students transition from Grade 9 math to Grade 10 math. One of the organizations that has been fighting to end streaming is the Coalition for Alternative to Streaming in Education (CASE). They believe that streaming results in students with lower expectations, more limited opportunities to learn and fewer postsecondary options.

They present five recommendations with respect to: class size, support for full inclusion, professional development, community engagement and a task force. With respect to class size, CASE believes that the government should invest in reducing class sizes especially for Grade 9 de-streamed courses to maximize the impact of differentiated instruction. With respect to support for full inclusion and for learning support, it is vital that students coming in from Grade 8 with pronounced learning gaps are able to access academic and tutorial support.

CASE believes that a task force is necessary because “Ending streaming is a complex task that will require a multi-year plan. The ministry should have a representative multi-stakeholder task force to inform and monitor its implementation including measurable, transparent action.” In a report, Minister Leece stated, “We will continue to take action to lift up all students, with an ambitious better pathway to the skilled trades, post -secondary and good-paying jobs.”

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Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Flawed leadership, hidden stories, and systemic racism at TTC SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

I am going to tell you this now; this story is only the beginning of what looks like a long string of stories that are meant to expose the corrupt, and underhanded management of one of the oldest organizations in Toronto, the Toronto Transit Commission.

I have had the privilege of connecting with a group of brave, determined individuals who believe that now is the time to let the citizens of Toronto know exactly how their tax dollars are being misused.

I swear, it was like opening Pandora’s box. It was hard to focus on one topic, which is why the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper will be doing a series exposing some of the deepest secrets of this organization.

I write only what is being reported to me, and I am open to speaking to any representatives from TTC. I am sure that what I am about to share is going to ruffle some feathers, but I would not be doing my job if I didn’t speak the truth.

Flawed Leadership There are so many places that I can go, but let’s start with some news that was not share widely on mainstream and for good reason; the news would probably spark some panic, and lead to many questions.

In any organization, great leadership is needed. In the case of the TTC, this seems to be the biggest issue. I think my first concern is why TTC would hire an individual who is not only incompetent but has been responsible for serious crashes in his previous role at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Prior to his arrival at the TTC in 2014, Rick Leary was General Manager for York Region Transit/VIVA. Leary began his career working for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority out of Boston as a train attendant in 1984 rising through the ranks and eventually serving as Chief Operating Officer until he retired in 2009.

What is interesting is that his retirement came after he had been ordered to address a damning federal safety report regarding two serious rear-end crashes on

one of MBTA’s lines within one year. During his time with MBTA, there were frequent complaints concerning a “lack of safety culture at the T.” Instead of dealing with accusations of his inefficiencies as a leader, he retired, and hightailed to Canada, where he commenced his role as CEO at TTC.

What is disturbing is that for some reason, wherever this man seems to go crashes seem to follow, and he never has answers, or seems to want to take responsibility.

My question here is, what type of background check did the commission do, if any? Did they not take a look at his track (no pun intended) record to see what type of leader he was?

Osgoode Pocket Incident The subway incident, which the union refers to as the “Osgoode Pocket Incident,” happened on Line 1. The city was inches away from disaster, and many have been shocked and appalled to learn that the TTC covered up the near miss incident, causing concern and worry about what else is being hidden from the public.

The story is that a southbound train going into a siding (or “pocket”) near Osgoode station moved over to the northbound track to fill in for a temporarily delayed train at St. Andrew station.

While the move was in progress, a subway guard at the back of the pocket spotted the delayed subway train from St. Andrew coming in at “full operating speed” on the same northbound track.

Thankfully, the Operator reacted immediately and had been proceeding cautiously at only 7.16 km/hr (6.5ft/sec).

The union reported in their statement. “His train came to a stop less than five feet from the northbound track as the passenger train from St. Andrew sped by. Less than a second later, had the pocket train still been moving, it would have caused a massive collision, derailment and an unknown number of fatalities and serious injuries.”

There was an investigative report conducted by The Toronto Star, after they obtained an internal TTC review summarizing the details of the event, as well as a video of the moment it had happened.

According to their investigation, the TTC hadn’t publicized the details of the incident.

“Someone is responsible for that cover-up attempt,”

President of ATU Local 113 A union that represents nearly 12,000 transit workers called for the dismissal or resignation of TTC CEO Rick Leary. ATU Local 113 alleged Leary attempted to cover up the “near-catastrophic” subway crash

Carlos Santos, President of ATU said in the release “Who else would have the authority to keep such a major incident under wraps? Someone could only be the CEO.”

Believe me when I say, that is not all. Incidents against both customers and employees have risen since Rick Leary took his position as CEO. He has reportedly created a hostile and toxic workplace where employees fear interaction with him. The fear of abuse and reprisal is constant. His intimidation tactics are constant. He is known for shouting, swearing, and threatening employees, and for some reason, Rick Leary maintains his role as CEO without fear of being reported or investigated.

Well, of course he does; he got away with it in Boston; why not try to get away with it here in Toronto?

Rick Leary reportedly has made directives that his managers have told him are dangerous to public safety. Directives like the one that lead to the fatal accident in Boston, the very same accident and investigation that lead to Leary retiring from MBTA. Leary appears to be using the same tactics at the TTC as he did at the MBTA forcing managers to make decisions that they know are not safe.

News flash *Many people do not know this, but there have been three near misses in recent history: Osgoode, Davisville (actual contact) and Keele, all under the watch of CEO Rick Leary.

Wasting Taxpayers Money and Systemic Racism at TTC This is the part of the story that I will be continuing in the next few editions. I am only going to touch on certain aspects of them in this article.

This pandemic has exacerbated the concerns of employees that work at TTC. How they have handled their employees is a topic on its own, but since we are talking about leadership, I figured I would focus on operational aspects of the organization.

I had the opportunity to speak to two members of management, and what I was told is very disturbing. As representatives of the African-Caribbean community, the first thing they shared was that systemic racism is real at the TTC.

“It is obvious that we are not welcome,” one member of the management

team told me. “We are tolerated. They tell us that they are equal opportunity employers, but the only way that you can be promoted to the highest levels of management is if you sleep your way to the top, and I know this for a fact.

In my 21 years here, I have never in my life felt this threat of termination (something that we will look into later). It first came as indirect, but then came directly.

They stop at nothing to use and abuse our community. It is our responsibility to advance ourselves; sometimes we just jump into a role as a token. They wave the dollars, and you start to see how much people are willing to sell out themselves.”

“People need to pay attention to the history,” the second management team member told me. “I work for my people. When I became part of the management team, we were working with an old structure. They keep changing our title; which allows them to continue to create and change rules.”

A few years back, TTC upgraded their communication system to a new one called VISION.

“This changed the whole paradigm, but the system has not been effective,” shares management. “Every day, I was told that the night system would keep crashing at around 1:00 am. Upper management did not respond to it because then they would have to acknowledge that the new system, that the taxpayers had paid all this money for, was not working. We don’t have landlines for communication, everything is digital. One of the roles of the supervisor is to communicate with operators, and if the system is always crashing, this can become a safety issue. It makes things difficult.

When the system fails, the night supervisors lose communication functions.

The operator loses visual and can only use their cell phone. This can be extremely dangerous, especially if an operator is in a dangerous area, or could be dealing with dangerous people. They won’t acknowledge that the system they are using is out-dated. We are the laughingstock of the transportation industry. It is such a waste of taxpayer’s money. They keep telling us that they are passing it up to management, but nothing is being done, and the system continues to crash.”

Wow! This is just an introduction to a detailed investigation that I will be conducting in the next few weeks. I encourage any other TTC Operators who would like to speak out against TTC to contact me. I will keep your name confidential, but the truth needs to be uncovered about another corrupt system in our beautiful city.

Through our home delivery service, readers can have each new edition delivered straight to their door, saving them time.

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Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

NEWS

PAGE 9

Igniting the Hunger in You; moving from where you are to where you want to be SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“You already have in you everything you seek and need. It is just tapping into that inner voice. We are the ones who hold ourselves back.” Maynard Neal When I finally had a chance to meet up with this fearless, courageous soul, he was heading to Atlanta to meet with Les Brown.

He was about to get 100 limited edition copies of his co-authored book signed by Les Brown.

For those who have no idea who Les Brown is, he is the number one motivational speaker on the planet, and alongside JB Owen and thirty-five phenomenal authors, they have written a book filled with inspiration, encouragement, and transformation. The many amazing stories in this book, showcasing the teachings of Les Brown, will move you from where you are in life to where you want to be. Enjoy the real-life; heartfelt accounts of individuals just like you, igniting a hunger that propelled them forward to discover their true greatness.

I became interested in this book

when I heard that Maynard Neal was going to be finally sharing his story of tragedy, loss, and his inevitable rise to success that some may have not predicted for his life. I have personally known Maynard for over fifteen years, and I know some of the pain that he has experienced. He will openly admit to you that he has not always made the best decisions in his life, decisions that cost him his freedom, and could have cost him his life.

Over the last ten years, Maynard has taken charge of his life, and decided that he wanted better for himself, and his children. The only way that he could do this was to stop being the victim of his choices, and instead learn from them and use them as his trampoline into a life of health, wealth, and success.

When we finally caught up, Maynard shared how he got involved with the project, and why it was so important for him to share his story with the world.

“Ignite the Hunger in You book project started around March of 2021,” Maynard began. “I had been taking coaching lessons with Les Brown, because I knew that it was time to share my story. I wanted to be able to share how I overcame challenges, and it is definitely a story that some of our young Black men can relate too.

This book brought individuals together, each sharing their stories and trauma. It was incredible to be able to share pages with some of these incredible people. Out of the many things I have learned during my lifetime, one thing that I know

for sure is that sometimes we get stuck, but we don’t have to stay stuck. For me, everything is mind-set. Each and every one of us has our comfort zone, and sometimes we want to go back there. We get caught in that stinking, thinking, even if that comfort zone might be chaotic.”

As I listened to Maynard, I remember something that I had heard Les Brown say about our subconscious; our subconscious does not have a sense of humour.

What we impression our thoughts with is what becomes our reality. I couldn’t help but reflect on how true that statement was.

“There is a chapter,” Maynard shares, “that speaks to the fact that I was going on a certain path, and I was knocked down. At that point, the trajectory of my life and the decisions of my life changed. I had a purpose, and I understood that purpose.

It reminds me of the story about Paul in the Bible, and his journey to Damascus. He was killing Christians, and eventually his actions caught up with him and he got knocked down. I liken my story to that.

We have all had things that happened to us; they scar us, and we hold on to them, and they hold them back.”

Maynard openly spoke about how difficult it was to allow himself to be vulnerable enough to share his story.

“It was tough overcoming the shame, and the guilt that I felt. I wanted to move past it, and it was difficult to put my story out to the world. Doing it freed me.

I realized that everything that happens to

us happens for a reason. I made the decision that I was going to live a life of service.

There are a lot of things that have happened, and really and truly, I should not be here today.

When I first started the coaching program, my friend told me I was crazy for trying to do this. What I came to realize was that he wasn’t talking to me, he was talking to himself. I know he means me well, but sometimes people only see you how they see themselves. This is why it is important for us to find our tribe; a group of people who see your possibilities, not your deficiencies.”

If you are ready to step into the next chapter of your life with clarity, conviction, and the kind of hunger that will propel you forward, Ignite The Hunger In You is a book created to do just that! Anything is possible!

You can order the download, and you will be entered into a drawing for a one-on-one session with Les Brown. The book is officially launching on December 4th, 2021 and they will be having a summit running from December 9th -December 11th, 2021.

Summit Event tickets can be purchased VIP, Diamond at: https://maynardneal.krtra.com/t/1n0IfVdbZyCp, and you can pre-order the book at https://books2read.com/maynardneal

To purchase a Limited Edition book with Les Brown’s signature please email them at info@maynardneal.com

“Humanity is at the gates of hell.”

Proof from the horse’s mouth, this injection is a crime MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

After reading these documents it has become very clear to me why every time anyone speaks about the fake vaccine, he or she gets censored, pulled off of social media, or like Toronto Caribbean News hacked and scrubbed clean of their truthful articles.

According to Karen Kingston who is a former Pfizer employee and top biotech analyst, the so-called vaccine that has been forced on the world population is nothing but a deadly bioweapon, and she has the evidence in document form to prove it.

The FDA’s research shows that

they have known all along that it is the socalled vaccine that has been the cause of all the injuries and death that has followed this poison shot all along.

This leaves no doubt why they made sure all bases were covered from a litigation point of view so that no matter what happens to the victims of this vaccine, they have no recourse.

Kingston revealed that many people got COVID-19 (from the so-called vaccine). They pulled 409 people out of the vaccine group and are now saying this was a side effect. The side effect is the disease.

It is said that if Janet Woodcock, who is the director of the Centre for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) ever read these documents in front of the Senate, she would be arrested for aggravated assault and murder of American children and adults.

Imagine having a meeting two months in advance of being approved and you list several severe chronic ailments in children and adults, saying that this will happen, this can’t be a side effect. The

planned effect of this injection was and is always to damage the human immune system. This is why there have been: heart attacks and heart inflammation, neurological disorders ranging from fatigue to paralysis to brain fog, disorders, narcolepsy, death, pregnancy still-born, birth defects, and miscarriages.

If anyone reads the FDA approval letter, what are the vaccine ingredients? It is the synthetic mRNA code, the computer-generated artificial intelligence generated code, which was injected in your body that produces, and I am telling you this verbatim, it says it produces the Wuhan-Hu-1 full sequence spike protein from genome web.

It says in the (FDA) approval letter that the vaccine produces the bioweapon. It says in the data that more people are getting COVID-19 from the vaccine than from not being treated. “People say I should be an expert witness,” Kingston said. “I don’t need to be an expert witness.

We just need the FDA to read their own documents.”

“I think,” she said, “we can work with science at the molecular level to heal this, but if people don’t know they are sick,

then millions of Americans are going to die, and our children are going to be part of this sacrifice. I am filled with deep, deep sorrow.”

It is amazing that after all this evidence was presented by inside whistleblowers one after another: Big-Pharma, the hospitals, the media, and those in authority have done very little to stop this steady flow of evil that has been perpetrated on humanity.

Michael Yeadon, former Vice President and Chief Science Officer of Pfizer, spoke recently, and he had a warning for all of humanity Yeadon described the situation at hand in these words, “Humanity is at the gates of hell.”

“You can still take your normal society back tomorrow; you don’t need a mask; they don’t work. Forget lockdowns; they never slowed transmissions. You do not need to be vaccinated by an inadequately tested and somewhat dangerous genebased spike protein inducing proteins, and you don’t need to do what you are told by corrupt scientists who are apparently advising our government.”

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NEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

What happens when Conspiracy becomes fact?

Revisiting Lockstep to see exactly what phase of the plan we are in SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“That is just a conspiracy, Simone.”, “We have to trust our government and science.”, “Pick a new battle to fight!”...

These are some of the statements that I have heard in the last eighteen months that I have been reporting on this pandemic.

Don’t worry; this will not be a long article.

Instead, what I am going to do is reintroduce the controversial Lockstep plan that was presented in 2010 (Scenarios for the Future of Technology and International Development, The Rockefeller Foundation), and one that was leaked from the Canadian government earlier on in the pandemic.

I received an email from Mike Yeadon (ex-Pfizer scientist) that was sent out last Thursday. What was interesting was that I had a chance to review the plan that had been laid out, and it is interesting that almost to the tee, the document that has been labelled a conspiracy theory has been enacted almost exactly to the dates originally provided? Separate documents are worded a little differently, but the timelines are identical.

According to Mike Yeadon, we are approaching Stage 5 - Phase 5: Establish chaos and Martial law. (November 2021-March 2022), and yet with the glaring proof of the enacted timeline, most people still think we are going back to normal!.

Once again, I don’t blame people for falling for the nonsense that has been shovelled systematically on a day-to-day basis. After hearing the same thing over and over again (Operation Mockingbird), and being coerced, threatened, and bullied into mass vaccination, it is no wonder people are begging for things to go back to the way things were.

I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news; WE DO HAVE A NEW NORMAL, AND IT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE! Let’s take another look at the plan: Phase 1: Simulate a threat and create fear.

(December 2019-March 2020) • • • • • •

Mount a pandemic in China.

Kill tens of thousands of elderly people Increase the number of cases and deaths Position vaccination as the only solution from the beginning Focus all attention on COVID-19.

Result, (almost) general panic

Check, check, and check. Any disputes here.

Let’s continue.

Phase 2: Sow the tares and division. (March 2020-December 2020) • • • • • • • • • • •

Impose multiple unnecessary, liberticidal and unconstitutional coercive measures Paralyze trade and the economy Observe the submission of a majority and the resistance of a rebellious minority Stigmatize the rebels and create a horizontal division (anti-vaxxer, anti-masker) Censoring dissident leaders (David Icke, Dr. Zelenko, Toronto Caribbean Newspaper) Punish disobedience Generalize PCR tests Create confusion between cases, infected, sick, hospitalized and dead Disqualify all effective treatments (Vitamin C, D, Hydroxychloroquine, Ivermectin) Hope for a rescue vaccine Result, (almost) general panic

This all seems about right. Up to speed?

Let’s continue.

Phase 3: Bring a treacherous and deadly solution. (December 2020-June 2021) •

Offer a free vaccine for everyone (Even

• • • • • • • • •

children from the ages of 5 – 12) Promise protection and return to normality Establish a herd immunization target Simulate a partial recovery of the economy (Ontario Re-opening Act) Hide statistics of side effects and deaths from injections Passing off the side effects of the injections as “natural” effects of the virus and the disease Recover the notion of a variant as a natural mutation of the virus Justify the maintenance of coercive measures by not applying the herd immunity threshold Punish health professionals for the illegal exercise of care and healing (Doctors being fired) Result, doubts and feelings of betrayal among the vaxx, discouragement among opponents

How are we doing? Is everyone now caught up to speed? All right, lets keep going.

Phase 4: Install Apartheid and the QR code.

(June 2021-October 2021) • • • • • • •

Voluntarily plan for shortages Impose the vaccination pass (QR code) to reward the vaccinated, punish the resistant Create Apartheid of the privileged against the others (Non-vaccinated have no rights) Take away the right to work or study from non-vaxx Withdraw basic services to the nonvaxx Impose PCR payment tests on non-vaxx Result, First stage of digital control, impoverishment of opponents

Now that we are all caught up to date, let’s take a look at what is to come.

Phase 5: Establish chaos and Martial law.

(November 2021-March 2022) • •

Exploit the shortage of goods and food Cause the paralysis of the real economy and the closure of factories and shops

• • • • • • • •

• •

Let unemployment explode Apply a third dose to the vaxx (boosters) Take up the murder of the living old men Impose compulsory vaccination for all Amplify the myth of variants, the efficacy of the vaccine and the immunity of the herd Demonize the anti-vaxx and hold them responsible for the dead Arrest opposition leaders Impose digital identity on everyone (QR code): Birth certificate, identity document, passport, driving license, health insurance card ...

Establish martial law to defeat the opposition Result, Second stage of digital control.

Phase 6: Cancel the debts and dematerialize the money. (March 2022-September 2022) • • • • • • • • • • • •

Trigger the economic; financial and stock market collapse, the bankruptcy of the banks To rescue the losses of the banks in the accounts of their clients Activate the «Great Reset».

De-materialize money Cancel debts and loans Impose the digital portfolio. (Digital Wallet) Seize properties and land Ban all global medicines Confirm the obligation to vaccinate semi-annually or annually Impose food rationing and a diet based on the Codex Alimentarius Extend the measures to emerging countries Result, Third stage of digital control; extension of the NWO to the whole planet

For those who think that this is still a conspiracy theory, I guess all we can do is wait and see, and for those who are observing, and asking questions, start preparing yourself for Phase five and six. Surround yourself with like-minded people and bunker down.

Canada lies before the world as an embattled nation sorely in debt and without real economic direction STEVEN KASZAB steven@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Canada is experiencing a housing crisis that will not go away, as much as our elected officials hope that it will. Ontario is supposed to be “A place to stand, a place to grow,” yet those calling themselves the middle class, and those further below this economic level are having a great deal of difficulty living here.

Southern Ontario is a costly place to be. Housing, education, and the very necessities of life such as food and energy to heat your domiciles are increasing daily. These costs escalate while your ability to pay stays the same or declines over time. Inflation has been showing its ugly face everywhere, and

Canada’s Central Bank is increasing interest rates to control this inflation. Increasing interest rates will flow to the costs we endure on our lines of credit, credit cards and other loans.

Once proud to be a member of the middle class, you are going to realize that your number within the community is decreasing, and you have more in common with the working class. Yes, having less money to spend on less luxurious things. The rich get richer, the middle class gets poorer, the working class gets hand-outs.

Eyes wide shut. That’s how it is in Canada. We think about the good old days, when we struggled to get by and usually managed well. Now, we close our eyes to the oncoming train of debt, insolvency, Taxes and depression. We rely upon our leaders, our elected officials to recognize the many problems before us, and find solutions to them, yet our leaders fail in that endeavour.

Our leaders prefer to study these problems, and study some more.

Then they shelve their studies, only to restudy these problems at a later date.

Ineffectual are many of our leaders, em-

powered by self-interest and the old political game of promising much, and delivering little.

Housing A place to live does not cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to build, yet developers, builders, real estate firms make billions of dollars out pricing real homes. They control this industry and housing prices will never decrease so long as they are the makers and shakers of this sector.

Necessities of life Food is priced unfairly, not by our farmers, but the many middlemen within the process of grocery retail. A box of eighteen heads of lettuce may be sold for $6.00 dollars by a Holland Marsh Farmer (the wax box that holds the eighteen heads of lettuce cost more than $2.00) and by the time it reaches a grocery store that single head of lettuce sells for $2.99 each or more. Packages that hold food products have shrunk in size and yet the price has increased. Less for more seems to be the Canadian way in groceries these days.

Energy There is a glut of oil and gas on the global market, yet the prices we pay continually increase. Heating our homes, places of business and filling up out automobiles will be major challenges this winter.

The middle class must take a stand before its leadership, those who rule the roost in Ottawa and Queens Park. Costs can be reduced, if these managers of governmental process look outside the box and break their alliances with those who thrive in unregulated sectors of industry. Lenin called the middleclass useful idiots. Is that what you are? I know we have gone through much these last two years, however all governments must be managed well, all markets understood and regulated.

Canada lies before the world as an embattled nation sorely in debt and without real economic direction. Canadian politicians react, instead of responding to the challenges before them. Responding requires real management and planning, something Canadian governments do badly.

NEWS

Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 11

Is Justin Trudeau’s time as Prime Minister slowly coming to an end? energy policy and real reform of Canada’s Military and RCMP.

There are three appointments that show the Prime Minister is finally taking his mandate seriously. Steven Guilbeault has been promoted to Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. I guess the idea is to throw a proponent of change into the mix, and hopefully something good will come out of it. Steven is a protester, viewed as an environmental radical, but well known for his viewpoints throughout the Global Green Movement. Perhaps he will allow the energy corporations to continue on their merry way but cap their abilities to produce products. Imagine Albertans told to produce just enough gas and oil, with annual levels lowered until they cannot produce enough products to be profitable.

This winter is going to bring huge price increases in home heating fuels, gas for our automobiles and hydro increases. Some will be due to green taxes, while the rest is just simple corporate greed.

Anita Anand will have the difficult

STEVEN KASZAB steven@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The Liberals have won the day with a new mandate and Cabinet to boot. Is Justin Trudeau’s time as Prime minister slowly coming to an end? What will the “New” Liberals look like? Who will command the Liberal Ship in the near future?

Justin Trudeau won the election by the skin of his teeth, and he knows something needs to change within his administration or the Liberals face being shut out of power in the next few years. What to do? Well, they can keep their promises with regards to many different portfolios such as the environment, climate change, a new

job of reforming Canada’s Boys Club, the Canadian Military as our new Minister of Defence. Anita was lucky enough to assure the procurement of COVID-19 Vaccines to Canada, so I guess the powers to be wish to see what she can do in her portfolio. A woman telling the Military’s Chiefs of Staff what to do? It brings to mind a saying that goes like this, “Well behaved women seldom make history” (E. Roosevelt). Will Anita be the stereotypical bureaucrat and let the military walk all over her, or will she pull on her boots and start walking over these bullies who rule our women and men of the military. If she does well, I can only hope she is sent to the RCMP to clean that mess up too. Is the Prime Minister in search of a star cabinet member he can rely upon?

Patty Hajdu has been given another difficult portfolio, that of Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Economic Development of Northern Ontario. Moving from one massive portfolio to another, we need to see if she is up to the massive challenges the Indigenous portfolio has

to offer. Dealing with issues like: Truth and Reconciliation, certain lawsuits against the federal government because of the boarding school crisis, solving the multiple land claims, answering the Indigenous claims of mistreatment and governmental mismanagement of all things Indigenous.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland remains the administrations number two, also running the Ministry of Finance; this lady will receive a proportionate amount of pressure to deliver for Canadians. Simply put, Chrystia Freeland is a lady of the future, while Justin Trudeau must slowly fade away and move into The Global Political Field, perhaps the United Nations?

One of these stars will soon step up to become Canada’s first women Liberal Prime Minister. Remember this one folks ... a woman is like a tea bag; you don’t know how strong she is until she is in hot water.

The Liberal administration has many crises to deal with, and with that a lot of hot water to share. Good luck folks.

A chat with Gyimah Gariba about family, fun, a new CBC series, and of course art! premiere on CBC (TV and CBC Gem) beginning December 4th, 2021.

Big Blue is an imaginative series that follows sibling underwater adventurers Lettie and Lemo (inspired by Gyimah’s own siblings) who lead a quirky submarine crew with a magical ocean fairy stowaway named Bacon Berry. Together, they just might unravel the mysterious secrets of their underwater universe. The series drops young viewers deep into a wacky world of comic adventure, while helping to redefine what a family means and how caring for one another is the most important thing of all.

Young Black viewers watching Big Blue will now be able to see themselves represented not only because the siblings are both Black, but also because they learn the importance of protecting the environment. Greater representation of a diversity of voices in this space is crucial if we are to make a real lasting impact for all communities. In addition, Grammy-winning music producer Timbaland and his Beatclub team produced the series’ theme song.

I wanted to hear all about it, and Gyimah happily shared his story with me.

“My older brother and older sister were into comic books, and they were always drawing. They always seemed to be having a good time, and naturally as the baby brother, I wanted to do everything my older siblings were doing. They finally let me hang out with them, and when they grew out of it, I enjoyed it so much that I kept doing it. They would tell me that they were going out, and I would be like I am staying here to read comics, and draw.”

Gyimah’s dad was into architecture, but went into political science, and his mom is a mathematician. They are both big supporters of the arts, which is why when Gyimah decided he wanted to go down

SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“OMG! You have to draw me Gyimah!”

He started laughing. “Of course Simone!

Say less. I actually enjoy drawing people. I have been doing it my whole life.”

It was my first interview of the day, and I had the honour and privilege of interviewing a renowned talent, a young man who has only just begun his rise as a creative; the one and only Gyimah Gariba.

Named one of “15 Young African Creatives Rebranding Africa” by Forbes, Gyimah is breaking barriers as one of the few Black children’s animators in Canada.

He has designed covers for Marvel Comics and also has an extensive online following because of his distinct illustrative style. Not to mention, he is also redefining what the next generation of climate change activists look like.

Kids, especially Black Canadian children, are in for a special treat. As more Canadians are joining the fight against climate change, one new kids series will help children and their families understand climate change and teach them about the importance of taking care of our planet and each other. Yep! You got it, our very own Gyimah Gariba has taken his creative genius to the next level. Titled Big Blue, the animated sci-fi comedy will make its world RY 10TH

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this creative path they never seemed worried. “They told me that I had to be serious about it. If they were going to pay $200.00 for markers, they better see you drawing.

My mom was like; ‘You better draw me from flowers.’ I drew her the flowers.”

Gyimah tells me about the first person outside of his family who saw his talent, an art teacher named Michele GbaGba.

“He was the first person to let me know that there was a career for me in the art world if I was serious about it. It was around that time that I kept getting asked, ‘Can you draw me,’ I mean all the time. I love to help people imagine themselves out of the physical context. It became my party trick. Mr. GbaGba helped steer me in the right direction. Before I even noticed, he turned my head to where I could take this. ‘This could be for you!’ I became an artist for hire.

Gyimah began to invent characters, and began his first internship in LA at Titmouse. I was excited when he told me that he actually got to work on the Black Dynamite cartoon series. “LeSean Thomas, he gave me my first paycheck. It blew my mind. I remember calling home to announce that I was actually getting paid.” He chuckled. “I could feed myself.

He then shared with me how and why he became involved with this project.

“Guru studio had a call for pictures. I was thinking about the world, there was a lot going on. It was very intense, and overwhelming. As a family, we began talking about our childhood. My sister just had children, and I thought about characters that would represent my niece and nephew. If I were a kid, it would be great if I could see myself in the characters.

I thought it would be great to be able to create characters for Black children.

natalya@le

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It would be a fun cartoon, a world of silly jokes; something light and enjoyable with Black characters. The characters are based on my brother and sister. They have become everyone’s version of their older brothers and sisters.

When I asked them initially, they were like, who cares. Now they want royalties,” he says laughing. “They told me that if a check didn’t come every time they heard their names, they were coming for me. I love them a lot, and this show is my love letter to my brother and sister.”

To wrap up our interview, I wanted to know what he most enjoyed about the project, and if he had any advice for young creatives.

“I have finally gotten into the rhythm of creating. It is hard because I am a bit of a perfectionist. The crew I am working with is dedicated to being silly, and being serious. It has made the experience light. Even if it is not perfect, if it makes you laugh, we can move on.

What it’s about Simone is being able to talk to kids about large concepts without getting lost in it. The things that were kept from me, had to do with me.

I should have been involved in these dialogues. Taking away the scariness of certain situations is important.

I want kids to know that it starts with you. If you play ball everyday, make sure the court is clear and harmonious.

There are no episodes where the characters are cruel to each other. They are never in a situation where they are vindictive to each other. You can be flawed and still be caring. There is a lot of pressure put on us, and we have to just demystify what is happening in the world. It can be as simple as just loving your family. Take that energy and spread it.”

NEWS

PAGE 12

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Looking for a side hustle?

Uber is not the way to go! A look at Uber’s Unfair Practices ings and reviews, they discovered that the Uber app had been deactivated from their phones following the complaints.

They attempted to reach Uber support to dispute the complaints but were unable to learn more or tell their side of the story. Uber support did not follow up on requests for review or make further attempts to contact the drivers.

For all the drivers involved, working for Uber was their chief source of income. The drivers had been working as Uber drivers for several months without incident, and one had over 1,000 five-star reviews on his account. Being fired without investigation and with no protection has devastated these drivers, who rely on working for the app to support their families.

“I bought a new car, borrowed money from my friend and planned to start studying for my future, but my livelihood was stolen from me,” explained driver Bhupinder Singh. “It affected my mental health. I was a top star rating driver and completed more than 2,000 trips and with two false and angry customer accusations, Uber deactivated my account without proper investigation.”

Some UberEATS couriers were stuck earning as little as $3.99 per trip at the start of this year — down from about $10 per trip at the beginning of 2020 after the company lowered base compensation rates. Since most couriers averaged only two or three trips per hour, that put them significantly below Ontario’s minimum wage of $14 an hour.

I had the opportunity to personally speak with a community member who had been working with Uber for two years when he started to notice certain things that literally did not add up.

He has a friendly attitude, and enjoys dialogue, aspects of his character that he brings to his driving position at Uber. During a dialogue with a client one day, he learned something disturbing; his client told him that Uber charged him $50.00 for the drive, and when the driver reached the destination, Uber paid him his share for the drive, which came to $25.00.The driver showed his client what had been paid because they had been discussing this situation during the drive.

The client was disgusted and told the driver that he was going to make a complaint.

Another issue that became noticeable is that he would travel twenty minutes from their location to pick up a client. They would then drive the client three minutes away, and only get paid for the three-minute drive. That threeminute payment does not take care of the gas, or time that it took to drive over twenty minutes to pick up the client. He also told me that when you get to your client, Uber gives them up to five minutes waiting time, also five minutes that driv-

SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“We are the backbone of Uber’s business model, and we are tired of not receiving the respect and rights we deserve. The time for action is now.”

Ejaz Butt (Toronto-area Uber Black Limousine driver and UFCW Union Member) So, you have decided that you want to take up a side hustle, and you catch an Uber commercial on television. It seems like a good idea; you can do it in your free time. I have some unfortunate news for you; you may want to rethink doing this.

This article is meant to educate anyone who might be thinking about working with Uber; there are some things that have been reported that do not shed Uber in a very positive light. After reading this article, if you are an Uber driver and have experienced anything similar to what is read, NOW is the time for you to speak up; write to your MP and speak out about it. It is the only way that anything will be done.

There have been several negative claims made against Uber about their unfair, and unjust practices. Under the guise of technological innovation, Uber has been allowed to relinquish any responsibility to its drivers, who as a direct result find themselves risking their health, safety, and basic human dignity.

There have been Uber drivers that claim they were fired after refusing unsafe work. In one case, a customer threatened to lodge a complaint against a driver and became violent after the driver asked her to wear a mask while she was in his vehicle. The driver phoned the police who had to remove the customer from the driver’s car.

In another incident, a driver refused to take four passengers in his vehicle as this violated Uber’s explicit COVID-19 safety regulations. The driver believes that the customer who ordered the trip retaliated against him by leaving a bad review and rating.

Drivers reported that they frequently had to deal with intoxicated and impaired customers who were rude, demanding and insulting. When they asked the riders to tone down their behaviour, the riders indicated that they would lodge a formal complaint against the drivers.

There have been other reports from drivers that despite having strong driving records and high customer ratRY 10TH

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Actions the drivers are demanding from Uber: • End unfair deactivation of driver’s accounts • Access to data and transparency • End the unfair rating system • Provide better health and safety for drivers • Employment rights (end misclassification of drivers) • Respect City of Toronto bylaws

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ers are not paid for. The rider has to pay for the waiting time, but the driver does not see a cent of that money.

They have a system set up that only allows you to see ahead of time where you will be dropping off your client if you pick up 85% of the clients that are called in, and that you actually pick up.

You can’t cancel a ride, or reject a call; if you do it goes against you.

The driver felt that the government should know about the type of economical abuse that Uber drivers are going through.

Thankfully, there are a group of individuals who are standing up for the drivers. Since launching the Uber Drivers United (www.ufcw.ca/uber) campaign in 2019, UFCW has become the leading voice for app-based drivers in Canada, Uber Black drivers in Toronto, and is heading union organizing efforts in British Columbia, Alberta, as well as other parts of the country.

UFCW Canada is the country’s leading private sector union, representing more than 250,000 union members across Canada working in food retail and processing, transportation, health care, logistics, warehousing, agriculture, hospitality, manufacturing, and the security and professional sectors. UFCW is the country’s most innovative organization dedicated to building fairness in workplaces and communities.

“UFCW Canada stands with Uber and app-based drivers around the world in their call for respect and human dignity,” says Pablo Godoy, National Coordinator of Gig and Platform-Employer Initiatives at UFCW Canada. “Both Uber and our governments must be held to account when it comes to protecting workers in the gig economy. We are calling on all activists and allies to support this action to shed light on the Uber drivers who are fighting for their health, safety, labour, and union rights.”

UFCW 1518 is taking the cases of several Uber Drivers to the BC Labour Relations Board by filing an unfair labour practice complaint against giant tech corporation Uber.

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ity” comes with enormous costs. In Ontario, for example, these contractors have no legal right to a minimum wage, sick days, collective bargaining rights, or breaks.

Uber passes on an employer’s usual costs to its workers, and this leaves them responsible for tasks like vehicle maintenance. This structure of employment has been massively profitable for Uber. The United Food And Commercial Workers union noted that Uber rakes in most of its revenue from the value of the service its drivers provide. The company has the power to terminate those drivers and can to a large degree dictate the terms of their employment. Yet it doesn’t have to pay them a minimum wage or risk ceding any of its power to a union.

In 2020, while many of the company’s workers reported a drop in their compensation rates, Uber chalked up a significant revenue increase. According to Uber’s most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, while its “mobility revenue” fell, its delivery revenue — “partially offset” by incentives for “delivery people” — increased by $2.5 billion last year.

How has Uber responded to this?

They have come up with the Uber, Flexible Work+ plan, which they claim will offer a modern approach to app-based work in Canada. The plan has two key components. The first involves “self-directed benefits,” whereby workers “accrue” funds commensurate to their hours worked in a “flex package.” The workers will supposedly be able to direct this package toward paid time off, education expenses, or insurance.

The second component involves “enhanced worker protections,” described as “training and tools.” Uber claims that this new plan, which looks suspiciously like the old plan, is beneficial to workers.

The union is seeking changes to the Employment Standards Act to enable app-based contract workers like Uber drivers to join a union and receive other basic protections. In a letter to Labour Minister Harry Bains and Parliamentary Secretary Adam Walker, UFCW 1518 asked that the Government of British Columbia amend the Employment Standards Act to enable app-based contract workers like Uber drivers to join a union, classify them as employees and allow them to receive other basic protections.

UFCW 1518 has been working with Uber drivers and other workers in the gig economy to fight for more fairness, better wages, and safer conditions for precarious workers. To find out more about UFCW and its ground-breaking work, visit www.ufcw.ca

Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

NEWS

PAGE 13

Why has the Ontario Government cut $500 million in education spending?

PAUL JUNOR paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The election of Doug Ford’s PC-led provincial government has seen a wave of cuts, reductions in programs, and cancellation of initiatives since it came to power. Undoubtedly, if COVID-19 did not occur there would have been even more drastic cuts to Ontario public education funding.

The release of the fall economic statement by Minister of Finance Peter Bethenfalvy on Thursday, November 4th, 2021, was intended to give Ontarians an update prior to the 2022 budget. According to the government website: budget. ontario/2021, it “Lays out how the government will build the foundation for Ontario’s recovery and prosperity by getting shovels in the ground on critical infrastructure, attracting increased investment and restoring

leadership in auto manufacturing and other industries. The plan also protects Ontario’s progress against COVID-19 pandemic.”

While the deficit is projected to decline from $21.5 billion in 2021-22 to $19.6 billion in 2023-24, Ontario’s debt will rise to over $400 billion. There is no reference to education, but the government mentioned that there would be investment in health care and highways. PressProgress reported on November 4th, 2021, that while there was a projected spending of $31.3 billion on education in the March 2021-22 budget, the fall economic statement revealed that there was $30.8 billion allocated, which represents a cut of $500 million. In fact, there was a cut of $100 million from the $31.4 billion that the March budget indicated for the 2023-23 school year to $31.3 billion.

The Ministry of Education explained that when the March 2021 budget was released, they did not have all the details about COVID-19 funding so it was not included in the base amount. The fall economic statement was based on updated information.

There was widespread alarm from the opposition political parties, education unions and diverse education stakeholders.

Andrea Horvath, NDP’s leader responded,

“Mr Ford’s budget update has none of what Ontarians need now. There is nothing to make life more affordable, and there’s no help for hospitals. There are only cuts for our children’s schools.”

Steven Del Duca, leader of the Ontario Liberals Party released a statement which reads, “Students, parents and education workers deserve answers on why Doug Ford would cut funding for our schools at a time when investing in schools is critical. Ford is stealing from our children’s future to help buy a highway for his ultra-rich friends.”

Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce cannot explain why funding is reduced. “When you consolidate all of the ministries and all of the investments we are making in public education, currently as the fall economic statement demonstrably presents to families, spending is projected to be up over $230 million this year.”

However, Karen Brown, President of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO), is not convinced. She notes at etfo.ca/news that the Financial Accountability Office discovered that there is a funding gap of $12.3 billion over the next nine years. She stated, “The fiscal update does not address leaving students and educators

with even less support and resources than what is needed for years to come.”

She implores the government to provide funding to: • • • • • •

Ensure all students have equal opportunity and access to high-quality education Support student and staff mental health needs Promote and ensure equity and inclusion in schools Provide quality, safe learning and working environments Support professional learning opportunities Commit to lower class sizes to improve safety and learning

Barb Dobrowoski, President of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association told CP24, “With half a billion dollars missing from school funding, the Ford government’s economic statement makes clear once again that publicly funded education, safe schools, and student learning recovery are not these government priorities.”

What have prison authorities done to maintain the safety of inmates?

STEVEN KASZAB steven@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

COVID-19 struck Canada with a vengeance in 2020 and 2021. Vaccination treatments with safety protocols have lessened this contagion’s deathly touch. What about in Canada’s Prisons? How have those held in prison fared?

There are approximately 14,000 inmates within the Canadian Federal Prison System. There were 38,786 inmates within the federal and provincial system in 2018. Approximately 29% of these inmates have come in contact with the virus, while 6% have in the general Canadian population.

The very nature of a prison’s environment allows for a contagion’s natural spread. Close quarters and interaction of inmates have placed our prison system into a crisis situation. No prison has the ability to maintain the health and welfare of many who have tested positive for the virus. Transport to hospitals that claim to be already overcrowded with those severely infected seems the only way to treat these inmates.

Our prison population, based on 2020 stats speaks of a population broken down into various categories: • • • •

54.2% are Caucasian 7.2% are Black 5.3% are Asian 30.04% are Indigenous

While 65% of inmates stay in prison for less than eight months, the threat of infection is high. Indigenous prisoners are hard hit by the pandemic, due to their high addiction rates.

What do prison authorities do to maintain the safety of these inmates?

Isolation of inmates has become more pronounced, especially with inmates that refuse to be vaccinated. Approximately 69%-80% of inmates have had their two vaccinations, and this level is going up daily.

Women inmates have a higher dose rate than men, similar to Canada’s general population.

Prison guards and inmate caregivers have a high infection rate due to their close proximity with the inmates. Many guards simply do not go to work each day fearing their workplace is unsafe.

At the beginning of this pandemic, Corrections Canada released thousands of inmates with the intention of lightening their load somewhat. This seemed a good move on the government’s part, as statistically there was a very low reoffending by those released.

The pandemic has forced those involved in corrections to review how to maintain a prison population during a health threat, and also rethink the purpose of prison and punishment in our society. The very nature of rehabilitation and incarceration are under review.

Being in a prison at the beginning of this pandemic must have seemed like a death sentence to many. Those that manage and control our corrections facilities need every tool available to assist those they are responsible for, our miscreants, troublemakers, and unlucky social downcast.

Prison is a difficult enough place to survive without having to deal with a massive health crisis.

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Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Toronto Caribbean Newspaper Hacked; how do we stop these things from happening?

STEVEN KASZAB steven@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

It appears that the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper was hacked a few weeks ago.

We lost three months of work, but that has not stopped us. This form of attack, an assault upon us all is becoming very commonplace, and unfortunately being accepted as a part of doing business these days. It should certainly not be acceptable, and in fact outrage each and every one of us.

Individual citizens, businesses small and large, governmental level departments, hospitals and information facilities around the world are under attack and our governments seem to be doing

nothing about it.

Culprits or what I’d like to call “The Axis of Computer Kidnapping,” make up an interesting group.

Russia, China, North Korea, Nigeria and other nations use hackers as a means of attacking their: enemies, political opponents, national adversaries, and others. Rumour has it that western nations also play this game too. The west uses hackers as tools of offensive retribution when an axis nation attacks someone.

The axis uses their hackers as a means to raise funds, steal from the west to pay for the rich lifestyles of their elites.

Cutting the electricity of a hospital or holding their computer system hostage for a few hours or days, or stealing the credit card numbers and identities of millions of card holders seems like something you can call war like, yes? Are these nations of the axis committing strategic assaults on the security of nations, and if so, why are we not threatening these pariah states with a surgical strike of our own?

Attack Russia, China or North Ko-

rea militarily? No, that is not a plan. Prove who is sponsoring these hacker groups, and then put viable embargoes upon these nations, individuals, and groups.

Anyone supporting them put them on the list too. These people only understand one thing, that is money, and if you take it from them, they may become less belligerent. The west and its governmental officials are far too passive these days.

Where’s James Bond when you need the agent?

Do to them, as they do to you.

Tooth for a tooth I say. I don’t need cheap Chinese stuff, nor Russian caviar or Brandy.

North Korea, what do they make? Oh yah, they ship their poverty-stricken people to Siberia as slaves to work in Russia’s Gulag.

That is what we are dealing with: slave traders, governmental mafia and Chinese ethnic cleansing thugs.

The only good axis power is no axis power. Just as Jake in the Blues Brothers exclaimed, “I hate New Jersey Nazis”, so do I despise thugs, thieves and pimps.

That is what we are dealing with. How do

you deal with empowered criminals? You find them, arrest them and incarcerate them. They find protection in axis nations, well then you go old school on them.

Stop trying to build a perfect firewall, or a computer system that cannot be hacked. It cannot be done. Demand from your credit agencies, health systems and governments full protection from these ruffians. Demand your government representative do everything possible to stop these people.

I hope we do not experience a nation threatening event like closing down our power grids, making planes fall from the sky, or having a few patriot missiles leave their silos and attack innocent people. That is how bad it can be. No doubt the government has had such events happen and kept it quiet.

To our governments I say, adequacy in your efforts to protect us, is no standard at all. Excel in your efforts. You need to succeed in your efforts to stop these hacks, these assaults of greed and criminality.

Take Action Today – Part 2

BY JOHNATHAN FREELANCE REPORTER So quick recap if you are new here. A small group of very rich, very evil, sick psychopathic sociopaths have: lied, cheated, and stole for decades to get where they are. Now, they want to destroy the world while stealing even more money and trying to seize more power and control.

There are people who feel that COVID-19 was designed to try and manipulate people into getting injected with an actual poison for depopulation and sterilization. Hyperinflation (10x money printing) is being deliberately created to steal wealth from people who save. Manufactured “food” shortages are being made by deliberately breaking down the supply chain. Weather is being manipulated through things like HAARP and chemtrails.

Supposedly, they maybe even are trying to release a bioweapon aerosol (“smallpox”) because people are calling B.S. on their “vaccine” narrative, to try and distract people from actual “vaccine” deaths.

So, what do you do?

Well, in previous articles, I have discussed stocking up on food, getting physical gold/silver, and investing in crypto privacy coins such as: ARRR, DERO & Monero.

I have also spoken about the inefficiency of wearing a mask. It is about slavery and compliance. Are you a slave, or are you human? Do you have a dream, or are you waiting for permission to dream? The mask has shown to be toxic both psychologically and physiologically.

You are exempt from coercion, and you don’t need permission to say “NO!”

So, in this article I will be discussing additional steps to truly ‘stay healthy’.

And it has absolutely nothing to do with poison pricks or muzzled maskers.

1. Drink non-fluoridated water. Fluoride puts a strain on your immune system and can make you apathetic and docile. It has been added to most major cities for decades deliberately and has absolutely nothing to do with keeping your teeth free of cavities. In fact, it can actually cause dental fluorosis as well, and can take minimum a few weeks

to start flushing out of your system.

Where do you get it? You can either install something called a ‘reverse osmosis’ machine under your sink.

(Usually anywhere from $200-$1000).

You can buy fluoride free water from a local water store. Or you can buy bottled water that shows zero fluoride ions/PPM. (If you get bottled water, I recommend filtering that so you don’t ingest microplastics).

Doing this will help you think more clearly.

2. Reduce/eliminate sodas, cakes/ candies, and breads from your diet.

Especially avoid “diet” food that many times contains cancer causing agents like aspartame. Excessive refined sugar (especially things like high fructose corn syrup) not only ‘keep you hungry’, but make you fat, lethargic and give you brain fog.

These foods are also DESIGNED to be addictive. There are jobs called “food scientists” who study “mouth feel”.

Very difficult to change your diet, I know. Even though I KNOW it, I still

had an ice cream bar and some potato chips before writing this. But I have actually cut that out of my diet before and notice a huge difference.

So highly recommend building up the willpower to do so.

3. Go for a daily walk of thirty minutes.

You don’t have to “pump iron” to stay in shape. Walking, even just thirty minutes can make a huge difference.

Gets your blood flowing, get your lymphatic system working to clean out toxins in your body. And gets you away from the computer. You need screen breaks.

4. Keep your mind active. Read a book.

Learn a language. Draw a picture.

Take a picture. Complete puzzles.

Play games. Have fun.

5. And finally - TAKE ACTION. None of this does any good if you procrastinate. TAPE THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR FRIDGE AND READ IT EVERY MORNING. TAKE ACTION. DO IT NOW. Have a great day!

Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

NEWS

PAGE 15

Thinking through the behavioural changes that you need to make for your health W. GIFFORDJONES MD DIANA GIFFORD-JONES TC HEALTH REPORTER

This column, over forty-five years, has begged people to make lifestyle changes that will help them avoid the development of type 2-diabetes. Failing that, there’s mounting scientific evidence that natural supplements supporting glycemic control can help mitigate dietary abstinence and lack of exercise. In the event diabetes takes hold, then give thanks to Banting and Best for their discovery of insulin 100 years ago. Is there one more opportunity for Gifford-Jones to get the “Prevention, Prevention, Prevention,” messaging out?

How about the publication of a Gif-

ford-Jones timeless classic for children, a book as good as Goodnight Moon? How about a story as meaningful as Ferdinand the Bull, or a variation on The Very Hungry Caterpillar? A story of “moderation in all things.” How many grandparents would give the gift of a lifetime of health to their grandchildren by reading over and over and over again a story in which the doctor whispers, “Good night, … and stop it!”

Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease.

It occurs when blood sugar (glucose), required to supply energy to cells, becomes elevated.

Diabetics having a genetic defect experience a failure of the pancreas to produce enough insulin (type 1 diabetes). For others, the high sugar consumption associated with obesity results in elevated blood sugar that exhausts the ability of the pancreas to produce enough insulin (type 2 diabetes).

There have been other delightful Gifford-Jones ideas to help people think through the behavioural changes they need to make. The “Gifford-Jones Stopper-Bopper” was one of them – a small hammer that could

be used to knock sense into the head at the moment of an indulgent meal.

The “Gifford-Jones Talking Scale” is another example of a product we think would yield results. How many times have you read in this column, “Make your bathroom scale your best friend,” or, “The best advice is to step on the scale at least once a day? Doing so means you are never faced with surprises.”

How much more effective might the scale be if you heard the admonishing voice of GiffordJones, “You’ve gained three pounds. Stop it!”

Readers may have other ideas about what might work to convince people, young people in particular, to commit to a healthy lifestyle. We’d love to hear them.

But this week, let’s play tribute to the remarkable research of Banting and Best.

It was 100 years ago this week, on November 23rd, 1921, that Banting injected himself with an extract from a foetal calf pancreas, obtained from abattoirs in Toronto. What an ethics committee would do to halt such approaches today! But millions of people owe their lives to these intrepid researchers.

The University of Toronto established the Banting Chair of Medical Research and the Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, housed from 1930 in a medical building named the Banting Institute. That location is being transformed into the currently rising Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre, a research complex for artificial intelligence scientists and biomedical experts and home to an entrepreneurship network supporting student and faculty-led start-ups.

Who will champion the simple things, like the nightly reading of a good children’s book with a short, clear message?

“Don’t put too much sugar in your mush.”

When the scale talks back, don’t whisper, “hush!” Listen to the doctor’s good advice and instil your grandchildren with words of wisdom. Start early in establishing healthy habits, and never stop. Anyone have a storyline to contribute to a Gifford-Jones children’s series of no-nonsense bedtime reading?

Sweet victory! Meet the 2021 Canadian Chocolate Master: diabetic pastry chef Nishant Amin JANIECE CAMPBELL janiece@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Toronto pastry chef Nishant Amin currently works at Richmond Station, where he concocts all sorts of visually-striking delicious treats daily from soft, pillowy croissants to sweet, sugary delights like lemon meringue pie.

His greatest confectionary talent, however? Chocolate.

On October 5th, 2021, Nishant was officially crowned the Canadian Chocolate Master! With this honour, he will jubilantly represent Canada at the Cacao Barry World Chocolate Masters final in Paris, France next year. Winning several categories in the competition, one of his many prized chocolatey creations was a snack inspired by his personal hiking endeavours, which consisted of a vegan brownie layered with peanut ganache and topped with nutty trail mix.

“I’m really proud to become the Canadian Chocolate Master. When they announced my name, I was so happy and overwhelmed. At that point, it felt so amazing to win the competition… but the next moment it was like oh wait I have to represent an entire country! That doubled up my happiness,” he says.

Nishant’s adoration for sweets wasn’t a part of the career he intended to follow. Originally, he imagined his life going down a different delectable path.

“Growing up, I was never into baking. I was more into cooking, so I decided to go to hospitality school and pursue being a savoury chef. I think by the time I was in third year, I realized that I loved chocolate and pastries – I literally fell in love with them! It was so fascinating at how a small bean could turn into a chocolate bar and how a grain becomes bread. I began working on my pastry skills and decided to become a pastry chef.”

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in hospitality from the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition in Mumbai, India, Nishant decided to expand his horizons and look beyond his home country for work. Toronto appealed to him the most, and shortly after relocating, he achieved a diploma in Baking and Pastry Arts from George Brown College.

“In India, there was not enough openness about pastries. People weren’t looking for gourmet or fresh pastries. So that’s why I moved to Canada; I wanted to enhance my skills and see what new techniques and creations that chefs were doing. I wanted to learn from them.”

Nishant’s careful work ethic and unstoppable drive shines through in his delicacies, and people are often surprised to find out that he is a Type 1 diabetic, meaning that his body produces little to no insulin, resulting in difficulty regulating his blood sugar. This is a major obstacle particularly for a chef, where it’s customary to consistently taste the food as it flows out of the kitchen. A topic that often generates many questions, he uses his disease as an opportunity to teach and inspire others.

“There’s a lot of stigmas. People will often say it’s because I’m a pastry chef why I’m diabetic. Or that I shouldn’t be a pastry chef because I’m diabetic. I think those are the things where it’s important for me to educate them about Type 1 diabetes, where it’s not about sugar or your lifestyle, but it’s a chronic illness that you didn’t do anything to cause. It’s just how your body reacts,” says Nishant. “Even if I wasn’t a pastry chef, there are challenges in general. Because when you eat, what you eat, how much carbs, proteins, and fats you consume – they all account for each

and every blood spike. In doing my daily job, part of it is tasting everything and if I see that I’ll be doing a lot of tasting in one day, I’ll give myself enough insulin to ensure my blood sugar will be regulated for the next couple of hours.”

As he prepares for the competition finals in October 2022, Nishant is rallying for the support of his community to help him cross the international finish line. He has set up a GoFundMe to assist in relieving the financial pressure of pricey medical expenses, travel costs and purchasing ingredients to continue practicing. As he continues to train and concentrate on building the finest chocolate sculptures, his prime focus is to reinforce a hopeful future on and off the world stage.

“When I think of this competition now, I’m not just internationally representing a country, I’m representing the diabetic community. The goal is to inspire people, and to show them to not be afraid of their disease no matter what. Though my creations are going to be with chocolate, they’re going to be tomorrow-forward, meaning creating healthier lifestyles and making better choices with chocolate in the future.”

Check out Nishant’s innovative and intricately designed cuisine @nichebaker on Instagram and please consider donating to the GoFundMe in his bio.

Our future retail transformations are not people friendly STEVEN KASZAB steven@carib101.com

TC REPORTER Amazon is thinking outside the box while trying to place each of us in a box. Yes folks, I do not trust Amazon and also many of our retail giants.

These corporations are moving towards a type of future retailing that brand you, attach themselves to you, and follow you constantly.

Corporate apps follow you, locating you in whatever places you may be. What you are buying and looking at on the Internet.

Where do you live and what is your demographic? Their multi-purpose computers scroll

over all your interests and buying history. Your privacy is no longer yours. Multiple lists are bought and shared concerning all things about you, your family and neighbours. Retail has become our entertainment, socializing centre and therapist too. Stressed? Go shopping.

There is a movement that wishes to place bar codes into your flesh, where you will wave your hand and identify yourself to a retailer. Your cellular pings when you enter such establishments, and you are using your phone for your everyday life cycle. Is all this information shared with others? The technology to take this information exists, and there are no substantial laws protecting you from this manipulation.

Legislators continue to ‘study” needed laws to control corporations’ growing powers of influence.

Entering a retail establishment, you can be identified through facial recognition, or simply using your debit or credit card. Will you cash out with the help of a staff member or a machine that scans barcodes? Notice there are fewer cash desks, and many more self-cash centres. You do the work, cashing yourself out

while paying the full price of a product. Many staff members will continue to lose their positions to machine alternatives.

Large mall facilities will become less prevalent, and box stores less in numbers. A retail chain with over a hundred stores will divest themselves of 75% of their stores, with their payroll, store costs solely reduced. The remaining 25% of stores will act as places where clients who need to experience products can do so, and then buy it at store level or on the retailer’s website. Many retailers will place kiosks in their stores where these products can be bought on their websites along with a 10% discount.

Large corporate retailers like WalMart have corporate strategies of divide and conquer. Wal-Mart will build a store, and then spend two years destroying local businesses, using extremely low prices like a hammer, squashing their smaller competition. This is the future of retail. It has proven to be a viable profitable strategy. It is all about numbers after all.

We are manipulated through retail propaganda through all our media sources, radio and print also. Before you even enter a store, you have

been introduced to something you have been told you really need.

Retail continues to use suppliers throughout the world who are exploitive, abusive and unlawful. Children, women and men are used to build, weave or assemble what you need. Their world can be horrible, and many people are actually controlled by these corporations. The retailer claims to buy from reliable safe sources, but who really knows.

Your privacy, self-respect, and actual needs are assaulted each day. Corporations use algorithms to understand you, categorize and manipulate you. They know how much you’re worth, where you work, what your buying history is and what your next retail purchase will probably be.

Corporate retail is becoming the new feudal lord. It lends to you, sells to you, uses propaganda against you and then rifles your pocketbook too.

Democracy has many enemies, but corporate retail greed is found at the top of the scale.

NEWS

PAGE 16

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Can’t travel or go to a restaurant, because you are deemed unclean?

Is COVID-19 the New Racist Normal? ferent riders,” medical tyranny, good oldfashioned racism all combined in an injection passport leading up to China’s famous Social Credit Score and climaxing in the Global slave camps, that is if the masses allow it.

According to Jenkins, “Every Black organization in America should be standing out against this right now. Are we welcoming slavery all over again; are you kidding me?” he asked.

The fact is, many people are feeling what Jenkins is feeling right now but are too spineless to speak out or stand up and this is the problem, “The silence of the lambs.”

Jenkins explains that when a federal judge can call this behaviour non-discriminatory, that in itself is a crime.

“It seems like folks are waiting to be dragged out of their houses before they wake up,” he mused, “Or lock you in your neighbourhood (aka redlining).”

He had a question for his audience, which went like this, “I am a taxpayer, you are a taxpayer ok, so why are we funding our own homicide?”

Jenkins said that about a year and a half ago is when it dawned on him that the government was working to take away parental rights from them and that really bothered him. To add insult to injury people’s religious exemptions and beliefs did not matter anymore.

“Covid is now transferred into control, from a simple virus to a weapon-

MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“There was a time in history, just sixty years ago, when Black Americans could not go into a restaurant because they were deemed unclean, not just because they were Black, but deemed unclean.”

These are the words of Kevin Ahmaad Jenkins, who is a Ph.D. dynamic speaker, author, scholar, a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, and a core Investigator at the Centre for Health Equity Research.

“In the 60’s it was the same thing: separate dining, separate washrooms, can’t go in a swimming pool all because we were considered unclean,” he said.

“Vaccinated, unvaccinated, that means clean and unclean in their terms, now it’s you can’t go out and shop, you can’t go to the parks with your family, and you can’t travel, that’s control this is not about your health. It’s about controlling you, controlling society and mankind.”

From listening to Jenkins this seems like a case of “Same horse just dif-

ized virus to a political movement to take all of our freedoms away from us. Changing our culture of health is now changed to protecting our freedoms from the tyranny that we know is alive today in this country,” he said.

Jenkins said, the injection passports have a disproportionate effect on Blacks, and he thinks the intention from the beginning was to scare everyone, trap them in fear, then go after the people that you really want to go after, push them out of the way by taking their freedoms away from them.

Speaking vaccines Jenkins calls it mass genocide, “They have got the cover of the government now to kill us and take a look at the track record of the vaccine companies.”

Jenkins was asked what his thoughts were on this mass injection drive, to which he answered, “When people come to talk to me about that I always ask them this question (what’s in it), and when they can’t answer this question, they have now become a part of the slave class.)”

Jenkins said the people who don’t want to think for themselves and listen to the TV (aka Big-Pharma news) are the ones going around saying that folks are just dying, his question to them is, “who told you so? Prove to me they died from Covid.”

These big drug companies spend approximately five billion dollars a year in advertising on the big media outlets, so whenever anyone is killed or damaged by these drug company’s products, do you re-

ally think these board members are going to allow their stories to be told on big media airtime?

When asked about the CDC Jenkins said, “They have had it wrong about Black people since the inception; they are in business to kill Blacks.”

Some of the most insidious experiments were done on Blacks by the CDC from day one, said Jenkins, “I don’t understand why any Black American would listen to the CDC, WHO or Fauci after what they have done.”

Jenkins said that Blacks are not exempt from the guilt, “We have Black politicians, community leaders, pastors and celebrities selling the death jab to our people. They closed up their churches to Zoom in Jesus, and now they are opening up the churches to sell the devil’s product.”

Our people must be mindful of the enemy and remember that religion is a cult; faith is not. Sometimes we are accomplices in our own enslavement.

When he was asked about the children and the school systems, he said, “That’s our fault. We send them to these schools, we never taught them critical thinking at home, we have allowed them to embrace another theology and religion which is social media. We have to go and snatch our kids out of these schools, because the worst institution in America right now is the education cartel.”

Lahjihkal on the road to greatness US-based executive producer, Michael “Beatbopper” Hudgins, produced this. He (Lahjihkal) was featured on television as one of the most outstanding youths in his community.

His memory of meeting the wife of a prime minister is among his best recollections.

“I was only a teen back then, nineteen-years-old, hoping to carry the glory of the Jamaican reggae flag to unprecedented heights. Here I was, meeting a strong, ambitious, determined Black woman and I was proud.

Although she had mingled with the rich and famous, she remained humble.

I knew I had the talent not only to express myself through music but in conscious lyrics.

As a Black Jamaican I also felt that I had the gift to empower the minds of as many youths across the world.

My fans keep telling me the same story. People in my Spanish Town community began to hail me as, “deejay.” I usually return the compliments with a favourite line from one of my songs.”

Lahjihkal, given name Romario Gayle, would often-times turn up at his father’s wood-work shop, only to be entertained by some hit songs. This kept him throughout the years asking himself, why

EUGENE PITTER eugene@carib101.com

ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER

JAMAICA -- It’s hard to forget someone like Beverley Anderson-Manley, especially when she was not only head and tail of former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Michael Manley, but his wife. So, when she told Lahjihkal, “You have talent,” she then gave him the opportunity to perform at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

Romario Ricardo Gayle holds the enviable position of vice-president for Just for Peace International, the only community-based outfit, which boasts three Universal Peace Federation awards in the sun-glazed island of Jamaica. That list of awardees includes the mother of Hon. Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica.

Lahjihkal is one of the first entertainers from Spanish Town (the first capital of Jamaica) to have his “To The Team” song on Miungu Ya Muziki international album.

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did he (father) not become a singer, like Berris Hammond or Gregory Issacs, two of Jamaica’s well- known vintage artists.

That idea also crossed the minds of his father’s co-workers who felt Danny did not make use of his great talent, but they hoped his son would.

“I kept telling myself that I was not going to leave this world without stamping my feet on the music landscape in Jamaica.

At primary school I was a track star winning several gold and silver medals, so when I switched to music, this was a big disappointment for my track coach. He felt I could have represented Jamaica on the global platform, with only a few years of intensive training.”

Putting aside his track shoes was not as easy as one would have thought.

Each time a Jamaican, like Usain Bolt, or Shelly-Ann Frazer-Pryce hit the Olympic tape, even his best friends would remind him of his past athletic prowess.

“I must confess that there were times when I felt I had made the wrong decision, but some divine intervention had me thinking I needed to continue my musical journey.

At 12, I began my secondary school education at Jose Marti Technical High School with much zeal. There, I met an energetic group of boys who were bud-

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During lunch and after school we would free-style, mostly conscious lyrics.

We got our first opportunity to test our creativity when we represented the school in an all-island Fresh jingle competition.”

Lahjikal’s team, though not victorious, left a lasting impression as they were placed in the finals.

During the years leading up to his being elected vice-president, Just for Peace International, Lahjihkal co-ordinated several initiatives. These include: a mentorship programme for delinquent youths, back to school funding for fatherless children, a school tour to promote discipline in schools, a talent contest, and helping seniors with food, clothing, paints and household items through Food for The Poor.

These have secured for the organization letters of commendation from Sir Patrick Allen, Governor General of Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner to Jamaica for promoting peace and discipline in schools.

Lahgihkal’s latest project is a single titled “Need My Love” produced by G3K, Beatbopper Music and Optimus. His other songs are “Be Like This,” “Ah Bwoy’’ and Weh Di Money Deh.”

FEATURE

Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 17

State of Emergency strategies are not helping with rising crime in Jamaica, so now what?

SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides; these are the violent crimes that are reportedly occurring in Jamaica. While the world has been focused on COVID-19, there are some serious issues escalating on this beautiful island, and there are a group of people who are not happy with how the current government is dealing with this increasing level of crime.

I received a letter on November 16th, 2021 from Joseph L. Patterson, President at the United Independents’ Congress of Jamaica. The letter was to inform me about the use of State of Emergency (SOE) to fight crime in Jamaica. According to Joseph, Prime Minister Holness is using a very blunt instrument to solve a specific problem. He is using what is called ‘The Iron Fist’ method. The problem with SOE’s is that they are causing collateral damage; people’s rights are being violated (pepper spray, brutality, detentions of the innocent).

The Prime Minister and Commissioner claim that the police are ‘trained’ to respect people’s rights, yet there are nu-

merous instances where the police have done the complete opposite. The most recent example was the treatment meted out to the UIC President and others on September 22nd, 2021 where peaceful protesters were treated with brute force and shown no respect.

Current events show that States of Emergency can only reduce crime for a very short period, but after the removal of the SOE’s, a spike in crime follows. The government has attempted to use this same method to manage the COVID-19 pandemic with not a single thought on how to identify the root causes and finding solutions to them while respecting Jamaican’s individual sovereignty.

Joseph strongly believes that there is no need to suspend the natural-born fundamental rights and freedoms of the Jamaican people to put an end to the epidemic of crime in Jamaica or to the current pandemic. The UIC is therefore providing an alternative solution to the ineffective states of emergency that has and is being used to combat crime in Jamaica. They have provided ten solutions that can be implemented immediately, and they are asking the Jamaican government to read these solutions and find ways to implement them in order to bring peace back to the turbulent societal climate that is being experienced in Jamaica.

•

We must reopen and turn over the management and control of schools

•

•

•

to all school boards and administrators across the country; the government must no longer directly interfere with the running of these schools, except to protect the rights of students, parents and teachers. Children have been seriously affected by their unnecessary exclusion from access to face-to-face classes. It is well known and documented that youth between the ages of twelve to nineteen are among the largest group of participants in criminal activities in our country.

Begin the activation of the UIC’s Youth Employment Solution (YES) program to keep youth above the school age from joining criminal gangs. Under our YES program, the JDF must begin a mass recruitment drive to enroll the youth in the affected communities. More on this can be found at https://uicjamaica. com/pages/uic-ten-point-plan.

Introduce all of our so-called “unattached” youth into meaningful activities. These can include: farming organizations to help youth develop hydroponic and aquaponic systems to farm produce that they can earn from, and financial literacy and entrepreneurship training organizations so our youth can create their own businesses and jobs.

Immediately put an end to the government’s use of Jamaica’s security apparatus to police mask-wearing, social distancing and occupancy numbers in

•

• •

• • •

regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. Refocus the country’s limited security resources to help solve the decades-long crime epidemic.

Immediately put an end to all government funded advertisements on vaccines and refocus that funding towards promoting true public health. Educate Jamaicans on the importance of organic farming and eating natural foods, which will stimulate our local economy as more Jamaicans buy local farm products.

Immediately modify government regulations to reduce their negative effects on the people’s access to essentials.

Move all civil court cases online and allow weekend cases to take place. Focus the judiciary on in-person trials of violent or major crimes.

Cut gang funding from the drugs for guns trade.

Cut gang funding from extortion and scamming.

Gang Strike Force (GSF) - to choke off the gang manpower supply.

The UIC is asking for your help. Jamaica is in danger of becoming a dictatorship and many lives are on the line. They are asking Jamaicans on the island and in the diaspora to help them raise funds so that they can effectively contest an election and to achieve a majority Government. You can donate at https://uicjamaica.com/pages/uic-tenpoint-plan.

Teacher in Blackface ignites investigation by TDSB and online petition for action PAUL JUNOR paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

There is nothing that could have prepared the staff and students at Parkdale Collegiate Institute for the sight of a Grade 9 business teacher in Blackface.

On Friday, October 29th, 2021, many students were shocked when a teacher wore a Blackface as a Halloween costume.

Students, staff and parents were horrified when they heard about the incident.

Maya, a student at P.C.I shared, “I heard about it right away. I was shocked, especially because it was Parkdale. It’s very multicultural here.” Another Grade 12 student expressed disbelief. He states, “What was he thinking, really is my question. I can’t even fathom what was going through his mind that morning getting ready and coming to school like that.”

An unidentified student states, “I feel like it was very traumatizing for stu-

dents. We go to a diverse school and he’s an adult. Why would you come to school full of teenagers that are all people of colour?

Why would you come here and think this is a good idea? I’m going to just come in with black paint all over my face. It was totally traumatizing for a lot of students of colour.”

A student told CityNews, “Honestly, I don’t know what was going through his head. I don’t think he thought it through. He told students he was a zombie, but I have never seen a zombie like that.”

Leila Spranger, a concerned parent, expressed her displeasure at the TDSB. She states, “This is connected to what the TDSB has identified as deeply entrenched anti-Black racism in the school board. This is about the culture of how our schools are operated.”

In response to the trauma and pain that students felt because of this incident, the school has made counselling available for those students who want to talk about it. Julie Ardell, principal of P.C.I wrote a letter to parents in response to this incident.

It reads, “Caricatures of people’s race of culture are not appropriate and are offensive and hurtful. Regardless of whether this was intended or not, it was racist and dehumanizing.”

She states that she became aware of the teacher in Blackface when a student

brought it to the vice-principal attention.

In addition, she wrote, “Anti-Black racism, including all forms of discrimination contravene our school code of conduct and multiple TDSB policies. I would like to thank the students who came forward to identify this to staff. They did the right thing.”

The TDSB decided to launch an investigation into this incident and the teacher was sent home to await the result of the board’s investigation. Colleen Isacc Russel, Director of the TDSB released a statement to staff on Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021, which read,

“I am writing to you directly about inclusion and anti-oppression with a sense of frustration and outrage as we address another egregious incident of racism. The most recent incident took place at P.C.I on Friday, where a staff member appeared in Blackface during the school day, ostensibly to mark the occasion of Halloween. Far from a fun and joyful celebration for students on this occasion, this disrespectful and highly offensive act brought pain and harm and served as a grim reminder of how much racism and oppression we have yet to defeat in the TDSB through both collective and individual actions.”

Subsequently, Cathy Gatlin started an online petition “Anti Black Racism at Parkdale C.I” It states, “This is not a one-time incident. As parents, many of us have witnessed overt and micro-racial aggressions toward our children. This incident, however,

is severe, shocking and concerning.” The petition continues, “We therefore make the following recommendations to ensure safety in our classrooms, but this is by no means an exhaustive list.” This includes the following: • •

• •

•

Zero tolerance policy for hate and discrimination Create a safe, supportive and anonymous complaints mechanism that is supportive of students and grounded in principles of anti-oppression so as not to become a ‘snitch line’ Public reporting on complaints of discrimination and racism Hiring practices that are: transparent, equitable and seek to diversify the workforce. Actively hiring for traumainformed, strengths-based and antioppressive teaching practices and skill sets On-going and frequent professional development in the areas of ant-Black racism, anti-colonialism, anti-oppression and building in accountability through regular and rigorous performance appraisals

As of Saturday, November 13th, 2021, there were 3,489 signatures of the petition which had an intended target of 5,000. In addition, a rally titled “Rally Parkdale Against AntiBlack Racism,” was held on Saturday at the school location at 209 Jameson Avenue.

Through our home delivery service, readers can have each new edition delivered straight to their door, saving them time.

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PAGE 18

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Black Feminist Fund Creating deep structural changes that positively transform societies SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“We see you, we hear you, and we want to support you!”

It started just like that; a group of women sitting around the kitchen table sharing their thoughts, feelings, and frustrations about Black women continuously being unrecognized, disempowered, lacking resources, and the constant need to overcompensate in order to prove themselves.

For the last few months, I have had the privilege of working alongside a group of powerful, motivated and determined women who have focused their attention on those who they feel are the most affected; Black women, whose lives are at the intersections of multiple oppressions: Black rural women, Black trans women and gender nonconforming people, Black women with disabilities and impoverished Black women.

Established in 2013, the Black Feminist Fund emerged from a decade long conversation between a group of women with a desire to do something new.

Together, they have changed the way Black feminist organizations are supported by providing flexible, long-term, low-barrier support to global feminist causes.

They are aware that resources are being moved in philanthropy, and they have made it their goal to figure out how they can truly help their own. In 2016, they attended a forum in Brazil, and they took the Black Feminist Fund there. They were able to share their ideas, and people were receptive. Over the past decade, the global village of Black feminist champions, advisors and dreamers has expanded. They are now an unprecedented funding mechanism established to increase the accessibility to resources available to Black feminist movements globally.

As the truth of Black women’s roles in major global movements becomes evident, we are confronted with the reality that Black women are the least likely to receive the financial support or resources to sustain their work. All around the world women, specifically women of colour are bearing the brunt of the pandemic, so the focus is to serve: Black women, girls, transgender, intersex, and gender non-conforming individuals in Africa, North America, Latin America the Caribbean, and Europe.

The work of autonomous femi-

nist movements is the key factor in creating deep structural changes that positively transform societies. In the past year, the world has watched Black activism in: Brazil, Sudan, Colombia, Nigeria, the U.S and France, and it could not be clearer; Black women are the leaders of the future, and the Black Feminist Fund remains an anchor of transformative social change across the world.

During my time working with them, I had a chance to meet the founders, and champions behind the magnificent movement.

Hakima Abbas For the last two decades, Hakima Abbas has dedicated her time as a feminist, to motivating and encouraging women throughout the continent of Africa. Trained in international affairs, her work as a: policy analyst, popular educator, advocate and strategist have focused on strengthening and supporting movements for transformation.

She has served as a board member to Greenpeace Africa, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Eastern Africa, the African Sex Workers Alliance, and the Centre for Citizen Participation in the African Union, and in advisory roles to several donor initiatives including UHAI – the East African Sexual Health and Rights Initiative, the Heartland Alliance and the Other Foundation.

A talented writer, she is also the author and co-editor of several articles and publications including: Africa’s Long Road to Rights; from Roots to Branches, the African Diaspora in the Union Government; Aid and Reparations, Power in Development Discourse, Queer African Reader; Peopleled Transformation, African Futures, and the Pan-Africanism and Feminism issues of Feminist Africa.

Tynesha McHarris Tynesha’s philanthropic roots are in her early work leading programs for young people. She has worked closely with young people who have experienced criminalization and incarceration, as well as dutiful work for survivors of gender-based violence.

She is a graduate of Rutgers University, and has completed post-graduate training from the Columbia Business School’s Social Enterprise Executive Education Program, as well as Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Centre for Creative Leadership’s Executive Education Program.

Tynesha is responsible for designing NoVo Foundation’s portfolio for girls of colour in the United States, a 90 milliondollar investment, and the first of its kind in the sector. She has served on the board of Grantmakers for Girls of Colour, Just Beginnings Collaborative, and Funders for Justice. She is also the Principal at Black

Harvest, a Black feminist consulting firm partnering with social movement leaders, donors of wealth and institutional philanthropy to bolster work advancing racial, gender and youth justice.

Amina Doherty Amina Doherty has found the natural flow between creativity and activism. Through actively supporting transformational work from artists, dreamers, activists, and organizations that strengthen social change, Amina is focused on helping to build a more colourful, equal, and just world.

She holds a BA in political science and women’s studies from McGill University (Distinction) and a M.Sc. in gender, development and globalization from the London School of Economics (LSE).

Amina serves as a Caribbean advisor to Mama Cash, and as a Board Member for Global Fund for Women board members. She has managed funding for women’s rights organizations at the Sigrid Rausing Trust, has served as the Program Director for the Caribbean Women’s Voice and Leadership Program at The Equality Fund, is a founding member and the first director of FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund, an organization that aims to strengthen the capacity of young feminist organizations around the world, and she has worked extensively with movement support organizations such as the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID); Just Associates (JASS); and the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF).

Amina is currently based in Antigua and Barbuda, but has lived and worked in Nigeria, Canada, Jamaica, and the UK. Naeemah Davis (Operations Manager) Naeemah has worked with organizations such as The Frontline and Black Harvest. As a successful entrepreneur, her experiences have taught her that with the right support, our Black women can do anything.

With that in mind, her role as Operations Manager at the Black Feminist Fund allows her to utilize her over a decade of education and business administration to support The BFF’s model for the philanthropic sector, solidarity funding for Black women in all their diversities.

I am so happy that I had a chance to learn more about these amazing women. They are devoted to Black women and Black feminist agendas, and continue to support and strengthen grassroots women’s organizations working in Africa, the Americas and Europe, through their grant making programs, philanthropic advocacy, and continuous research. They hope to spark a shift in the philanthropic sector and fundamentally change the narrative of how Black women create, sustain and fund their own movements.

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PAGE 20

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

MAESTRO FRESH WES The one and only Godfather of Hip Hop

“The presence of family structure, mentorship, inspirational elementary school teachers and always hip hop in my life, has impacted my journey forever.”

Maestro Fresh Wes It really shouldn’t come as any surprise that our Classic Man continues to raise the bar as an artist and refuses to let even a pandemic stop his rise.

Maestro Fresh Wes The Godfather of Hip Hop, most recently dropped his new album Young Maestro, “School Days.” This album was inspired by the release of his successful children’s book, ‘Stick To Your Vision,’ Young Maestro Goes To School and the hit single ‘Backpack Check.’ “School Days.”

The industry icon brought together some of Canada’s best for the album: producers Dub J, Rich Kidd, Lord Quest, Black Orchid and Andrew Triple A, award-winning Canadian artist JRDN as well as Rappers Rochester and Keysha Freshh. “School Days” samples the artist’s own previous works and collaborations with artists Kardinal Offishall and King Reign.

“School Days” continues the deep-down personal journey Maestro Fresh Wes is on. He believes that given the right support, kids can work through difficulties to greatness. He is committed to motivating kids to become the best they can be without limitations. It has been a calling for the artist and has become an anthem to kids across the country. The light for this journey has been his own experiences and relationships with his family, teachers, friend and mentor DJ Greg, and his life in the music industry.

We all know him as the Maestro, but he was born Wesley Williams on March 31st, 1968. There is not much that I can share today that his fans don’t know, but I do want our younger gen-

eration to learn a little more about the legend that set the stage for artists like Drake and Kardinal Offishall.

His debut album, Symphony in Effect (1989), was the first album by a Black Canadian artist to be certified platinum in Canada. It yielded the hit single “Let Your Backbone Slide,” one of the most successful and influential Canadian songs of all time. In 2019, it became the first rap song to be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. He has been nominated for thirteen Juno Awards and won two, including the inaugural award for Rap Recording of the Year in 1991. He was named No. 1 on CBC Music’s 2013 list of the greatest Canadian rappers. It is his past successes, and current drive that helps him remain a prominent figure in Canadian hip-hop.

“Just due to the COVID climate, we figured it’d be the best thing to do familywise, and I think we made a great decision. The people of the Maritimes are awesome, and I’m just glad that when people see me, they’re happy to see me, and my son is happy.”

A year ago, Wes made a major sacrifice and left his beloved city to move to New Brunswick. He had previously spent time in Halifax, before he wrapped up eight seasons on the Canadian sitcom, Mr D, where he played schoolteacher Paul Dwyer for almost a decade. In October, Wes marked the one-year anniversary of his move to the East Coast. It was celebrated publicly with the city naming him the official ambassador of Saint John.

“It means a lot to me that I’ve made an impact on this community, this city, this province within the little time I’ve been here,” Wes tells me.

“Saint John is beautiful, and when I get a chance to take a walk on the beach, I am reminded that I made the right deci-

sion.”

The rapper says he misses Toronto, but having spent years in the Maritimes before, it wasn’t much of a shock to move to Saint John. I happened to catch him visiting his family here in Toronto last week, and we were able to sneak in an early rising interview.

“I need more time here,” Wes tells me. He was beginning to prepare to go back to New Brunswick. We talked about his current projects, and naturally, we took a nostalgic stroll down memory lane.

“I remember taking piano lessons when I was a kid. My brother played drums and my dad, who is responsible for sparking my interest in music, played the saxophone. I will never forget when I heard my pop’s copy of Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight.”

I think I was about eleven years old.

From that point on I started writing.

I did some poetry at school, and people’s responses told me that I had done something great.

I did a poem for Remembrance Day for the Royal Canadian Legion and came in 2nd Place. Then there was a poem that I was supposed to recite in Grade six, and I did it in hip-hop form.

My teacher just looked at me like, ‘What was that?’ In my book, I talk about that.

There are sections in ‘Stick To Your Vision,’ Young Maestro Goes To School, that are actually parts of my life.”

Wes shares with me the story about his grade ten high school dance.

“They put on the strobe lights, and I started to perform. People were like; you look like you are in a music video.

After that, everything just seemed to fall into place.”

I learned that before he became Maestro, his moniker was Melody MC.

“That was my name back then.

Maestro came after. I wanted to change from Melody MC, so I became Fresh Wes. I was told I need a title.

I was noticing this trend of three names, so one day when I was at Parkway Mall, I walked by Tuxedo Royal. I heard a song playing and the words hit me, ‘After the symphony is the Maestro all alone.’ There was just something about how the artist said maestro. I happened to be staring at the tuxedo, and I said to myself, that’s it, Maestro Fresh Wes. Now I have a concept.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

One of the challenges that Wes admits to is expanding out of Canada. “When it came to straight bars, there was no one like me. I still believe that I am overlooked when it comes to my writing ability.”

Regardless, that has not stopped Wes from becoming an artist that spans generations. In his own words, “Don’t make records, make history.”

If you haven’t had a chance, “Young Maestro, School Days” is available now on all music platforms. Wes is determined to lead by example and give back to the next generation and the industry that has given him so much.

Photo Credit: Sanj P Photography

Written by Simone J. Smith Toronto Caribbean News

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FEATURE

Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

Smart tips for well-written holiday cards

PAGE 25

Fun games to get your holiday party started­ Games are a great way to liven up a holiday celebration. How­ever, it’s best to avoid any that require a long explanation or specific knowledge, as you might lose the interest of your guests. Party games — often quick, simple and hilarious — are your best bet.

Here are a few options: • Perudo. In this bluffing game, each player rolls five dice but keeps the results hidden. Everyone must then make declarations about how many dice are showing a particular value. When someone calls a bluff, all the dice are revealed.

• Stay Cool. All you have to do is answer as many questions as pos­ sible in two minutes. The catch? You have to answer two simul­ taneously — one out loud and the other spelled out using letter dice.

• Telestrations. Each player sketches a word and passes it to the person next to them, who must guess what’s been drawn. The following player uses that guess to draw a new image, and so on.

It’s essentially the telephone game on paper.

• 6 nimmt! The point of the game is to get rid of all the cards in your hand by laying them out in ascending order on the table.

The person who plays the sixth card in a sequence must pick up the entire row.

From Concept and Dobble to Just One, Time’s Up! and Werewolf, there’s no shortage of games to entertain your guests and fa­ mily members. Visit your local bookstore or board game shop for more recommendations.

Holiday hosting: 9 tips for entertaining guests

The time has come once again to send out holiday cards. If you’re not sure what to write to your friends and relatives, here’s some advice.

Do you plan to invite friends and relatives over for the holidays?

Here are some simple steps you can follow to ensure your event goes off without a hitch.

3. Clean the rooms your guests will have access to — the bath­ room should be spotless — and put away fragile items for safe keeping.

1. Plan everything, from the menu and decor down to the music, well in advance to avoid any oversights.

4. If you have pets, place their food and water bowls, bedding and toys in a quiet room so they won’t be underfoot all night.

2. Make sure you have enough chairs and place settings to accom­ modate your guests, and stock up on items like tissues and toilet paper.

5. Serve dishes that you’re familiar with to avoid the stress of fol­ lowing a new recipe and eliminate the risk that it won’t turn out.

Give yourself plenty of time Whether you want to send your cards by mail or electronically, avoid waiting till the last minute to get started. Not only do you risk forgetting someone, but a rushed card won’t have the same sentiment as a mes­ sage you took the time to reflect on.

Craft a personalized message The standard greetings that appear in most store-bought cards or online templates can be a good starting point. However, regard­ less of whether the cards you choose in­ clude text, be sure to add a personal touch so the message reflects your relationship with the recipient.

If you’re very close with the person, don’t hesitate to mention recent or upcoming events such as their plans to buy a house or a trip they just took. Has it been a while since you caught up? Consider extending an invitation for a phone call or coffee date after the holidays. The most important thing is to be sincere.

Be optimistic about the future In addition to wishing the person a happy holiday, include a positive message about the new year. While you shouldn’t disre­ gard any recent hardship the person may have experienced, the idea is to share some hope for the future.

Remember, you can be as creative as you want with your holiday cards. Just be sure to write from the heart.

6. Prepare as many dishes as possible in advance so you simply have to defrost or reheat them the day of the party.

7. Greet each guest at the door, and have a designated spot where they can put their coats. Make introductions if necessary.

8. Consider using place cards to separate couples at the dinner table to encourage mingling and conversations.

9. Leave out glasses and a pitcher of iced water that guests can help themselves to throughout the evening.

Finally, don’t forget to relax and enjoy the party.

Holiday shopping survival guide Do you dread the thought of navigating crowded stores, busy parking lots and long check­ out lines?

Here are a few tips to make your holiday shopping expe­ rience less of an ordeal.

Go at the right time There’s no doubt that week­ ends are a prime time for shopping, especially Satur­ days. If possible, head to stores on a weekday or first thing in the morning. Wai­ ting until the last minute will also mean con­tending with crowds. Keep in mind that many navigation apps allow you to see how busy a particular location is at a

given time.

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT To limit the amount of time you spend in stores, make a list and browse local retai­ lers’ websites before you visit in person. This will en­ sure you know exactly where to go to get the best deals.

Of course, you can also stick to shopping online, so long as you leave enough time for your packages to arrive before the holidays.

Avoid hindrances If you’re not a fan of shop­ ping in general, you’ll want to ensure the experience isn’t any more unbearable than it needs to be. Among other

things, you should: • Dress in comfortable layers, and wear appropriate walking shoes • Leave your car at home, if possible, to avoid searching for a parking spot • Refrain from shopping with people who are indecisive • Buy heavy items last so you don’t have to lug them around Finally, depending on what would cause you the least amount of stress, you can either plan several short trips or aim to get all your shop­ ping done at once.

Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

HEALTH

PAGE 27

You’ve discovered a thyroid lump, what does it mean?

W. GIFFORDJONES MD DIANA GIFFORD-JONES COMMON SENSE HEALTH

Waking in the morning, the last thing you want is a health shock before you begin the day. If you are like most people, feeling a lump for the first time on the Adam’s apple (the thyroid gland) you will immediately jump to one conclusion, “I have cancer.” Is this the right conclusion?

So, let’s report some good news that will decrease anxiety while you have your morning coffee. Fortunately, the majority of thyroid nodules are not cancers. Besides, the majority don’t even require removal.

Thyroid nodules are common

in elderly people. In fact, a report from the University of California states that if you’re over the age of 60, there’s a 25%to-50% chance of developing a thyroid lump.

The older you are, whichever sex, the more likely that a nodule will develop in the thyroid, and the more likely the doctor is also going to tell you, “It’s not a cancer.”

You should also know these lumps are three times more common in women. There’s a good possibility that neither women nor men will ever know that one or more nodules are present.

This is because thyroid nodules do not always cause symptoms.

When symptoms do occur, patients may notice hoarseness, difficulty breathing, a voice change, the feeling there’s a lump in the throat, and sometimes discomfort in the throat.

The thyroid is a busy organ. It secretes the hormone that regulates metabolism. But it’s also responsible for: heart rate, cardiovascular function, the cen-

tral nervous system and bone remodelling.

If finding a nodule, the doctor will order thyroid tests of the blood to evaluate thyroid function. Usually, the test will show nothing wrong. The doctor will also order an ultrasound to obtain a general look at the gland.

The important test is what’s called a fine needle aspiration. A small needle is inserted into the thyroid gland to obtain tissue or fluid from inside the gland. This can be done in the doctor’s office. Usually, the doctor applies an anaesthetic to the skin, then inserts the needle into the nodule.

This takes only a few minutes. Thyroid nodules are 90% benign non-cancers.

In general, if a nodule is less than two centimeters (a little less than one inch), it’s less likely to be a malignancy.

If a cancer is found, surgical removal is done. This means hormone replacement medication may be required for the rest of the patient’s life.

Fortunately, the thirty-year survival

rate for the most common type of thyroid cancer is 95%.

As we age, the thyroid gets smaller, or it starts producing less of the hormone, an immune condition that damages the thyroid. It may become more active with increased levels of hormone, a condition called Graves’s disease. This is why doctors are always feeling the neck for lumps.

Since prevention is always better than cure, there are tips to decrease the risk of a thyroid nodule. Researchers at the University of California report you are more likely to develop a thyroid nodule if you have a history of some type of cancer, such as a lymphoma, breast or kidney malignancy. Your risk also increases if you are obese, have had radiation to the neck or head during childhood, or have been exposed to nuclear radiation.

Finally, why do we have to keep saying it? Do not smoke.

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Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

COMMUNITY

PAGE 29

Learn to manage your failures as confidently as your successes DAVID ANDERSON d_anderson@carib101.com

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Becoming an entrepreneur can be very stressful if we are not in control of our emotions. Entrepreneurs have a tough time detaching their feelings from their business.

This is because we have made the decision to take a step, actually a leap of faith. Although this is courageous, we have to let go of our expected actions for our consumers. Your goal is to interact with your consumers, provide value and deliver exceptional service.

We will come across disrespectful customers. We have to learn how to manage our emotions when responding because it will impact the image of your business. It only takes one bad review to negatively impact your business. Once we are able to master this technique, we will have a lifelong understanding of the con-

flict management module. Use this to your advantage.

It’s important to control our emotions as an entrepreneur in order to be successful. There are three key emotions that need to be acknowledged: anxiety, anger and fear. A wise man once told me: anxiety is dangerous, anger is pathetic, and fear is your greatest enemy. Anxiety is caused by the fear of the unknown and our lack of confidence in the work or process at hand.

Tips for dealing with anxiety: 1. Create a list of what makes you anxious. Acknowledge your anxiety by writing down what we are afraid of.

This will help develop confidence and eventually eliminate anxiety.

2. Analyze the core of your team within your business by making sure you have the right team in place, and the right people working in their best capacity.

Each member should be analyzed so that their key talents are aligned with the work they do.

3. Create a list of your wants, needs as an entrepreneur and a business. In the earlier stages of a business, it is easier to know where you want to be heading, but as we progress obstacles can

put us on a detour from success.

Any action made in anger is automatically negative. Anger is powerful but easily controllable as time is the only factor that will make that emotion go away. Some of the worst decisions can be made in moments of anger and can easily be avoided if a thirty minute to one-hour window exists between the emotion and the action.

Tips for dealing with anger: 1. Take time to acknowledge your feelings, address them and express them.

Do not allow anger to dictate your actions, as you will fall hard.

2. Write a list of people or events that has made you angry and what makes you grateful. This helps our mind focus on what we have and the opportunities we continue to present ourselves.

3. Take more than one hour and reflect.

The goal is to come up with positive ways in any situation.

Fear is the emotion that keeps us from taking chances or achieving more. We either fear the outcome of what we are about to do and who we can be or fear the lack of an expected outcome. We need to get rid

of “what if” from our vocabulary as an entrepreneur.

Tips for dealing with fear: 1. Create a risk management checklist for any goal you wish to achieve. This helps us weigh the pros and cons of any given situation. Understand the maximum gain and loss of every situation, and then decide the proper course of action.

2. Practicing what we fear in small increments develops confidence. If we are scared to speak to a large group of people, we can start by practicing our speech in the mirror, then progress to family and friends.

3. Allow your support system to support you. Although we think we are the experts of our own lives, our support system is there to ensure we are making the best decisions possible. We have to identify and utilize the resources in our lives.

Let’s take the time to grow and work on ourselves. Our business will be positively or negatively impacted by the way we deal with our emotions.

PAGE 30

LIFE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

In search for morality in a moral deficit society DANIEL COLE

daniel@carib101.com

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

“One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation.”

Thomas B. Reed According to a South African recently released statistic, a total 5,760 people were murdered in South Africa between April 2021 to end of June 2021. About 10,006 cases of rape were registered during the same period. A total of 487 of the rape cases were domestic violence-related, while 164 murders were linked to domestic violence.

We’ve crossed the line of moral rectitude.

Where is our moral compass? Is something wrong with our society? Per-

haps I’m asking the wrong question. Let me put it this way, what is wrong with our society? I was watching a video the other day of a young teenage lady beating up her mum. My heart sank. This video did not only go viral but was shocked by the hundreds of likes it received. What happened to us?

Teenage pregnancy is on the rise.

Recent statistics released by the Department of Health show that more than 23,000 girls under eighteen gave birth between April 2020 and March 2021, of which 934 were under the age of fourteen, compared to 14,577 girls aged nineteen and under having babies in the same period a year earlier. Who are we to blame? The school system, family negligence, society, friends, social media? Who?

What is informing or influencing our behaviour? Where are we missing it? I must admit; this is a complex subject.

Have you tried to listen to any rap music lately with the kids around? Well, good luck. Murder, violence, racial hatred, nudity, perverted sex, vulgar language, disrespect to a great degree are the themes of

today’s popular music.

I found it hard to understand what is funny in a child pouring water on her parents’ driver seats with the sole intention of them sitting on it and then posting it on TikTok or slamming food on your parent’s face, just to get likes, views, and followership on social media. This is sickening. Call me ‘Old School’, thank you I choose to remain that way. These acts are wrong.

Morally speaking, the world is not in good shape. Perhaps the moral quandary in which South African society finds itself is similar to what Myron H Wahls, a judge of the Michigan Appellate Court, observed about America in his address titled, “The Moral Decay of America.” According to Wahls, America needs “a rebirth of morality, for clearly, we have managed to become a society morally confused, morally ambivalent and morally bankrupt. We have no clear and decisive sense of what is fundamentally wrong and what is fundamentally right. The nation’s conscience has become muted, or at best, ambivalent.” This seems equally true about South African society, which finds itself in a similar state of moral

malaise.

How did we get here? Robert Schuller, the author of the book, Tough times never last, but tough people do, once wrote, “In 1850 the underlying ethic in America was the protestant work ethic.

In 1900, with the influx of Catholic immigrants, it was the Christian ethic. In the 1950s we began to speak of the JudeoChristian ethic. And then, as the revolution of the sixties opened our society up to Eastern mysticism, we began to think in terms of monotheistic ethics. Slowly the spiritual ethic began to give way to individualism and secular humanism. Do what you want, whenever you want, however you want.”

Where do we go from here? First, parents have a huge role to play. As the saying goes, charity begins at home. Society is to a large extent, a reflection of what transpires at home. Also, political and public leaders must be good role models. School curriculum should be inclusive of subjects around ethics, conduct, and morality. Finally, it is important that we all start taking moral responsibility for our conduct both publicly and privately.

LIFE

Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

When life hits you with a problem, lean in!

A message to friends, family and the community SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

HUMAN SPECIALIST

Your whole world feels like it is crumbling around you.

Friends and family don’t understand, well you are not even sure you understand. All you know is that life seems a little harder. It takes longer to get out of bed, simple tasks take longer to complete, and life just seems harder. What is happening to you? Why do you feel this way?

I have spent over a year and a half sharing the story of my incarceration and the events that followed. Every now and then I like to take breaks from the story to focus on present issues.

In the last few weeks, I have received calls and emails from friends and colleagues sharing that they have been having difficulties dealing with everything that is happening in life. It is understandable. It has been a rough couple of years for us all. This experience has been difficult for some more than others, but the common sentiment is that we are all tired of anything that has to do with COVID-19.

The one shining beam of light that I can offer anyone reading this right

now is that, ALL THINGS COME TO AN END! Whether it is good or bad, everything goes through cycles. My incarceration experience was one of the worst experiences of my life, and for five years, I was forced to stay indoors, and follow the rules that the courts had placed on my life. It was almost like a prequel to this pandemic. It was difficult for me to adjust to this loss of freedom.

I went from doing what I wanted, when I wanted to, to having to report my whereabouts at all times. It was such a demeaning experience, and I went through severe bouts of depression.

I say all that to say this; these experiences in life are what make you strong.

It is that experience that has allowed me to navigate this pandemic with ease. I have not felt the mental health strain that others are feeling. I don’t know if this makes me lucky, but it definitely has put me in a position to help others, and that is exactly what was ordained for me.

I want to provide you with some helpful hints to deal with some of the mental health strain that you might be feeling.

These hints are not going to help everyone because we are all different, but at least they will help you establish personal mental health strategies for yourself that you can utilize at different times in your life.

Accept your reality Although accepting your reality might sound like an easy thing to do, there are many who hold their own version of reality.

This reality might be based in regret, disappointment, denial, or just waiting for life to go back to the way things were. You have to give up the fictional version of your life and accept yourself, your life, and your reality. Admittedly, life is not great right now, but the first step in improving it is acknowledging how you are dealing with it. Once you have done that, you can then take the steps needed to improve it.

Own your outcomes You have to own everything about you, the things that you need to work as well as your strength and successes. Owning your outcomes helps you do better next time.

See your failures as a learning moment, not as an end all.

Accept that struggles are inevitable in life Don’t shy away from life or the challenges that come with it. Wade through your struggles and get comfortable with operating within your struggles. They are a way of life, and you have to learn how to lean into them. Our challenges are precursors to great success.

I know it is hard. I get it, but you will get through it. The light at the end of the tunnel will get bigger, and you will exit the darkness. Take my word for it; you will pull through.

Stay up, and join me next week for another episode of “Revisiting my past trauma.”

It is our values that will take us through, what do your values say about you?

GARCIA AKUA

garcia@carib101.com

COSMIC CORNER

Greetings Cosmic Family! I hope you are all well and trying your best to keep safe and sane as we transition once again into new energies. As the nights are getting longer the days are getting darker much earlier.

With darker times and colder temperatures, seasonal depression usually begins to make its mark. It is extremely important that we check in with how we are truly feeling. On November 19th, 2021, we all experienced a powerful eclipse. This eclipse took place in the sign of Taurus, and it was the longest partial lunar eclipse since 1441, lasting 3.5 hours. Full Moon’s in general are usually emotionally intense times. Reports say emergency room numbers usually go up around the Full Moon phase. The Moon controls the tides and as we are made of 80% water, the Moon affects us as well. The Full Moon eclipse often intensifies the energy, making us a little more sensitive than usual.

We haven’t had a Full Moon Eclipse in Taurus for nine years. This is a good time to do some reflection as to where you were in life at that time. Taurus rules our values,

self-worth, sensuality and the seeds we would like to see planted, as it is the first earth sign of the zodiac.

What was your value system like back then in comparison to now? What were your goals? Have you completed them? Are they relevant to where you are today?

Eclipse energy brings about emotional resets. It gives us the opportunity to reflect on what we need to release in order for us to start from a clean slate and redirect our energy. With the eclipse happening now in Scorpio season, it is challenging us to face our fears and put our limitations to death so we can reclaim our power and rebirth a healthier version of ourselves.

The next couple of weeks will give us a glimpse into what the energy for the next couple of years will feel like. Much of 2022 and 2023 we will have eclipses taking place in the signs of Taurus and its opposite sign Scorpio. This activates what we call the lunar nodes in astrology. The lunar nodes are basically the collective’s dharma and karma. The North Node speaks of our dharma, or where we are heading and the South Node speaks of our karma, the lessons we have learned and now need to integrate or leave behind in order to grow.

The nodes will shift from Gemini North node and Sagittarius South node to Taurus and Scorpio respectively. For the last eighteen months or so, we were challenged to speak our truth and find our like-minded communities. It was a time to discover who

we truly were by checking in with ourselves to let go of all illusions and finding our truth. Next year when the nodes officially switch to Taurus/Scorpio, we will be focusing on our values as a collective. We will all have the opportunity to re-examine our relationships with self-worth, money, physical possessions and resources, as well as facing our shadows around power, sex, spirituality and trauma. Taurus is very fruitful and abundant in energy, but in order to reap you have to know that you are worth it. If you plant fears, you will reap fears. This is why it is extremely important to check in with our value system right now before the New Year starts.

Our values and priorities will determine where we direct our energy. Our values will help us stay clear of distractions so we plant the intentions and goals that will sustain us for the years to come. It is ok to be afraid, but we cannot let our fears hold our dreams hostage or in limbo. The universe is always conspiring on our behalf as the book The Alchemist teaches, we only have to pay attention to the signs to see.

Well, if you are waiting for a sign, this is it.

We have just had one of the longest eclipses in over 500 hundred years, we haven’t experienced an eclipse in Taurus for almost ten years, and this is a sign to re-evaluate your values. Let’s reset our fears and rebirth our power. It is our values that will take us through, what do your values say about you?

PAGE 31

LIFE

PAGE 32

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Parents of Black Children System Abuse community meeting results in action plan PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

YOUTH EDUCATION

The advocacy group Parents of Black Children (PoBC) has been instrumental in initiating several innovative and creative programs since its inception two years ago.

It was “formed to support parents and facilitate equitable outcomes for Black children.”

On Monday, October 25th, 2021, it held its first ever System Abuse community meeting.

The online virtual event was titled “System Abuse: Planning Meeting for Social Service Organizations.” There were thirty individuals in attendance who represented a cross-section of professions from: educators, community members, social workers, parents, teachers and organizations.

Presenters include co-founders of PoBC, Kearie Daniel and Charline Grant

as well as Shamiso Magumbe. There was much discussion, dialogue, meaningful interaction and engagement as important issues were noted.

One of the challenges that were identified at the outset was the tension between the application of human rights and the rights of children when there are suspicions. Burt, a human rights and educator leader in Perth County stated that it is “problematic because educators are legislated to call the Children Aid society (CAS), if they hear something they call CAS. There is bias and racism. Data collection and legislation are important, because there are systems in place that need to change.”

There was discussion around the fact that legislation that is required needs to be updated at the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT). Three issues were identified: access to CAS referrals, who gets to report and the need to have a system approach.

Michael Bowe, Senior Manager of Equity for Simcoe Muskoka observes that the legislative change that is needed is not at the OCT, but at the child welfare ministry. There is a need for there to be complete change in the legislation. He believes that it is important to put pressure on institutions to undergo systemic change rather

than on individual teachers. He notes that it is vital to “talk about disparity and disproportionality, especially Black families and how systems are engaging.”

There was the suggestion that one of the changes was the need to have a department in the ministry that was geared to addressing anti-Black racism that would be the driving force for policy. Micheal observes that the issue of discernment is very important and there was a presentation to the OVOC about it.

There was discussion about the issue of discernment as a means to obtaining vital information. These areas were identified as needed to move ahead: • • • •

•

A campaign that provides some insight for Black families, so they understand what system abuse is.

A collaborative table for education and child welfare system leaders.

Collecting data so a report can be provided governing bodies like OHRC. The importance of having the Child Welfare redesign, and having the Black community recognized as a specialized group, the same way the Indigenous community is.

An anti-racism equity section in the child welfare and social service sector.

There was a wide-ranging discussion about the role that neglect plays in driving many Black children into the CAS. The reality of poverty in many Black families creates structural barriers and impacts the way that children are perceived. It is educators that are contributing to the increasing numbers of Black children ending up in the CAS. As a result of this meeting to discuss system change some action plans were noted.

•

•

•

•

A community document that has demands of what needs to be embedded in the child welfare redesign, which would include how institutions are investigated.

Create a campaign with a community letter to provide some insights for Black families so they understand what system abuse is.

Using the same language is important to rally around and use different bodies including CAS and governing bodies.

A community table for education and child welfare system leaders.

LIFE

Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 33

Communication plus unity equals community!

A look at the life of PriceDaBoss GLORIA O’KOYE

gloria@carib101.com

CREATIVE SPEAK

I had first seen this individual acting in a Toronto based web series called ‘Life Of The Dot’ on the Internet and we were able to connect after. I was able to follow some of the events and music that this individual had been working hard on and wanted to showcase this artist from our city. For my readers, I continue to encourage everyone to take their time to show their love and support for our creatives in Toronto’s entertainment scene. We have creatives who have been pushing their art practices for years that deserve more recognition. We as

a community need to give our creatives their flowers now versus later on.

Can you share with us a bit about who you are and what do you do?

“I go by the name of Priceless aka PriceDaBoss. I am a rapper, actor, and manager based out of Toronto. On my birthday... November 26th I will be releasing my album project ‘PriceAdemic’ which will be featuring a variety of Toronto artists and producers from the city of Toronto.”

Can you share what it was like to grow up in a musical family? Also, talk a bit more about your parents and their work?

“My mother was a rapper/dub poet, and my father is a producer, singer himself so I have always been around the studio environment. I feel like growing up in a musical family gave me an early in-site into the industry.”

Where do you see your art taking you in the next five years?

“This year I’m also releasing a PriceAmentry, I’m hoping I could turn that into a movie, other than that with the way

Make family exercise sessions your priority It’s not always easy to find the time and motivation to keep fit between work, homework, shopping, meals and housework. The solution? Make exercise a health priority for the whole family.

What’s important is to stay active.

Get all the members of your family moving by choosing activities that are simple and easy to integrate into the daily routine.

Start slowly; a short family walk after supper is a great way to form new habits. Break the monotony by changing your route on a re­gular basis. Finish your outing with a few fun challenges, such as walking backwards or hopping.

Everyone is sure to enjoy an improvised dance session in the living room.

Swaying and jumping to your children’s fa-

vourite music is the kind of cardiovascular exercise that burns calories. Get yourself an exercise ball or some elastic exercise bands; they’re inexpensive and can be used even when watching TV. Every week, ask family members to organize a session of their favourite physical activity. There’s just one rule: every­one has to participate. You can go cycling, do yoga, go swimming, play beach volleyball, take a walk in the woods or jump rope — anything is possible.

Set yourself realistic family goals.

An hour of exercise a day may be too demanding, while 20 or 30 minutes could be enough to stimulate enthusiasm. You don’t want to discourage the troops. After all, family exercise is healthy, but it has to be fun as well.

the world is going nowadays, survival is the main thing on my mind.”

That is a real answer to how the world has been drastically changing over the years. Especially with the cost of living constantly increasing and all these world events, it does put people in survival mode.

I want to thank you for your honest answer.

What are some upcoming projects that our readers can look forward to?

“On November 26th I will be releasing my documentary and album.”

How did your idea of making a documentary about yourself come to be?

What motivated you to pursue this? Share with us a bit about the process of making this documentary? What were some of the challenges that you had faced during the creation of this documentary? What do you want your audience to gain after watching your documentary?

“The documentary was very humbling for me, for years I’ve been part of the hip-hop scene in regard to learning as well as being mentored. I figured it would

be a good idea to put my story out there, as I feel that a lot of people in the city know bits and pieces, but the first instalment of this docu-series will help tell the story from others’ perspectives but put together by me.”

What can we expect from your upcoming album?

“You can expect a new sound. I challenged myself with different flows, and this is my first real independent release because I was working on something from top to bottom. My producer, 220 On The Beat, really challenged me with my flow this time around. It’s going to be a fun listen!”

If you had some words of advice for the youth in the city, what would it be?

“Communication plus unity equals community! Once we communicate and unite, we will then finally be a strong community and city!”

What would be one thing that you would want to tell your younger self? “Focus on yourself young king.”

Your love life is important, even when you’re a parent Do you feel that your only role in life is to be a parent? What about all those romantic moments you used to enjoy together before you started a family? Do you feel guilty when you make time for your relationship?

Experts say it’s important to remember that nurturing your relationship with one another is crucial, especially when you’re parents.

When a baby is born it’s normal to devote all your energy to this new member of the family. Between nursing, diapers, parenting joys and worries, time flies by so fast that you end up without any time for yourself. Parents bond deeply with their children and this relationship takes up more and more room in their lives. Mom is tired, Dad feels neglected and the marriage takes a beating. This is when you have to take immediate action. Of course you are parents, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect your love life. Nurturing your rela-

tionship must re­main on your list of priorities.

How can you take better care of your relationship? Take advantage of every opportunity to be alone together. Is the baby sleeping? Turn off the TV and have a romantic tête-à-tête. Don’t talk about the kids; they’ll be fine! Cozy up with each other, whisper sweet nothings and don’t look at the pile of dirty dishes in the sink. A long kiss, a hug and a bath together don’t cost anything, and often that’s all it takes to prevent coolness and indifference from creeping into your relationship.

When possible, ask someone to come and look after the kids so you can treat yourselves to an evening at the movies, go for a walk or go out for a cup of coffee together. Get out, break the routine and have fun. If you feel guilty, remember this: taking care of your marriage is part of your responsibilities as a parent.

PAGE 34

LIFE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

We rise together TARA MYSHRALL tara@carib101.com

COMPELLED TO CHANGE I write a lot about the power of masculine and feminine energy and how as women, it’s imperative that we learn how to operate in both energies. Women get so many messages everyday about being “powerful” “strong” and “ambitious leaders” and there’s been a major shift where women are taking on more leadership roles within the world and their communities.

It can be hard to know how to balance this masculine energy with feminine energy, as often women are asked to show up in the outside world in very masculine energy, but then when it comes to being in a relationship or being inside the home, it

can be hard to flip the switch and go into the feminine energy of nurturing and receiving.

This changing dynamic doesn’t only affect women though, it’s also having a huge effect on men. The traditional role that men have played for centuries as a provider for the family is still in their DNA and it can be confusing for men to know what their role is inside of relationships, especially with powerful women who are able to make their own money and provide for themselves.

Both men and women are struggling with these new relationship dynamics and how they can adapt and create a way forward. Especially coming from a Caribbean background, these things were not talked about in my home or in the community, yet it is so important that we get curious about how we are showing up, in the world and at home.

Because the truth is that we rise together and men and women need each other. Our brains are wired so differently and we each have different strengths and

perspectives that help us show up, be seen, feel valued, loved and accepted. And sometimes we can get stuck in old stories about what it means to be a woman or what it means to be a man, that we lose site of the people who are right in front of us.

Both women and men are struggling with the effects of these stories. Deep down, no matter how successful a woman is or how capable she is of making her own money, there is still a deep need for connection, to be loved and valued.

And men have different longings, to be successful, to be stable, to provide, as a way of showing love and building connection. Yet, many of us are operating on outdated stories and we haven’t found a new way to come together and forge new types of relationships that allow people to operate in both their masculine and feminine energies.

I don’t have any concrete answers about how we solve this at a cultural and societal level.

But on a personal level, the one tool that we do have is curiosity. I think by

becoming curious about how we operate in masculine and feminine energy within our own lives and within our relationships with those we care about, we will start to see what old paradigms we are operating in and what aspects resonate as our truth.

We can bring this curiosity to ourselves, to our relationships and to our community. And see if we can find a way back to each other in a new operating system, where each person can show up as a full expression and where there is freedom to be all of yourself, all of your energy and not have that threaten your relationships or connection.

We are all connected. We need each other. And although HOW we need each other might be changing and shifting, the reality is that we rise together.

It’s time to get curious and see what other possibilities could emerge if both men and women were allowed, encouraged and free to show up in both their masculine and feminine energy. What kind of a world would be possible then?

Develop a unique leadership style NELISA DLAMINI

nelisa@carib101.com

PIONEERING WOMEN As you advance in your career, you are likely to assume a leadership role. As you lead in various ways, be it leading a team, a project, a meeting, or a department, it will be beneficial for you to develop a distinct leadership style.

Becoming a good leader does not happen spontaneously, it is an intentional journey that each one of us decides to embark on. Leadership principles and practices can be learned, but that requires a deep commitment.

The Role of a Leader: Leaders provide clear and compelling direction. They do not just state their values they demonstrate them. As a leader, you need to clearly communicate a well-de-

fined strategy for your organization’s future, growth, and your team’s role in helping the organization achieves its objectives.

As you clearly articulate the strategic direction of your organization, you create structure, which helps your team feel more at ease, you build trust within your team and how you communicate the strategic direction ought to inspire hope.

While the role of a leader is fundamentally similar, leadership styles differ.

The leader’s personality, the organizational culture, the leader’s background and more influence some leadership styles.

Developing a Leadership Style: First, you need to set clear expectations and performance targets for your team so that you can hold them accountable. The best practice is to set SMART goals; Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based. Not only does this approach give clear direction, but it also strengthens the confidence of the team.

Developing a distinctive leadership style will be beneficial to you and your career as it sets you apart and it helps you identify whether that style is effective for your team and organizational context.

In developing your distinct leadership style, you will be more likely to succeed as a leader if you focus on strengths and engagement to drive performance.

Strengths: As a leader, when you focus on your personal strengths and leverage them, you individualize your leadership style. Consequently, when you focus on each of your team member’s strengths and coach them on how to leverage those strengths in your organisational context, you enable them to individualize their leadership style.

According to Gallup®, the most effective people are those who understand their strengths and behaviours. They are the best to develop strategies and meet and exceed demands of their daily lives, careers and family. An awareness and understanding of your natural talents will provide true insight into the core reasons behind your consistent successes.

When you accentuate your team members’ individual strengths, you nurture their natural abilities and position the entire team for success.

Engagement: It is also beneficial to prioritize individual

and team engagement by creating an environment that inspires and energizes the team. You can do this by encouraging your team to develop new skills, co-create their performance goals based on the company’s strategic direction, revisit the company purpose and objectives so that they can see their role in the business, and you can assess their workplace needs and respond with action and accountability.

For instance, you can assess if your team is able to perform their roles efficiently with the tools provided for them. If not, you can then respond accordingly, within reason of course.

Another beneficial practice is having one-on-one sessions with your team.

If you do not have a huge team, this is advantageous, however, if you have a team of more than fifteen direct reports, this practice will be challenging and time consuming.

When you develop your individual leadership style and assist your team in developing theirs, you enable your team to be effective and excellent. As you focus on strengths, engagement, and performance and give regular feedback, you create an effective and strong team of leaders.

Long-live the new type of grandparent!

Forget about the old-fashioned image of the grandma who wears her grey hair in a bun and the grandpa who smokes his pipe in a rocking chair on the porch. Today’s grandparents work or go to university, they travel, go to shows, paint, jog, ski, and are far from being ready to give up their active lifestyles.

Old age and grand-parenting are no longer synonymous — on average, people these days become grandparents around the age of 50. This means that grandchildren can enjoy long-term relationships with their elders, who are often in excellent health. Indeed, because of the prevalence of reconstituted families, many grandchildren now find themselves the beneficiaries of more than one set of grandparents.

But this multiplicity of grandmothers and grandfathers can raise the

question of what kind of role they should play. It is always a good idea for grandparents to ask themselves what kind of grandpa or grandma they want to be. What values do they wish to transmit? How far can they go without being too intrusive or offending anyone? The whole family will benefit from frank discussions between children, parents, and grandparents. One thing is for certain: grand-parenting can be a truly enriching experience. It is often with the grandchildren that we can catch up on lost time with our own now-adult children.

Intergenerational homes When thinking about the practicalities of daily life with young children and aging parents, an intergenerational home, also called a bi-generational home, is a great option to consider. It is a model for living that allows the whole family to be close together while

keeping a certain amount of privacy. It can make becoming homeowners easier for younger adults, and it allows adult children to have support with childcare and childrearing. Conversely, sharing a home provides aging parents an alternative to isolation. It can also provide them the kind of support that would let them to stay out of a seniors’ home for longer.

Building an intergenerational home or renovating an existing house is a challenge that must take into account privacy requirements and financial resources. The legal aspects of this type of project are also of vital importance and should not be overlooked. Above all, parents and grandparents must not let emotions override the need to keep things legally clear regarding home ownership and financial responsibility.

While the idea of an intergenerational house is very attractive, everything should be put

in writing in order to avoid any unfortunate disagreements.

There is another essential step to take if you’re ready to embark on an intergenerational home project: check your municipality’s regulations about renovations or apartments within homes. These regulations can vary from one town to another, so it is essential to carry out a complete enquiry before putting any plans into operation. In some municipalities, for example, the dimensions of the supplementary living space will be limited to a precise percentage of the main living area, or perhaps a communal kitchen will be required. Living in an intergenerational home has many advantages, but in order to make sure the project is nothing but a success, be sure to plan things out fully, down to the very last detail.

Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

REAL ESTATE

PAGE 35

Inflation, interest rate and housing imbalance JAY BRIJPAUL brijpaul@carib101.com

REAL ESTATE PRO

Low mortgage rates and the prospect of becoming rich are fuel for house prices ballooning with enormous elasticity. Toronto has advanced to second place in the USB Global Real Estate Index, which scrutinizes residential property prices in twenty-five major cities around the world. COVID-19 battered employment in the GTA. A new frontier emerged where families could work remotely. With this came a scramble to buy out-of-town properties at attractive prices. Despite this, it is evident that home prices continue to soar in the GTA.

To finance a home, lenders look at the borrower’s income. 39% of a buyer’s gross income can be used to pay for property tax and mortgage. This is called the Gross Debt Service (GDS). 44% of the buyer’s gross income can be used to pay for mortgage, property tax and all other debts. This is called the Total Debt Service (TDS). When interest rates are low, buyers can borrow more money but, in the process, will take on bigger debts. The cost of living is high and the price for products and services are inflating. Income, on the other hand, cannot keep up. We are in turbulent time, on a steep and steady climb to the summit. Could the turbulence create an avalanche in the housing market?

Rising interest rates are the only solution to douse inflation. The pandemic is receding. The economic engines are tuned and ready to go. By April 2022, the central bank will raise the prime lending rate. When interest rates increase, borrowing costs increase and debt servicing becomes more difficult. Over-cooling a heated economy is dangerous and there must be a balance. A measured response to interest rate increase would set the stage for further increases.

Debt Consolidation With high home prices and low mortgage rates, it’s one of the best times to consolidate one’s debts into the mortgage and have one mortgage at a low interest rate.

High interest debts, such as credit cards and unsecured loans, are financial vampires. Once the debts are consolidated, consider increasing the mortgage payments. This would allow you to pay down the mortgage quicker.

Arrange a Home Equity Line Of Credit A home equity line of credit (known as a secure line of credit) is a giant overdraft protection and since it is secured against the home, the interest payment is relatively low compared to an unsecured line. It is meaningful for mortgage free homeowners to have since it is registered on the title of the property. This impedes title fraud.

Title fraud is when an imposter makes it appear as though they are the owner. They can then use your property as collateral.

Title thieves often target properties without a mortgage because a mortgage or line of credit is like an alarm that is triggered

when an impostor tries to steal the title. A secure line of credit can be used whenever needed. The benefits are that the homeowner can access heaps of money for investments.

Buy Real Estate There are always buying opportunities in real estate. If we can reverse time, many of us would buy real estate and hold onto it.

The best time to plant a fruit tree was in the past because those trees planted earlier are now bearing fruit. The next best time is now because the seeds of investment will bear fruit tomorrow. What we think is expensive today will look cheap ten years from now. First, get a mortgage approval.

Next, look for where you can get the best

investment. Seasoned investors analyze investments carefully. I recall an investor who recently invested $100,000 to buy a six-plex in Sudbury for $300,000. She hired a property manager to take care of the investment. In the GTA, $100,000 is hardly any fuel in the tank. However, this out-oftown property has six tenants contributing to her portfolio.

Globalization has its fortunes and misfortunes. COVID-19 gave us a glimpse into the future. We are so connected that another outbreak can decimate our crops and life stock or force another shut down. We are entering an era where the gorge between the rich and poor is broadening. Homeownership is immunity to poverty.

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HOME

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

DIY painting How to choose the right finish When it comes time to paint a room, simply choosing a colour for your walls is not enough; you also need to pick the right finish. Follow this guide to make an informed decision.

Five perks of light wood flooring Are you torn between installing light or dark wood flooring in your new home?

Here are five great reasons to opt for paler floors: 1. They’re easier to maintain and don’t show dirt and signs of wear as much as darker floors.

2. They reflect natural light and make a room look bigger and brighter. Pale floors are especially ideal if you intend on painting your walls a dar­ker shade.

3. Pale floors complement al­ most every colour imagi­ nable. They’re the perfect

choice to highlight vibrant walls. (A white floor creates a beautiful contrast with bright red walls, for example.)

4. They give your home a fresh and airy feel — perfect for the bathroom, wouldn’t you agree? Furthermore, white is a soothing colour.

• Matte finish. The rich appeal of a matte finish creates a warm ambiance. What’s more, matte fini­shes are great for camouflaging subtle imperfections on the surface of your walls; however, they tend to be harder to clean. Reserve matte finishes for your ceiling or rooms with little traffic like the master bedroom.

5. Lastly, pale floors put your beautiful furniture in the spotlight.

• Eggshell finish. Like matte, an eggshell finish is perfect for rooms with little traffic since it tends to get dirty faster. The good news is that eggshell-finished walls are a lot easier to clean.

Convinced? Visit a specialty retailer in your area to find the perfect pale wood flooring for your humble abode!

• Satin finish. A satin or pearly finish is ideal in areas that require a lot of upkeep and cleaning, like bathrooms, kids’ be-

Dresser, cupboard or wardrobe: which is right for you?

Are you looking for the perfect piece of furniture to store your children’s clothing or maybe your own? Here’s some information to help you make the right choice.

• The dresser, which comes equipped with several drawers and sometimes a mirror, is perfect if you don’t need that much storage space. The drawers typically aren’t very high, so you can’t pile up too many clothes in each one.

• The cupboard, which is made up of shelves and two swinging doors, offers more storage space than the dres-

ser. How­ever, keep in mind that you’ll need enough clearance to fully open the doors.

• The wardrobe — a large, tall cabinet in which a person’s entire collection of clothing can be stored — is the ideal choice if you prefer to hang your clothes and don’t have a built-in closet.

This piece of furniture of­ ten comes equipped with shelves, drawers or baskets for maximum storage. Like the cupboard, a good deal of clearance space is needed; however, some models come with sliding doors.

Whatever model you choose, it’s important to consider style and practicality.

Whether you opt for a classic, vintage or modern look, make sure your storage unit complements your existing decor.

Furthermore, keep in mind that wood is more durable than plywood or plastic (although the latter two offer a greater selection of colours and styles).

Finally, if you’re shopping for a storage unit for your child’s bedroom, opt for a durable model with rounded corners and edges. If you intend to keep it for years to come, avoid buying anything too childish in style. Happy shopping!

drooms, kitchens and hallways.

• Semi-gloss finish. Semi-gloss finishes reflect lots of light, making your space look bigger and brighter. They also highlight subtle architectural details like woodwork and panelling. While easy to clean, semi-gloss finishes aren’t necessarily the most suitable choice for your walls, as they tend to reveal imperfections. Nevertheless, they can be an interesting choice to brighten darker spaces like the basement.

• High-gloss finish. A glossy finish is frequently used to accentuate the architectural particularities of a home’s interior design.

Lastly, keep in mind that shinier finishes make brush strokes more obvious. If your painting skills leave much to be desired, opt for a matte finish or, better yet, call in the professionals!

FUN

Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 37

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 21 TO NOVEMBER 27, 2021

ARIES

The luckiest signs this week: VIRGO, LIBRA AND SCORPIO

You’ll be a chatterbox this week, but luckily there will always be someone around who wants to talk. At work, you’ll expand your cli­ entele consi de rably, and you might even make some new friends.

TAURUS

You’ll find some money tucked away, perhaps in the pocket of an old ski ja­cket that you forgot about last year. In your love life, you need to communicate more openly, if only to receive the af­ fection you desire.

PUZZLE NO. 749 ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 749

HOW TO PLAY :

GEMINI

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

You’ll start to plan various events that you need to attend in the near future. If you’re feeling a heavy emotional weight on your shoulders, some self­reflection would probably do you good.

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.

Silence can often be worth more than words. You have an extraordinary well of creativity to draw upon. The comfort you feel at home will allow you to create a work of art or open yourself up to a spi­ritual practice.

CANCER

LEO

Some friendships don’t deserve your attention, so you may need to clean up your social circle. You’ll take a liking to some of your colleagues as you colla­b orate on a project and take on a leader­s hip role.

PUZZLE NO. 39 45. Metallic auto trim 48. Mimic 51. Level 52. Brightest star 53. Hubbub 54. Poverty 55. Road bend 56. Beef dish 57. Boats like Noah’s

ACROSS 1. Cry of dismay 5. Drench 9. “A Nightmare on ____ Street” 12. Faction 13. Expression of pain 14. Round vegetable 15. Step

16. More visionary 18. Zooms 20. Hits with the foot 21. NHL athlete, e.g.

22. Damsel 24. Learn 26. Milky jewel 28. Eavesdrop

31. Pirate’s yes 32. Actor Sal ____ 34. Water tester 35. Dominated 36. Excuse 37. Elect 38. Curds and ____ 40. Dance noisily 42. Witness again

DOWN 1. Certain vipers 2. Bound 3. Received 4. Take the wheel 5. Puts down turf 6. “____ Town” (Wilder play) 7. One who excels 8. Uniform color 9. Long heroic poem 10. Onion’s cousin 11. Damages 17. Halfway 19. Fate 22. Masculine 23. Out of the weather 24. “Has Anybody Seen My ____” 25. Check out

27. Conduit 28. Brief stay on a journey 29. Dad 30. Thus far 33. Promise 38. Moistened 39. Warms 41. Gladiator’s spot 42. Move upward 43. Ostrichlike birds

44. Moral transgressions 45. Black bird 46. Humble 47. Results 49. Tyke 50. Emotional poem

ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 39

VIRGO

It’s normal to want to celebrate after ac­complishing a feat or com­ pleting a ma jor project. That’s why you won’t he sitate to join in on any festivities organized by your co­workers or loved ones..

LIBRA

You need to have fun, and procrastination is in the air. Remember that relaxation is necessary at times. Afterward, you’ll be able to move forward with more de­termination and avoid any kind of de­lays or distractions.

SCORPIO

If your family is scattered across the country, you’ll start to plan a wonderful holiday tour to visit everyone. Alterna­tively, you’ll con­ sider going on vacation with your loved ones.

SAGITTARIUS

You’re a master in the art of negotiation. At work or elsewhere, you’ll successfully reach an agreement on the financing for a project.

You might find yourself afraid to disappoint those around you.

CAPRICORN

You’ll have a successful week, especially if you work in sales. You’ll see an in­crease in customers to the point where management will have no choice but to promote you. You’ll also be good at ma­naging the little de­ tails.

AQUARIUS

At work, it’s important to have a put­together look so you can present your­self in the best light. Being able to joke around will also be well received by your superiors. In love, passion leads to com­ mitment.

PISCES

You’ll have a few small family matters to take care of. Don’t hesitate to talk openly about them, as silence can in­crease the risk of miscommunication at home. You may have to work late into the evening this week.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

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PAGE 40

FINANCE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Four smart strategies to combat rising interest rates CLEVE DeSOUZA cleve@carib101.com

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

As inflation continues to soar, many analysts believe that the Central Bank of Canada will begin hiking interest rates soon, with many predictions saying as early as spring of 2022. If you have been waiting to pull the trigger on buying a home and are now feeling stressed about rising interest rate speculations, do not despair. While higher interest rates can cause home buying power to be reduced, there are several smart strategies to combat this dilemma.

Here are a few to consider.

Buy down the interest rate If you plan to stay in your home for the long haul, one strategy to employ can be buying down the interest rate. This is essentially where you pay a premium at closing, called “points”, in exchange for a lower interest rate over the life of your loan. This is especially popular for people who choose a thirty-year fixed rate loan product, and plan to keep their home and their loan at least five-seven years. Each point purchased will cost about 1% of your loan amount and reduce the interest rate by about 0.25%. On a $300,000 mortgage, this means that one point would cost about $3,000. Depending on the rate secured, this “point buydown” will save you about $40 a month. In this scenario, it would take about seventy-five

months (or just over six years) to realize this savings. However, if you keep your home for ten years, you will have saved nearly $2,000 on interest during the life of the loan!

Consider alternate loan products If you do not plan to stay in your home long enough for a rate buy down to make sense, you may want to look into an ARM loan.

Unlike a thirty-year fixed rate mortgage where the rate is locked in for the life of the loan, an ARM product locks the rate in for a given number of years (typically five-ten), and then adjusts to a variable rate after that time. These products often have lower interest rates, and people who plan to sell their home before their fixed rate period is over, usually benefit from this type of strategy.

Another loan product that often carries a lower interest rate is the fifteenyear fixed rate mortgage. This requires higher monthly payments, since it is only amortized over fifteen years instead of thirty years, but for someone who has room in their budget for the increase, it can save them big bucks in interest over the life of the loan. Here are some example numbers to consider on a $300,000 mortgage: 15-Year at 3.20% Monthly Payment: $2,100.72 Interest Over First 5 Years: $41,531.67 Total Interest Paid: $78,130.25 - VS 30-Year at 3.80% Monthly Payment: $1,397.87 Interest Over First 5 Years: $54,328.80 Total Interest Paid: $203,233.94

As you can see, the fifteen-year product requires $702.85 more per month in payment commitment but saves $12,797.13 in interest over the first five years. If this example loan were to be kept for the entire loan period, the amount of interest saved with the fifteen-year option when compared to the thirty-year option is over $125,000! To easily find out how much this strategy could save you, simply plug your own unique numbers into a basic mortgage calculator and then do the math!

Shop around for better pricing Many people fail to get the best mortgage rate available because they just don’t shop around and compare pricing. While rates do generally go up across the board when they increase, different lenders sometimes run “specials” or have pricing discounts that may be unique to their organization. Working with an independent mortgage broker is often a smart move, since they generally have access to multiple lending companies and make it their job to know who is offering what deal. They can also help you understand how much of a mortgage you can afford and provide insight into financial considerations you may not have thought to budget for.

Don’t give up Just because interest rates in Canada seem to be on the rise, it doesn’t mean that you should give up on your dream of home ownership. With a little smart money strategy, it might still be possible to get a great rate when buying a new home!

5 ways to save energy this winter In winter, excessive energy use can result in costly utility bills. Fortunately, there are things you can do to minimize the amount of energy you consume. Here are five ways to conserve energy this winter.

1. Reuse the heat from your oven Leave your oven door open after cooking or baking to take advantage of the heat that was generated to warm your kitchen.

2. Let sunlight in during the day The sun offers a free source of heat. To warm your home naturally, simply open your curtains and blinds during the day.

However, always remember to close them

when the sun goes down, as this will reduce the amount of chill from cold windows.

3. Choose LED holiday lights LED lights use 75 per cent less energy than incandescent bulbs. They also last much longer. With proper care, you’ll be able to use them for many years to come.

4. Change your air filters regularly Improve your indoor air quality and lower your energy expenditure by performing this home maintenance task. If you have clogged filters, your HVAC system will need to work much harder to heat your home, resulting in higher energy bills.

5. Adjust your ceiling fans In the winter, set up your fans so that they rotate clockwise. Putting your ceiling fans in reverse will produce an upward draft, moving the warm air down into the rest of the room.

Using these simple strategies can help you save energy while allowing you to stay warm at home. This winter, practise energy conservation in your home to help protect the environment and spend less on your utility bills.

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PAGE 42

AUTOMOTIVE

4 winter storage mistakes to avoid If you have a vintage ride or seasonal vehicle that you need to store for the winter, here are four mistakes you should make sure to avoid.

1. Storing your vehicle in an unsuitable location If you want to keep your car in good condition over the winter, you can’t store it just anywhere. Leaving your vehicle on the dirt or grass, for example, creates a lot of humidity, which can cause your car to rust. The best place to store your ride is in a dry, temperate, well-ventilated area such as a garage.

2. Storing your vehicle with an empty tank To prevent condensation and rust from forming inside your fuel tank, make sure to keep it at least three-quarters full. You may also want to consider adding a fuel stabilizer to make it easier to start the engine in spring.

3. Storing your vehicle while it’s still dirty Deep clean your vehicle inside and out before storing it for the winter.

Loose wrappers and crumbs on the inside of your car can attract pests, while water stains, bird droppings and dirt on the outside of your car can damage the paint.

4. Storing your vehicle without notifying your insurer Remember to inform your insurance company that you’ll be putting your car into storage. You can often switch to a policy with a lower premium that still covers your vehicle for things such as theft and vandalism.

Taking the necessary precautions will ensure your ve­hicle stays in tip-top shape when you’re ready to hit the road again.

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, November 24, 2021

7 ways to get your car ready for winter Winter roads can be hazardous and unpredictable. Therefore, it’s best to be prepared for the worst. Here are a few ways you can make sure your car is ready for winter.

1. Fix paint chips on the outside of your vehicle to prevent corrosion. You can get an exact match of the paint shade used on your vehicle from your local mechanic or car dealership.

2. Stock your roadside emergency kit. It’s a good idea to include items such as a shovel, tow rope, jumper cables, flares, matches, traction aids, flashlights, warm clothing, an emergency blanket and a first aid kit. Remember to keep the lock de-icer on you, instead of in the car.

3. Bring your car to a professional to have the spark plugs, brakes, fluid levels and block heater inspected before the cold weather hits. This will ensure everything is in good working order and help keep you safe on the road.

4. Repair chips in your windshield. Even a minor dent can weaken your windshield, causing it to crack during the winter due to the drastic difference in temperature bet­ween the outside and inside of your car.

5. Install rubber mats to help prevent your interior carpeting from becoming caked with mud, dirt and snow. If your car’s flooring becomes waterlogged

with melted snow, it can fog up your windows. Remember to shake out your boots before getting in the car.

6. Make an appointment for a rustproofing treatment to protect your vehicle from corrosion. This is especially important if you park your car in a heated garage.

7. Lubricate your car’s rubber door seals with a silicone spray. This will prevent your doors from freezing shut in the cold and ensure your seals remain in good condition.

You may also want to invest in a roadside assistance membership for added peace of mind.