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FEATURE
Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, September 15, 2021
ALICIA K HARRIS
Celebrating Black excellence on the big screen She is a highly imaginative filmmaker, with a strong passion for creating independent films that tell the stories of those who normally would not have a voice. What makes her a force of nature is her knowledge of camera, video, audio equipment, and editing software. She has this innate ability to take control of a set, and work with a variety of actors/actresses, and crewmembers at different experience levels. She also has a knack for bringing out the best in an actor/ actress, script, or production. She has been recognized for her well-honed time management skills, which are essential to keeping productions on schedule and cast and crew on task. Her well-developed communication and creative skills are necessary and have assisted her in interpreting scripts, making necessary changes to improve the production of a film, and helping cast members bring her vision to life. Overall, our chosen Woman Empowered Feature continues to wow the world with her extraordinary attention to detail, and her ability to share stories that people can instantly connect to. Alicia K. Harris is a CSA-winning filmmaker from Scarborough, ON. She graduated from Ryerson University’s School of Image Arts in 2016, where her thesis film, Love Stinks, won Best Director and Best Production. After a successful festival run, the film was licensed to CBC. She also happens to be an alumna of The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television directing program for Women, sponsored by Netflix. Collectively, her films have been screened on TVO, Bell Fibe TV1, and at numerous festivals, including: TIFF Next Wave, Vancouver International Film Festival, and the Festival du nouveau cinéma. Her latest film, PICK, gained national and international recognition through a $20K Kickstarter campaign, and was featured in the: Toronto Star, CTV News, and CP24. PICK won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Live Action Short in 2020, Best Short Film at the Miami Film Festival, and Best Fiction Short at Yorkton Film Festival. Her most recent credits include the “Pressure” music video for Grammy-winner Koffee, and a Black hair documentary for LUSH. She is known for her high-concept visual style, including elaborate set design; distinct colour palettes; and stylized cinematography. Alicia is dedicated to celebrating the Black experience in her work, with a focus on beauty, spirituality and vulnerability. She is passionate about making stories that will have a lasting impact on youth. I
had an opportunity to sit down with Alicia, and right away I got caught up in her creativity and imagination. “I am a very proud Scarborough woman. Scarborough gets a bad rep from people who don’t live here.” “I agree with you Alicia.” The interview started with the realization that we both were born in Scarborough, and we easily related on the fact that Scarborough is not recognized for its rich culture, and diverse talent. “My dad is from Jamaica and moved here when he was eight years old. Half of my mom’s side of the family is from Northern Ireland (Ireland and Northern Ireland is not the same thing), and the other half is from Malta. It is not known for anything except being incredibly beautiful. My mom’s family moved to Italy, and lived there for many years. My whole life growing up, I was raised as an Italian. We even spoke Italian at home.” Alicia shares with me how Scarborough influenced her in becoming an artist. “I biked to everyone’s house. There were so many ravines and my sister and I spent a lot of time in nature. It made me an imaginative person, and my earlier experiences fostered my imagination. I have always been very bossy. I don’t see it as a negative thing. I was always organizing, getting involved. I always wanted to be a leader. This was obvious with my family.” Alicia admits that she was always involved in the creative arts. She found herself expressing what she felt through art. Drawing was the first thing that she really connected with and she began to take art classes. It was the love of music that pushed her in the creative area. She loves singing, and loves Mariah Carey. “I really idolized singers, and although I enjoyed the art of singing, it didn’t seem like a natural path for me.” I started making small videos with my sister. I would make montage videos, and friends and family really seemed to enjoy them. What inspired directing was when I was in high school. I began directing plays, and I found that being a director gave me a really good picture of how all the creative elements can come together under a director.” There came that moment in time when Alicia knew that there was more to her ability then she thought. “There was a play I directed in high school, and a teacher who was hard to impress came up to me crying. She was moved to tears by our play. I knew at that moment
that I was doing something special. It was a surprise that something that came from my brain had an effect on someone. Everyone has the ability to connect with people. We can learn to empathise with people by sharing their stories. This was the trampoline that propelled her into the world of film. From there, the world opened up for her. One of her most notable short films is called Pick. Pick is about a girl who wears her Afro to school on picture day. I had a chance to watch Pick, and I was moved by how well she shared the story. I learned that this story was based on her experiences as a child. “She has to deal with everyone’s comments about her hair. It was something that I had dealt with during my primary school years. My natural self was not accepted or appreciated. After the release of Pick, I had so many Black women come up to me and tell me that I captured their lives. I even had non-Black people come up to me and tell me that they had learned so much. This is the push that I need to keep going.” I also had a chance to check out her film “Lush.” It was a compelling short film about the power and energy of Black women’s hair. Throughout the film, women shared their stories about relinquishing their colonized thoughts on natural hair. Each story allowed you to look into the Black woman’s painful experiences, and then joy of realizing that their hair was their power. The final message: Black hair is love.
Finally, I had the opportunity to watch “Pressure,” the music video that she directed for Grammy-award winner Koffee. “The music video I made for Koffee was my first paid directing job. It was special because I was scared going into the process. I felt pressure. It was a topic that was meaningful to me. I have seen things about Black people that were exploitative. I wanted this piece to be meaningful; I wanted to capture it with care. Even putting it out, I was nervous. Did I tell the story with empathy and love? It was special to work with another woman, who was passionate about the movement for equality, and standing for what she believed in. I still can’t believe that this has all happened for me.” “What is one piece of advice that you would give a young filmmaker getting into the industry?” “You are worthy of your story being told. Take up as much space as you can.”
Photo Credit: Carmen Cheung
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PAGE 3
Vaccine Passports are illegal; as Canadian Citizens, you just need to know your rights and we are here to help you with that your family from impending dictatorship.
SIMONE SMITH
Genetic Non-Discrimination Act S.C. 2017, c. 3 Assented to 2017-05-04 (https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/ acts/G-2.5/page-1.html)
TC REPORTER
This Act is to prohibit and prevent genetic discrimination Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
simone@carib101.com
“At its essence, a vaccine passport presumes that individuals will be required or requested to disclose personal health information – their vaccine/immunity status – in exchange for goods, services and/or access to certain premises or locations. While this may offer substantial public benefit, it is an encroachment on civil liberties that should be taken only after careful consideration.” ~ Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada We are living in interesting times. We have gone through over eighteen months of fear mongering, lockdowns, strategies implemented by the government to deceive and divide, as well as freedom encumbrances that have no scientific basis. The most recent government implementation is the idea of a vaccine passport. Some governments and businesses are now considering vaccine passports as a means of allowing a return to something resembling normal life. Toronto Caribbean Newspaper does its best every edition to arm our readers with information that they can use to make educated choices for themselves and their families. This article is no different. People have been concerned about what to do about the vaccine passport, so I did my research, and below I have provided you with the three documents that uphold what it means to be a free citizen living in Canada, and how you can use this information to assert your rights. What we must keep in mind is that our privacy is a right. I want you to think about this as you are going through this article. The verbiage that I use is coming directly from the Canadian government website, and I encourage you to look this up after. Remember that applied knowledge is power. Let’s start by talking about the vaccine passport. A vaccine passport can take a number of different forms, such as: a digital certificate presented on a smartphone app or a paper certificate, but it essentially functions to provide an individual with a verified means of proving they are vaccinated in order to travel or to gain access to services or locations. What justifies this measure is that it i based on the idea that vaccinated individuals have a significantly decreased risk of becoming infected and a decreased risk of infecting others This is if, and only if it is supported by evidence of their effectiveness. Vaccine passports could bring about broad and impactful benefits, including allowing increased personal liberties, fewer restrictions on social gatherings, and accelerated economic recovery resulting from greater participation in society. I am going to provide you with three separate documents that will assist you in standing up for your rights and freedoms, and protecting yourself and
The following definitions apply in this Act. • Disclose includes to authorize disclosure. (communiquer) • Genetic test means a test that analyzes DNA, RNA or chromosomes for purposes such as the prediction of disease or vertical transmission risks, or monitoring, diagnosis or prognosis. (test génétique) • Health care practitioner means a person lawfully entitled under the law of a province to provide health services in the place in which that person provides the services. (professionnel de la santé) Prohibitions Genetic test (1) It is prohibited for any person to require an individual to undergo a genetic test as a condition of (a) Providing goods or services to that individual; (b) Entering into or continuing a contract or agreement with that individual; or (c) Offering or continuing specific terms or conditions in a contract or agreement with that individual. What does this mean? It means that first, you are not required to take a vaccine, and your job cannot force you to do so. Refusal to undergo genetic test (2) It is prohibited for any person to refuse to engage in an activity described in any of paragraphs (1)(a) to (c) in respect of an individual on the grounds that the individual has refused to undergo a genetic test. Disclosure of results 4 (1) It is prohibited for any person to require an individual to disclose the results of a genetic test as a condition of engaging in an activity described in any of paragraphs 3(1)(a) to (c). Refusal to disclose results (2) It is prohibited for any person to refuse to engage in an activity described in any of paragraphs 3(1)(a) to (c) in respect of an individual on the grounds that the individual has refused to disclose the results of a genetic test. Written consent 5. It is prohibited for any person who is engaged in an activity described in any of paragraphs 3(1)(a) to (c) in respect of an individual to collect, use or disclose the results of a genetic test of the individual without the individual’s written consent. Offences and Punishment Contravention of sections 3 to 5
7. Every person who contravenes any of sections 3 to 5 is guilty of an offence and is liable (a) On conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding $1,000,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or to both; or (b) On summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding $300,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months, or to both. That’s right! Businesses, restaurants, venues have no right to ask you to disclose if you have taken the vaccine. It is against the law. So regardless of what our Prime Minister is saying, it is against our rights to impose a vaccine passport, especially when there is not scientific evidence to support the need for one. Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms How does the Charter work with other Canadian laws? The Constitution is the supreme law of Canada; all other laws must be consistent with the rules set out in it. If they are not, they may not be valid. Since the Charter is part of the Constitution, it is the most important law we have in Canada. However, the rights and freedoms in the Charter are not absolute. They can be limited to protect other rights or important national values. For example, laws against hate propaganda or child pornography may limit freedom of expression. Section 1 of the Charter says that law can limit Charter rights so long as those limits can be shown to be reasonable in a free and democratic society. Let’s take a look at the two sections that the Vaccine Passports violates: Mobility rights – section 6 Mobility of citizens 6. (1) Every citizen of Canada has the right to enter, remain in and leave Canada. Rights to move and gain livelihood (2) Every citizen of Canada and every person who has the status of a permanent resident of Canada has the right: • To move to and take up residence in any province; and • To pursue the gaining of a livelihood in any province. That means that you can’t tell citizens of Canada that we cannot travel because we don’t have a vaccine. They cannot limit our mobility. Section 7 - Life, liberty and security of person 7. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice. Section 7 guarantees the life, liberty and personal security of all Canadians. It also requires that governments respect the basic principles of justice whenever they intrude on those rights. Section 7 often comes into play in criminal matters because an accused person clearly faces the risk that, if convicted, his or her liberty will be lost. I want to end this article with
the strongest legal tool that citizens will need. Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/opc-news/ speeches/2021/s-d_20210519/) Vaccine passports must be developed and implemented in compliance with applicable privacy laws. They should also incorporate privacy best practices in order to achieve the highest level of privacy protection commensurate with the sensitivity of the personal health information that will be collected, used or disclosed. Above all, and in light of the significant privacy risks involved, the necessity, effectiveness and proportionality of vaccine passports must be established for each specific context in which they will be used. • Necessity: vaccine passports must be necessary to achieve each intended public health purpose. Their necessity must be evidence-based and there must be no other less privacy-intrusive measures available and equally effective in achieving the specified purposes. • Effectiveness: vaccine passports must be likely to be effective at achieving each of their defined purposes at the outset and must continue to be effective throughout their lifecycle. • Proportionality: the privacy risks associated with vaccine passports must be proportionate to each of the public health purposes they are intended to address. Data minimization should be applied so that the least amount of personal health information is collected, used or disclosed. The necessity, effectiveness and proportionality of vaccine passports must be continually monitored to ensure that they continue to be justified. Vaccine passports must be decommissioned if, at any time, it is determined that they are not a necessary, effective or proportionate response to address their public health purposes. I want you to read this last part, because it is the most important. So far we have not been presented with evidence of vaccine effectiveness to prevent transmission, although members of the scientific community have indicated that this may be forthcoming. We recognize that scientific knowledge about COVID-19 and the vaccines is advancing quickly and discussions about vaccine passports are underway in some jurisdictions. CANADIAN CITIZENS, LEARN YOUR RIGHTS AND EXERCISE THEM! Don’t be afraid to stand up against the government. We have to revaluate our thoughts on the government, and keep them in check. They are here to work for us, not the other way around. They are not exempt from the laws that make up this great country, and if it means that we must revolt, then let it be. Are you ready to take a stand?
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Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown’s use of offensive slur “Brown-town” to describe Brampton brings calls for apology for use of derogatory terms PAUL JUNOR
paul@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
There has been much controversy that has dogged Patrick Brown over the last few years. As Mayor of Brampton since October 22nd, 2018, there were many expectations that the revival of his political career would bring to an end to scandals that have tarnished his political life. As the Ontario provincial election looms next year, it must be remembered that Patrick Brown was the previous leader of the Ontario Political Conservative party in 2018. He stepped down after allegations arose of sexual misconduct when he was a federal Member of Parliament. The Canadian Press published an article three years ago titled, “Timeline of the fall and rise of Patrick Brown’’ which documented the ups and downs of his political journey. He subsequently received the go ahead to run for leadership of the PPC party on February 21st, 2018, but subsequently withdrew his name on February 26th,2021. It was later on July 27th that he announced his campaign to become mayor of Brampton, which culminated in him being elected on October 22nd, 2018. As mayor of Brampton, there are still on-going conflicts. His 2018 memoir, “Takedown: The Attempted Assassination of Patrick Brown,’’ resulted in a lawsuit being filed against him by the previous Ontario PC leader Vic Fedeli for defamation of character. This suit was eventually settled, and an apology was issued to Brown who sued Sovereign for wrongful denial of insurance coverage. There were allegations of corruption at Brampton City Hall, which involved the firing of NIkki Kaur after she raised concerns to city council about the hiring of Brent Hall, who has close political connections to Patrick Brown. The
Toronto Star followed up in an article on May 15th, 2021, titled, “An inside look at the allegations consuming Brampton City Hall.” The article calls into question Mayor Patrick Brown’s judgments after it was revealed that he went to the home of Gurdeep Kaur three days after she was fired as Director of Corporate Affairs. She accused senior administrators at Brampton City Hall of “Mishandling public funds, manipulating hiring practices, racism and harassment.” This issue is still ongoing. Unfortunately, another incident has occurred which was reported by the Pointer in a report by Nida Zafar on August 31st, 2021. It was titled, “Patrick Brown uses a common slur for Brampton, calls it ‘Brown-town’ but refuses to apologize.” Mr Brown’s use of this derogatory term occurred during a speech that he gave to attendees at the virtual scholarship event sponsored by the Black Education Fund (BEF) on August 22nd. During the speech, Mayor Brown states, “Education can move mountains. Education unlocks doors and anything we can do in the city of Brown-town city of Brampton to be an ally, you can count on us.” The video can be seen on YouTube and the BEF’s website. The offensive term can be heard at the thirtyseven minute mark of the virtual presentation. Dave Bosveld, founder and board member of the BEF, indicated that the video was not posted until August 30th, 2021, with the hope that Mayor Brown would apologize. He states, “This is from a person who we expect to advocate for Brampton, and all of the people, and represent all of the people that live here, and we have a bit of a high standard.” He acknowledges, “we’re saying we’re offended. You don’t need to see a video of the event.” Many of the attendees responded immediately when they heard the Mayor utter this term. Many people are disappointed that Mayor Brown refused to apologize and has not accepted responsibility for the harm that it has caused to the South-Asian community.
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Bill Gates in Africa and India, a legacy of Lies and Death by injection MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
Why would a grown billionaire leave his country and travel halfway around the world to sterilize and kill small children who have never done him any wrong? Just ask Bill Gates. The director and maker of Plandemic 2 Mikki Willis zeroed in for a closer look at Gates, his lies and crimes against humanity especially the children. It is shocking to put it mildly. What is even more shocking is that all the online records these countries kept on the harm Gates has done has been conveniently taken down, removed completely. Before going into this piece, it is crucial to note that Gates has no medical training nor background, yet he has appointed himself to impose secret tests, and vaccinations without consent and even without disclosure to children on the continent of Africa and the country of India. According to Willis, Gates, his foundation, and the organizations that he partnered with told the Indian officials that they were not doing trials. They also told the participants that they were receiving “wellness shots, “to improve their health. Some of these young girls would come back damaged to the point where they could hardly walk, while some did not make it at all, yet Gates and his associates continued their assault on the children of these countries. In these cases, the officials were bribed, Willis said, not knowing Gates’ real agenda. However, when his intentions were discovered, he was kicked out,
and Gates paid no compensation for his crimes, but as one official told Willis recently, “Now they are back again.” Imagine, in India alone Gates has sterilized over half a million females. It was so bad that one Indian official, Dr Collin told Willis, “I was surprised to see American companies acting in ways as barbaric as India.” They were administering HPV shots to young girls who had no idea what was really happening. Now Bill Gates has returned this time under the disguise of CoronaVirus aka the COVID “Scamdemic” with the WHO and the rest of the criminal enterprise. In Africa, he damaged numerous lives with his Polio injection campaign. It was eventually proven that the injection caused more Polio than it cured, and in this case, it was very small children who were given this poison. Gates himself is seen on camera administering the poison to these babies, again this man has no medical background, just a sinister passion to kill and maim. Wilis said, “Of all the communities that I have interviewed for this movie, the ones that are most awake are the Africans. They are the most outspoken, they are fierce, and they are not playing. They have been there and they have seen it. They protest every single day, warning each other like crazy, because they understand that they have been used through generations as test subjects.” Now it’s becoming quite clear why Bill Gates’ wife wants Black people to get the poison first. She is hoping history would repeat itself, but in this case, folks are much more enlightened, and information travels much quicker than in the times when these vampires were on the loose in Africa and India. Hats off to Mikki Willis for shining his high beams in the face of Gates once more. Let’s hope this modern-day bloodsucker never makes it back to his castle intact.
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Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Communist Admiration, Social Credit Systems, Corrupt leadership; what else is in store for our beautiful, democratic country of Canada SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
Continued From Page 1 -- It is our duty as a paper to provide you with factual information that is unbiased, and easy for our readers to fact-check for themselves. Our election is days away, and now is the time for us as a community to critically think about why we are voting, how it is going to affect us now, and most importantly how it is going to affect us in the future. Personally, I think that as a community, we need to establish our own political party, and not have to pick between “evils” but that is a whole other dialogue, and at this moment, we are limited when it comes to choices. I have always been told that you can tell a person by their actions, and our government continues to show themselves, and we are so distracted by propaganda, that we miss the tell-tale signs of things to come. In 2013, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked to speak at an event called “Justin Unplugged,” which invited women to get to know their future prime minister. While speaking to the sold-out crowd of women, Trudeau responded to a question about which nation’s administration he most admired. The Liberal leader said: “There’s a level of admiration I actually have for China because their basic dictatorship is allowing them to actually turn their economy around on a dime and say, ‘We need to go green … we need to start investing in solar.’” He was met with criticism for that remark because some felt that this comment was Justin’s way of showing his admiration of China’s “basic dictatorship.” Alberta MP Tim Uppal, a Conservative, suggested Trudeau’s comments “Demonstrated he’s not fit to lead the greatest democracy in the world.” I think it is fair to say that what Justin said could be taken in many ways, but let’s not forget that this is not the first time that our Prime Minister has praised communist leadership. After Fidel Castro’s death on November 25th, 2016, Trudeau posted a statement on Castro, naming him larger than life, and a remarkable leader. Once again, he received backlash over his comments. Conservative leader Rona Ambrose responded by highlighting the fact that Trudeau was ignoring the thousands of Cubans who were oppressed under his brutal regime. Chiming in was US Senator Marco Rubio, who called the comments “shameful and embarrassing.” This backlash prevented Justin Trudeau from attending Castro’s funeral. Now, the issue lies here; how many of you are comfortable voting in an individual who praises and admires lead-
ers who do not run their countries in a way that conforms to Canada’s heritage, its Charter of Rights and Freedoms, or our multicultural ideology? What is even more troubling is the fact that as of late, it does seem that our leaders have taken on a dictatorship position, demanding their citizens to wear masks (that research has shown does not work), and get inoculated with an experimental vaccination that is still in its trial phase. Our leaders have used fear to whip many of us into submission, and it seems that there might be more to come. I am thankful to the community, and our readers for emailing me some great information, and what I have to share with you might scare some of you, especially if you see how things have been playing out. There are some readers who may look at this information and be okay with it because in their minds, our government has their best interest at heart. Regardless of your perspective, it is important to know that in the near future, more of our rights will be taken away from us, and like a frog in a boiling pot, we won’t even know that it is happening. I was sent a link (https://www. tradecommissioner.gc.ca/china-chine/ cscs-scse.aspx?lang=eng) to a document titled “China’s Corporate Social Credit System: How businesses can prepare.” I was not too sure what to think when I read through the document, but I did feel a chill run through my spine; why? Well, slowly but surely, we have started to see a communist regime quietly make its way into our democratic society, and now, there are documents preparing businesses to use the social credit system. China developed the Corporate Social Credit System (CSCS) to ensure corporate compliance and improve behaviour of companies doing business in China. It is part of the People’s Republic of China’s plan to build a single, standardized reputation system for local and foreign firms alike. The system touches on virtually all aspects of a company’s business operations in China. The automated system collects data, processes and rates it against the defined requirements. Based on their rating, Chinese authorities will reward businesses with “good” and sanction those with “bad” behaviour, yes, just like when we were in kindergarten. China has already introduced the system. “It’s ridiculous for anyone to suggest that I of all people would trade our rights and freedoms for any other system of (government).” ~ Justin Trudeau I thought this quote was interesting, because in the last twenty months, we have watched our system of government change: rules being made for the citizens that do not apply to the leaders, changing position on topics (masks don’t prevent transmission, then switched to the do prevent transmission), and our gov-
ernmental officials being given slaps on the wrist when the disobeyed emergency orders, but I digress. On the Canadian Government Website it explains that businesses will receive low corporate social credit scores if they have unsatisfactory corporate compliance to Chinese rules. As a consequence, China could declare offending companies to have “bad behaviour”. This could result in sanctions, which depending on the rating, could include: • Penalty fees • Higher inspection rates • Targeted audits • Restricted issuance of government approvals • Exclusion from preferential policies • Restrictions from public procurement • Public blaming and shaming • Being blacklisted in extreme cases Companies will receive a high corporate social credit score if they are assessed to be adequately complying with Chinese rules. Compliance, or “Good behaviour” could result in: • Lower tax rates • Good credit conditions • Facilitated market access and more public procurement opportunities • Simpler passage through Chinese customs If you praise the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on social media, you will be given a higher score, potentially leading to benefits such as priority for school admissions, free gym services, shorter wait times at hospitals and other benefits. If you illegally protest against the CCP, forget to pay your utility bill, or knowingly associate with another individual who has a low score (more division), you might
be restricted in accessing public services, excluded from taking transportation, or perhaps your children will be denied entry into the best schools. “Alright Simone,” you might be saying, “But this is for businesses who operate in China, it doesn’t mean that it is going to happen here.” To that comment I would like to take some time to introduce you to China’s Orwellian “social credit system.” It records the social and financial behavior of individuals and corporations across China, using a vast surveillance system, and guess what? It has expanded globally and is now openly operational at the renowned Haidilao Hot Pot restaurant, in Western Canada. Ryan Pan, a manager with Haidilao Hot Pot in Vancouver confirmed that over sixty surveillance cameras have been installed in the restaurant at the request of the Haidilao Corporation. He said that the Vancouver location has thirty tables with two cameras assigned to each table. 2 stars at best, dirty restaurant and quite a rude server, would not be back, also heard they record the patrons at the table TripAdvisor Rating April 29th, 2021 When asked why Haidilao required so many cameras to monitor staff and patrons, Ryan Pan said that the cameras were installed to “punish” staff if they didn’t adhere to corporate standards and to “people track”. Pan also said that the video footage gets sent back to China but declined to say why this was, other than to say the reason for this was “Secret.” Hmmmmmm! The social credit score is already here! Our current Prime Minister praises the country that implements such a system and has allowed it to be here. I wonder what is next for our beautiful, democratic country of Canada?
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Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Introducing the New World Order, so says the Australian health chief JANIECE CAMPBELL janiece@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
The phrase “new world order” has trended on Twitter after an Australian health official used the term during a press conference in reference to the ongoing restrictions within the country. Not a good look on her part, Dr. Kerry Chant, the chief health officer of New South Wales, appeared to use the phrase innocently, alluding to the postCOVID world we’re currently living in. Australia has locked down Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities, after failing to contain the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant. The tough restrictions are expected to last until the end of September. The country now aims to live with, rather than eliminate, the virus once it achieves vaccine coverage of about 70% of
its adult population of 20.6 million, a goal it is expected to reach by early November based on current rates. Answering a journalist’s question about whether contact tracing would be put back in place upon reopening, Dr. Chant said: “We will be looking at what contact-tracing looks like in the new world order. Yes, it will be pubs and clubs and other things if we have a positive case there, [but] our response may be different if we know people are fully vaccinated. We’re working through a number of those issues, but we will have to reflect and learn.” A shock to many, the term “new world order” isn’t something to casually drop in a conversation. For many years, the term has been used to define a theory arguing that the world will one day be ruled by totalitarian order, in which a power elite will eliminate sovereign nation states and rule the world as one. Conspiracists usually link the theory to groups like the Illuminati and the Freemasons society, while some also link it to the 1932 dystopian book by Aldous Huxley, ‘Brave New World.’ While it may have been a comment said in passing or simply a clumsy choice
of words, it’s unclear if Chant is aware of the conspiracy theory or genuinely misused the phrase, without any knowledge of its meaning. However, her use of it was enough to make it trend on Twitter. The social media platform was quick to issue a warning that “unfounded claims about the ‘New World Order’ conspiracy theory are [being] shared after an Australian governmental official used the expression during a press conference on Thursday. Factcheckers have regularly debunked claims connected to the conspiracy theory. The phrase is commonly used to describe times of change or cultural shift.” But the social media giant’s response was no match for the thousands of Twitter users, who in a short period of time, put out over 50,000 tweets commenting and attempting to decode the intent behind Dr. Chant words. “I’ve never heard of New World Order being used to express “times of changes or cultural shifts” but let’s use it in a sentence… “When one is ready to NEW WORLD ORDER one’s situation, station, or status in life then they will be successful.”… No. That ain’t it,” said user @samanthamari-
ka. One person shared a clip of Brad Hazzard, the Minister of Health and Medical Research in New South Wales, repeating the same term during a COVID-19 press briefing. “This is a world pandemic, this is a once in a 100-year-old event,” he said. “So, you can expect that we will have transmission from time to time and that’s just the way it is. We’ve got to accept that this is the new world order.” “Is the Australian government trying to rile everyone up or do they just want everyone to know that they no longer care about keeping their ambitions secret?” tweeted Amy Tarkanian, a former Nevada GOP chairwoman and author. “This is insanity.” James Melville, a U.K. freelance writer and vocal dissident against vaccine passports, warned on Twitter that politicians “might perhaps need to think carefully before using phrases like “new world order” when discussing draconian and authoritarian restrictions to people’s freedoms.”
Saluting Legendary Jamaican Producer Mr. Lee “Scratch” Perry MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
Lee Scratch Perry was a Jamaican record producer, singer; disc jockey and songwriter known for his innovative studio tricks and production swagger unlike any other. It can be said that he helped to reshape Reggae music in to what it has become today. To understand exactly what made Perry tick, one has to go back to a time when Jamaican music was in its infancy
and the founders thrived on creativity in every sense of the word. Perry was born Rainford Hugh Perry in the mid-thirties in Kendal, Jamaica, he was a member of groups like Dub Syndicate, Earthpish and also won a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2002. Perry also had a string of nominations in the same category. He was one of the first Jamaican producers to use his studio as an instrument from which he created the reggae instrumental form known as dub. This is when parts of a rhythm are removed and others amplified by using echo chambers, distortion, and backward tape looping. His first recording in the early 60s “The Chicken Scratch” earned him the nickname Scratch; as well as recording his own material, he produced hits for greats like Justin Hinds and Delroy Wilson to name a few.
It was after scoring a very successful instrumental hit with The Upsetters in the late 60s he changed his label and band name to Lee Perry and The Upsetters. Perry also played a very important role in the early success of one of Jamaica’s biggest and most well known groups The Wailers, with the greats we know as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. When Perry’s famous Black Ark Studio mysteriously burned to the ground with everything in it, he claimed bad wiring as the culprit and soon after he left Jamaica. Fire struck again in 2015 at Perry’s new studio in Switzerland, where he resided with his wife and two children. This time by accident destroying many unreleased recordings and stage costumes, but once again Perry was uninjured and remained productive releasing more musical works. It is safe to say that Perry has been
misunderstood, not given his true credit, and even called names that did not do justice to his character in his lifetime, but one thing that can be truthfully said of Lee Scratch Perry was that he was indeed a rare breed of musical genius. RollingStone describes Perry this way. “The sounds inside Lee “Scratch Perry’s head changed the world –Reggae and Rap wouldn’t exist without him and he did it all without even learning to play an instrument or even make a damn bit of sense.” Perry died in hospital in Lucea, Jamaica, on August 29th, 2021 at the age of 85. This Jamaican musical legend has indeed left his irreplaceable footprint on musical sand of time and he will be missed immensely. Rest in peace maestro the dub master.
Black and racialized education workers in Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers Federation fight back against the Union’s Anti-Black Racism PAUL JUNOR paul@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
On Monday, August 23rd, 2021, a press release was sent out advertising an upcoming press conference. It stated that it would be held at the OSSTF’s head office at 49 Mobile Drive in Toronto on Monday, August 30th, 2021. The press release identifies that the purpose of the conference was to bring awareness of issues that have been festering. It was in March 2021 at the Annual Meeting of the Provincial Assembly that certain Black and racialized members of the OSSTF “Experienced racial violence from delegates and other members of OSSTF for standing up against the continued
injustices that exist in the fabric of the union,” according to a petition that was filed after these incidents. The petition notes, ”Furthermore, this racist violence directly impacts our communities, our students, and every aspect of our society. As a union of education workers, we have a duty to do better and be better. If education workers perpetuate racism and discrimination, how can we claim to be anti-racist in our schools? How can we move towards truth and reconciliation?” The petition made four demands: • A provincial committee for the purpose of dismantling anti-Black racism, and intersectional oppression. • A minimum of four paid organizers responsible for dismantling anti-Black racism, and intersectional oppression throughout our union. • A dedicated budget line in the provincial budget specifically for supporting local districts in the dismantling of anti-Black racism and intersectional oppression.
•
A meeting with the provincial executive to discuss the implementation of these remedies with the following persons: Alicija Gibson, Deborah Buchanan-Walford, Devan Singh, Gord Gallimore, Judy mckeown, Wonuola Yomi-Odedeyi, and Zain Ghadially.
These “OSSTF Disruptors” are intentional about tackling anti-Black racism head-on. In an email communication to its members, the OSSTF revealed that Karen Littlewood, and Harvey Bischof, members of its Provincial Executive and some OSSTF members met with ONABSE. At this meeting five demands were made of OSSTF, which included the first three from the original demands as well as two others with a date of Wednesday, June 30th, 2021 for a response. OSSTF in its response notes, “We are accountable to our members and therefore will not respond to demands or enter into negotiations with other external organizations.” The fact that none of the demands were met does not sit well with ONABSE, and ANCHOR, a coalition of concerned persons and organizations. Warren
Salmon, President of ONABSE states, “We’re here to serve Black educators, students and parents of this province. We’re open to still working with OSSTF to rectify and address the concerns.” Shernett Martin, executive director of ANCHOR states, “The system wants us to put up with racism for a decent job, a home, a good education, but it continues to ignore and marginalize us. How many more amazing Black educators and staff would have to be demoted and lose their jobs because of a system that refuses to change? There are people that are going through mental health challenges. There are people that are unwell because of antiBlack racism.” Deborah Buchanan Walford, newly elected TDSB D12 executive officer and an OSSTF Disruptor notes, ”Wherever possible, amplify Black voices. I cannot say that enough. Amplify our voices, that is how you will help us eventually dismantle and disrupt anti-Black racism in OSSTF.”
NEWS
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News
PAGE 11
Regrettably, there is going to be panic, chaos, shortages and more food price increases; how this will affect the African/Canadian Community? own research. Grocery prices have been on an upward trend for most of the year, and the experts are saying that this will continue for at least the next several years. In the last few months, food prices have risen, on average, by 0.7%. It might not sound like all that much, but consider that over the past year, prices for groceries and other food prepared at home increased by 2.6% overall. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in May 2021, food prices were a whopping 39.7% higher than they were in May 2020. Shortages are also on the rise and are expected to worsen throughout the rest of 2021. In 2020, the pandemic sent food prices up by 3.3%. Most of this was driven by a 4.4% increase in meat, fish, poultry, and eggs. Dairy products, up 3.8%, were also a substantial contributor to the rise (U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics. “Consumer Price Index - December 2020.” Accessed Feb. 10, 2021). For 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicts that food-athome (grocery store) prices will increase 1%-2%. It expects that prices will return to normal after being inflated due to supply shortages during the pandemic. In 2020, at-home food prices increased 3.5%. The USDA predicts food-away-
SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
I was in the grocery store the other day, when I became shockingly aware of a trend that is going to cause disruption in our community, just like it did at the beginning of the 2020 pandemic. I had picked up a couple of vegetables, some cheese, a bottle of wine, and some crackers. When I went to cash out, the cashier told me the amount, and I nearly dropped my wallet. I counted the items in the bag; there were a total of six items, and my bill had come to $65.00. How was this even possible? Some of you may have begun to notice that certain foods at the grocery store are increasing in price, and there are financial experts who are speculating that there is no end in sight to the food price increase madness. What I am going to do in this article is provide you the reader with numbers that will help you make sense of the madness. I will also provide links so that you can do your
from-home (restaurant) prices will increase 2%-3%, and this demand will rise because many restaurants were shut down during the pandemic. (U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Food Price Outlook, 2021, “ Summary Findings. Accessed Feb. 10, 2021). Dairy, poultry, fresh fruit, and vegetable prices are expected to rise up to 1%, while cereal and bakery prices will increase 1.5%-2.5%. Beef and veal prices are expected to drop 1.5%-2.5%. Pork and egg prices could range between a 0.5% drop and a 0.5% increase. Fish and seafood prices are expected to rise 1.5%2.5%. (U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Food Price Outlook,” Download “Changes in Food Price Indexes, 2018 through 2021.” Accessed Feb. 10, 2021). Let’s take a look at what is happening on this side of the border. One of the reasons that we are experiencing higher grocery bills is because of the fall of the Canadian dollar. The reason that it is an issue is because the majority of fruits and vegetables eaten by Canadians are imported and that the rate of inflation on food products has hit 4.1%. 68% of households whose main source of income comes from social assistance live in food insecurity. However, the majority of food insecure households (61.1%) rely on wages or salaries from employment. So how does this affect the Carib-
bean community in Canada? Well according to Paul Taylor (FoodShare Toronto’s Executive Director) a contributing factor to food insecurity in Canada is race. It appears that Black and Indigenous Canadians are more likely to experience barriers to affordable food. Since the beginning of the pandemic, global food supplies have been getting tighter and tighter. It is actually one of the reasons why I urged our community leaders to start helping their individual communities stock up on food. When I first started writing about this, certain individuals derisively dismissed what I had to say, but now the truth is becoming apparent to everyone. Regrettably, moving forward, there are going to be more panic, more chaos, more shortages and more price increases. Now, I don’t want us as a community to panic; I just want us to be aware of the fact that things are not looking good for the food supply these days. So even though food prices are already ridiculously high, now is the time to stock up, because food prices are only going to go higher from here. As I advised last year, larger community organizations, and leadership teams in the African/Canadian community, we need to start organizing food banks all over the city to prepare us for what is to come.
The YMCA, the Peter Gilgan Foundation, CIBC and Rogers Communications develop Mentorship Program to Empower Black Youth tual support provided to these youths throughout the 2021-2022 school year. The good news was reported on a new release at newswire.ca. Medhat Madhy (CEO and President, YMCA of Greater Toronto) states, ”As issues of anti-Black racism and longstanding systemic discrimination have moved to the front burner over the course of the past year, we’re proud to announce the Black Achievers Mentorship Program and support Black youth. This program will be valuable to youth in our community and we’re thankful for the support of the generous donors and community partners making it possible to bring this project to life. Through meaningful relationships and discussions around personal experiences, current aspirations and employment, we hope participating youth will reap the benefits and support offered through this program.” CIBC, one of the five major banks in Canada, was able to make a
PAUL JUNOR paul@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
Starting September 2021, Black high school students who live in the Kingston Galloway, Malvern and Dorset Park neighbourhoods will be able to develop their social skills and access academic help through Black mentors and role models. The YMCA announced that this new mentorship program will be geared to Black youth in the Greater Toronto Area. It is supported through: the Peter Gilgan Foundation, CIBC and Rogers Communications. There will be virRY 10TH
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substantial investment in this program. Claudette Knight (Vice President Talent Development, CIBC) states, “CIBC is committed to helping Canadian youth achieve their ambitions. Mentorship programs like Black Achievers play an important part in providing access to opportunities and networks that can help make dreams a reality. We are proud to support programs that will positively impact underserved youth now and into the future.” Sevaun Palvetzian (Chief Communications Officer and lead for corporate responsibility for Rogers) states, “As we work collectively with organizations like the YWCA of Greater Toronto to close gaps and barriers to education for Black youth, we are proud to support the Black Achievers through our Ted Rogers Community Grants program, which invests annually in the next generation of leaders and innovators. Several members of our Black Leadership Council at Rogers and employee
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resource group Mosaic who help us foster inclusion and diversity within Rogers have been working with the Y to develop this important program for Black youth and have already signed up to be mentors in the fall.” Black youths who volunteer to participate in the program will be introduced to: • Black mentors and role models in the community and their experiences at this age. • Workplace and post-secondary campus exposure through: visits and event participation when in-person activities are permitted. • Life and interpersonal skills as they learn the different pathways to available careers and networking. • A welcoming community of support from participating mentors, and the YMCA of Greater Toronto.
NEWS
PAGE 12
Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Amorell Saninder N’ Shaw challenges, issues, nuances and diversities of anti-Black racism PAUL JUNOR paul@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
The Ontario College of Teachers is the provincially authorized body that is involved in the regulation of the teaching profession in Ontario. It was created by the Ontario College of Teachers Act in 1996 and it “Licenses, governs and regulates” anyone who wants to teach in Ontario for an elementary or secondary public school (oct.ca). The role of professional advisories is to “Provide valuable direction and advice
about issues that matter to teaching professionals.” (www.oct.ca). Over the years, several have been released pertaining to professional boundaries, emotional boundaries, electron communication and sexual misconduct. In the latest issue of the OCT’s monthly publication “Professional Speaking” there was the announcement that Amorell Saninder N’ Shaw will be the lead writer in the advisory on AntBlack racism. She has a background in journalism and completed a graduate degree in Education at the world-renowned Ontario Institute of Education at the University of Toronto. She is currently the principal of Amorell & Co, as well as Partner and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Lead at KBRS, which is one of the major Canadian authorities on human capital. She served for several years as Senior Advisor, Equity and Diversity at the Scarborough campus of the University of Toronto. The Ontario College of Teachers released a YouTube video on August 20th, 2021
in which she discusses how teachers can be role models in support of equity, inclusion and diversity. She states, “It is so important given the fact that teachers really are at the frontline of learning and they often are role models of students. When one thinks of anti-Black racism, often that term could be shrouded in mystery, intrigue, and sometimes there is a sense of defensiveness. Really at the end of the day, what I would like teachers to think is about the opportunities that exist when we are focused on issues of equity, diversity and inclusion. In considering some of the contents of the advisory, it will in fact benefit all students. If one can imagine a learning environment that is grounded in principles of equity, access, inclusiveness and belonging, of course, everyone will benefit and the result at the end of the day would be better. We want all students to feel that all teachers are allies for them and I know that
has been my experience. I had fairly strong positive experiences in public schools and that is what I would want for all students who go through the system.” Ms. N’Daw states advice to help teachers face this issue; • Open up the conversation in: the learning environment, in the classroom and at meetings. • Talk about ways in which students and teachers can co-create an environment that is respectful and welcoming of everybody. The advisory will be published in the December issue of “ Professional Speaking.” There is great hope and expectation from many education stakeholders of the details of it. It will look at the challenges, issues, nuances and diversities of anti-Black racism.
“Prison sucks. Prison is whack!” A young songwriter shares his experiences of life, loss, and music SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
“I am not doing this to be popular; I am trying to raise awareness about what it is like to be in the system.” ~ Andre Blair He has an incredible ear, and has connected and written music with Marky Melody, Chuck Fender, Lutan Fyah, and Gyptian. He uses familiar riffs, riddim driven bass lines and proven song-structure when making music for himself and others. His influences include the work of great producers before him such as Sir Coxone Dodd (foundation Reggae), Dave Kelly (Dancehall) and Dr. Dre (Hip Hop /Rap). As a writer Andre Blair, also known as DreyDen’s, he is cognizant of an artist’s tone and audio styling, which results in lyrics that artists deliver as if they are their own. With his career in music record labels launched, and a roster of artists ready to record in the booth, Dre continues to create musical masterpieces
that will be played long after they are first created. Having written more than 170 songs, topics of Dre’s pen include love, betrayal, infidelity, and the myriad of emotions that come with being in relationships. His lyrical explanation of these life complexities makes experiences relatable to listeners. The incredible part about this young man’s story is the fact that he is doing all of this work from inside a prison. I would like to share with our young men, women, and the community the story of Andre Blair Dre’s relationship with music began at an early age being influenced by the songs his family played at home while growing up. His Jamaican culture was such that he was exposed to all genres of music, especially Reggae and Dancehall. The latter genres are the foundation on which Dre builds his music today. I had a chance to speak with Andre. An interview time was set up for us, and he candidly spoke with me about life, music, and the experiences that had gotten him into his current situation. “I always loved music,” Dre tells me. “My mom sacrificed the house with the white picket fence so that we could travel to Jamaica, and learn about our culture. My father was not around because he had gone to prison. Sad thing is that he actually died in prison. I look just like my father. My son looks like me, and I want him to respect where I come from, and to do better.”
Andre shared with me that he was in for First Degree Murder, He has been in prison for sixteen years, and he is going up for early release. Imagine being in prison for sixteen years, doing everything from scratch and building notoriety as a writer. Andre saw that Kartel was doing it, so he decided that whatever Kartel was doing, he would have to do. “The first song I wrote was in 2006. I was in the cell, looking through the window, and I started to sing about what I was experiencing at that time. I used it to get me through this time. I spent a year in segregation. I would sing about music, family friends. Whenever I would sing, no one would sing after me. It is not that I was the best, but something seemed to resonate and touch people. I decided I am going to find the faces to sing my songs. They couldn’t stop me from writing my music. I started to record (they don’t have a professional studio). Here in Fenbrook, we are not provided with these types of outlets. I may not be able to talk about my issues, but I can sing and write about them. This was very important during this time.” There were two critical moments during his incarceration that changed Andre’s life: the birth of his son, and when he met Ziya Brown, a youth worker who created an organization called Think 2wice. She brought a group of young men from at risk areas to see what prison life was like. She put together a program called Kings to Kingz, which is about the
consequences of the choices that some young men make. “What she wanted to show us was that we are the experts that could change the world. The youth have to see the change in us. Our voices have to be heard. Coming from me, I can speak on it. She is my inspiration to sing. She told me to write. When my son was born, my mind-set changed. What could I do from inside here? One thing that I knew we needed was to build a functioning studio in prisons; it is just like setting up a sewing program. As a songwriter, I want to create an outlet for other writers. I am a fighter; I am a grievance writer, so they know I would challenge them. I understand the power of the pen.” I asked Andre the message he had for some of our young people, especially those who think that street life is the only way. “Prison sucks. Prison is whack. I would tell our young people to maximize their potential. If you think the streets are it, you are setting your bar very low. I was a smart kid. If I had stayed in school, and done what I needed to do, things would have been different. I believe I could have done other things in my life. I have to show the youth in our communities the other side of life. You have to believe in yourself. I am going to be one of the greatest advocates for youth.”
Black Boys Code works to improve the future of Black youth through education in computer science and technology PAUL JUNOR paul@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
Black Boys Code is at the forefront of making a difference in the lives of young Black boys. Bryan Johnson who served as its Chief Executive Officer at Starbucks, Vancouver in Canada in 2015, started it. According to its website: blackboyscode.ca, “It is an organization that introduces Black boys through their critical development years (ages 8 to 17) to computer science through exposure workshops, Hack-
athons, after school and summer programs. Our programs are aimed at boys of a young age to build capacity and skills in the STEM (Science, Technologies, Engineering and Math) fields with a focus on computer science.” Black Boys Code is interested in teaching fundamental life skills that will transform and revolutionize the lives and future of young Black boys. Its mission is simply, “To improve the future of Black youth through education in computer science and technology.” Its overarching vision is “For Black youth to identify the skills and talents they possess so that they can realize their full potential, preparing them for success as tomorrow’s technology leaders and innovators. We give Black youth the training and tools to create their own future and thrive in the innovation economy.” Currently, there are eleven chapters located across Canada in: Montreal, Nova Scotia, Calgary, Edmonton. Vancouver, Toronto, Windsor, Brampton, Hamilton, and London. In
America, there is a chapter located in Atlanta. Supporters of Black Boys Code include: the Government of Canada, TD Bank, Fasken, Lush, Rakuten Kubo, Post Beyond and CIBC. During the summer of 2021, Black Boys Code hosted a Summer Technology Camp in which 290 boys from across Canada improved their digital literacy skills, selfconfidence and problem-solving skills. This Learning Math Through Code camp was the first ever conducted by Black Boys Code. It is on this solid foundation that the non-profit organization organized, to build on the fundamentals that were taught in the summer camp by launching a free virtual Black Boys Code’s Learning Math Code After School Program. It will be available in eight Canadian cities: Brampton, Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Windsor, Edmonton and Toronto. It is open to boys between the ages of ten and fourteen who have a keen interest in pursuing their passion in computer science and coding.
This new virtual after-school program will start on September 15th, 2021 and is sponsored by TD Bank. It will run from September 14th to November 24th from 5-7 pm local time. It will build on the core topics that the summer camp participants learnt during the ten-week program. Parents can enrol their children in the online after school program even if they were not involved in the summer camp. Registrations can be done at Eventbrite: blackboyscode.ca/after-school program. Parents, guardians, caregivers or adults can acquire more information at: Website: www.blackboyscode.com Facebook: Black Boys Code LinkedIn: Black Boys Code Instagram: blackboyscode Twitter: blackboyscode
NEWS
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News
PAGE 13
FDA approved one of the most carcinogenic products in the world, yet we still trust them with our health another great question, and I am going to take you through yet another time in history, that corporate greed, and government corruption has ignored the health of their citizens all so that they could line their pockets. The man behind the legalization of Aspartame is Donald Rumsfeld, who died June 30th, 2021. The legacy he leaves behind is the way in which he had aspartame forced through the FDA process in 1981, which still continues to damage human chromosomes in hundreds of nations. Donald Rumsfeld remarkably executed some of the worst decisions in American foreign policy and got a medal for it. Let’s take a journey back in time and learn a little bit about what corporate greed looks like. It all started when Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president January 21st, 1981. At the time Donald Rumsfeld, while still CEO at Searle, was part of Reagan’s transition team. This team handpicked Dr Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr., to be the new FDA commissioner. I want to note here that at the time Dr Hayes, a pharmacologist, had no previous experience with food additives before being appointed director of the FDA. On January 21st, 1981, the day after Ronald Reagan’s inauguration, Reagan issued an executive order eliminating the FDA commissioners’ authority to take action and Searle re-applied to the FDA for approval to use aspartame in food sweetener. Dr Hayes, Reagan’s new FDA commissioner, appointed a five-person Scientific Commission to review the board of inquiry’s decision. It soon became clear that the panel would uphold the ban by a 3-2 deci-
SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
“There is a lot of concern about the consumption of artificial sweeteners, with some studies showing that sweeteners can affect the layer of bacteria which support the gut, known as the gut microbiota” Havovi Chichger (Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK) Did you know that everytime you take a sip of one of your favourite diet soft drinks, or use sweeteners like: NutraSweet, Equal, E951, AminoSweet, Neotame, and Spoonful, you are adding two types of gut bacteria: E. coli and E. faecalis, and these become pathogenic? Well, what does that mean you ask? Why does this matter? Aspartame/Methanol/Formaldehyde is in over 20,000 manufactured food products and 15,000 drugs, many of which are unlabelled. Aspartame is an addictive excitoneurotoxic, carcinogenic, genetically engineered drug, adjuvant and teratogen that damages the mitochondria and interacts with drugs and vaccines. If it is so dangerous, then why is it FDA approved, and why would countries allow their citizens to consume it? This is
sion. So how did Dr Hayes get around that? He appointed a sixth member on the commission, and the vote became deadlocked. He then personally broke the tie in aspartame’s favour. One of Dr Hayes’ first official acts as FDA chief was to approve the use of aspartame as an artificial sweetener in dry goods on July 18th, 1981. Dr Hayes had to resign from his post at the FDA in November 1983, due to accusations that he was accepting corporate gifts for political favours. Just before leaving office in scandal, Dr Hayes approved the use of aspartame in beverages. Where was Donald Rumsfeld during all of this? Well, he reportedly received a $12 million bonus, along with the award for Outstanding CEO in the Pharmaceutical Industry from the Wall Street Transcript (1980) and Financial World (1981). I have to make sure that I include the fact that in 1985, Monsanto (apparently untroubled by aspartame’s clouded past, including the report of a 1980 FDA Board of Inquiry, comprised of three independent scientists, which confirmed that it “might induce brain tumors“ purchased G.D. Searle, the chemical company that held the patent to aspartame, The FDA had previously banned aspartame based on this finding, only to have then-Searle Chairman Donald Rumsfeld vow to “call in his markers,” to get it approved. Dr. John Olney, who founded the field of neuroscience called excitotoxicity, attempted to stop the approval of aspartame with Attorney James Turner back in 1996. What is troubling is the fact that the FDA’s own toxicologist (Dr. Adrian Gross)
told Congress that without a shadow of a doubt, aspartame can cause brain tumors and brain cancer and that it violated the Delaney Amendment, which forbids putting anything in food that is known to cause cancer. At that time, doctors and researchers had found that aspartame causes: headache, memory loss, seizures, vision loss, coma and cancer. It worsens or mimics the symptoms of such diseases and conditions as fibromyalgia, MS, lupus, ADD, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, chronic fatigue and depression. Despite all of the research that was provided by world-renowned doctors, in 1996 the FDA actually granted blanket approval to aspartame. There have been many studies done since then that speak on the dangers of aspartame, and there is no uncertainty that the FDA admitted to the Senate that aspartame causes cancer and violates the Delaney Amendment. A ban on aspartame would no doubt have serious economic repercussions — it’s in thousands of products, from gum to diet soda, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a single major food corporation that doesn’t use it. If given the choice between corporate interests and citizens’ health, we would hope food regulators would value the latter over the former, and unfortunately that just doesn’t seem to be the case so far. History continues to repeat itself, and at the detriment of who? The people who they think will not do anything about it. How much longer are we going to allow those who don’t mean well for us to determine our lives?
Karen Brown makes history as the first Black female President of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario gan her rise to the upper echelon of the teacher affiliate union in 2009 when she was elected to the provincial executive. Her rise to the presidency is the first ever for a Black person. Ms. Brown started teaching for the Toronto District School Board in 1993 after obtaining an undergraduate degree in Child Studies from Brock University. She subsequently completed a Masters of Education in 2008 from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Ms. Brown was elected as vice-president of Elementary Teachers of Toronto from 2003 to 2012 at the local level. Provincially, she chaired and served on many standing committees and task forces within the union. She has been involved: with the Canadian Labour Congress’ Women‘s Advisory Committee, was a member of the Coalition of Black Trade unionists and has extensive volunteer service with the Canadian Alliance of Black Educators (CABE). In addition, she has been helpful with the Ontario Alliance of Black School
PAUL JUNOR
paul@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
It was truly a historic day in the history of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) when Karen Brown was elected on Friday, August 20th, 2021 as its first Black female president. The news was announced in a release, which can be seen at etfo.ca. As one of the largest education unions in the province, it represents approximately 83,000 elementary public school teachers, occasional teachers and diverse education professionals. Ms. Brown was elected at ETFO’s Annual Meeting after serving as the first vice-president from 2015. She beRY 10TH
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Educators (ONABSE). Her leadership and visionary work were recognized when in 2017 she made the list as one of Canada’s 100 Most Accomplished Black Women. In addition, she was instrumental in the formation of the Single Mothers, where she served as president for many years. It is fitting that Ms, Brown is elected to be president at this time when public education is being attacked by the stringent policies of the current PC-led government of Doug Ford. and an election is forthcoming in June 2022. Her leadership of important education unions is crucial when there is a push for educational institutions to deal with the reality of systemic racism, especially anti-Black racism through the adoption of anti-oppressive and anti-colonial policies. She states in the news release, ”To effectively confront the Ford government’s agenda and defeat them in the next election, we must strategically build community power that puts people first, not corporations.
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We must partner with parent groups, communities, and our labour and education partners from the childcare sector to post-secondary. Working together, we will effect the necessary changes to create a public education system rooted in equity and social justice so every student and ETFO members can thrive.” Ms. Brown is cognizant of the responsibility that comes with being at the helm of this powerful education union. She notes, ”As president, I will lead with the passion and resolve necessary to ensure ETFO members are protected and supported. In the face of systemic racism, ETFO must continue to lead the charge for inclusive workplaces. We must vehemently oppose using race, religion, ancestry, gender, or sexual orientation to build a wedge among members or within our communities.” There are great days ahead for the ETFO as it aspires to make a difference in the lives of all who are concerned about the quality of public education.
NEWS
PAGE 14
Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, September 15, 2021
How to break people out of their trance and defend their freedoms BY JOHNATHAN FREELANCE REPORTER
this is to get them to ask questions. Get them to think. Once you get them to think, you have a good chance of helping break them out of the spell.
A good part of the world is literally under a magical ‘spell’. Fear of death (a “dangerous deadly virus”) and fear of poverty (i.e., fear of “fines” of noncompliance of fascist/ totalitarian orders) are manipulating many people into obedience and compliance. The fact is “the virus” is fake/doesn’t exist. The “infection” is caused by the “injection”. And the fines are being dismissed. The evil people organizing this in reality are incredibly weak. They are parasitic. They feed off other people’s efforts. The only real ‘strength’ they have is being a master of illusion, of deception, and being able to fool a lot of people. This article will teach you how to quickly break these people out of that spell and learn the truth quickly.
STEP THREE: When they are ready - i.e., they seek you out after thinking, now you can present them with the truthful facts and figures you have. Because these facts/ figures will help give them the support they need if other people try and challenge their new belief system.
STEP ONE: First off, all people under the trance are being manipulated by feelings first, then facts/figures second. So, to get through to them you have to address their feelings. Get them to change their feelings.
So that being said, here are some sample questions. 1. You want to ask questions related to the “end game”. Sadly, most people have been manipulated into believing “Just two weeks. Just two more weeks. Just one month. Just two more months. Just one year. Just two years. Its ‘temporary’”. No - it’s not. The people organizing this are pathological liars. So, to snap people out of this “just a little more” trance - ask them how they feel about the end result such as:
STEP TWO: Ask questions. You are on their side. It is not “you” vs “them”. You are their coach. Their friend. You are trying to awaken them. So, one of the best ways of doing
a) How do you feel about getting 20-30 injections over the next five years? “WHAT??” they’ll ask? “Yes, didn’t you know Trudeau/Biden/
etc announced lining up ‘booster’ shots for the next five years? b) How do you feel about wearing a mask for the next five years? “WHAT??” Yes, didn’t you know the world bank published a document in which they said COVID is a five-year project? until March 2025? 2. Ask them their belief system. Think about the inconsistencies in their answers. And then reveal it to them in a question. I.e., there is a lot of fear being broadcast about how possibly ‘unvaccinated’ people could be a ‘host’ to a ‘mutation’ of a ‘new virus’? So many people are becoming “fearful”. Ask them - so, from December 2019, until December 2020, there were no administered “vaccines”. So everyone was “unvaccinated”. Would this not mean then, that there were thousands of “mutations” already being generated, as now “vaccinated” people actually hosted “mutations”? It gets them to think. 3. Use humour, and/or show how these evil people are trying to mock them. i.e., did you know that the “MU” vari-
ant is actually a huge joke, whereby the evil people want people to starting “moooooing” like a cow? They literally want to have a storeful of people, all in a panic, of the upcoming “MU” variant, all going “moooooo! moooooo! moooooo! it’s the mooooooooooo variant!”. They are mocking people. Ask people - did they know they are being made fun of/mocked? Or - point out why COVID is great! I.e., did you know that now it is 100% safe to walk in dark alleyways at night? After all if a robber tries to steal money from you, you can tell them you only have cash. The robber, being afraid to touch the cash, would leave you alone. Better still - just cough and the robber will run away in fear! These are a couple quick and effective strategies to reach people under the trance. Family, friends, business associates. Use them today and use them everyday. It starts with one person, and then changes a nation.
Have you noticed a decline in your child’s cognitive functioning? There is a reason for that that highlight these challenges. A Fox News report examined a study of pre-pandemic babies, and the results showed that they had an IQ ranging from 98.5 to 10. What was also found was that the IQs of babies born during the pandemic sharply fell 27 to 37 points. 27 to 37 points; that is a huge drop in IQ during a child’s critical developmental stage. What was this drop attributed to? You guessed it: economic shutdowns, mask wearing, school disruptions, social distancing and stay-at-home orders. Without longitudinal data, there is no way of knowing how much more damage is being done as those children age. So the question is, if children aged three months to three years old are suffering such a decrease in IQs, what about the children a little older, those that remember what it was like to simply play with friends, talk during class with your closest classmate, go to a movie and share popcorn, play at a playground, and other activities that they can no longer think of doing because of the ever changing arbitrary rules and restrictions. Our government officials must be held accountable for their actions; actions that have significantly damaged the future generations? I was able to dig up some studies so that we can have a better understanding as to exactly what is going on all over the world. I want our government officials to know that it is because of them, our future, our children will forever be impacted because of irresponsible behaviour, incoherent decision making, and disruptive societal restrictions.
SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
There are some incredibly important concerns that citizens across our globe are facing as freedoms are being stripped, free choice is being challenged, social media censorship is commonplace, and free movement and the freedom to simply run a business is being hindered. All of this news is relevant and extremely important, but it often overtakes the reports about the mental health damage this pandemic has caused, not only in adults and teenagers, but also in children three months to three years old. We are aware of how children are inherently shaped by their environment. Across the infant, and early childhood life stages, a child’s brain undergoes immense structural and functional growth that is driven by an integrative mixture of genetic and environmental factors. The pandemic, the economic shut-down, school disruptions, social distancing, stay-at-home, and mask policies have fundamentally altered the environment in which children live, and there are studies that are being conducted
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Learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic Researchers: Per Engzell, Arun Frey, and Mark D. Verhagen The research done in this study shows clear evidence that students are learning less during lockdown than in a typical year. These losses are evident throughout the age range we study and across all of the three subject areas: math, spelling, and reading. To combat this loss, it is recommended that parents supplement their child’s education by hiring a tutor, finding online learning resources, and consulting
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Reduced Emotional Intelligence in Children Aged 9–10 caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown Researchers: Katya Martín-Requejo and Sandra Santiago-Ramajo This study revealed a reduction in emotional intelligence (EI) and interpersonal, and adaptability scales. This pandemic has had a negative impact on children’s emotions and this study shows that this, in turn, negatively impacts on children’s EI. Children are more vulnerable to negative effects in adverse situations, and this can easily explain the observed reduction. So what can be done to combat this? Parents and teachers must work together to develop personal resources and transversal skills that allow for an effective confrontation of our current situation. The school represents a key in this process, because in addition to promoting academic development, it also influences the socioemotional development of students
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with teachers on how they can best provide help at home. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Child Cognitive Development: Initial Findings in a Longitudinal Observational Study of Child Health Researchers: Sean CL Deoni, Jennifer Beauchemin, Alexandra Volpe, Viren D’Sa, and the RESONANCE Consortium This research study provided early evidence suggestive of significant reductions in attained cognitive function and performance in children born over the past eighteen months during the pandemic. Overall, they found that measured verbal, non-verbal, and overall cognitive scores are significantly lower since the beginning of the pandemic. They also noted that children born before the pandemic and followed through the initial stages did not show a reduction in skills or performance, but rather that young infants born since the beginning of the pandemic show significantly lower performance than infants born before January 2019. The results seem to suggest that early development is impaired by the environmental conditions brought on by the pandemic. Are these results a temporary setback that schools and teachers can eventually compensate for? Only time will tell whether students rebound, remain stable, or fall farther behind.
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News
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PAGE 15
Teenage sex pushing boundaries in the pandemic W. GIFFORDJONES MD DIANA GIFFORD-JONES TC HEALTH REPORTER
If you are a parent or grandparent to teenagers, chances are you think the pandemic has them safely secluded at home, having inoculated them, you might say, from sexual encounters, but that might be wishful thinking. It’s been said “It’s hard to prepare teenagers for life when they already know everything.” Even if they do have all knowledge at their fingertips, their bodies are way ahead of their brains. The wiring of the teenage brain develops just the same, no matter the era. The pandemic’s “quaranteenagers” are programmed to test their boundaries, just like all who came before them. Until they
reach their mid-20s, the prefrontal cortex that controls complex reasoning, impulse control, and planning is still developing. When it comes to sex, it’s a mistake to assume they are thinking rationally. COVID-19 may be changing many things in life, but young people will always find ways to have sex, and with kids flooding back to school for in-person learning, the conditions are ripe for pent-up sexual energy to be released. High school nurse practitioners saw it happen during previous post-lockdown returns to the classroom. A schoolbased health center in Connecticut reported a jump in cases of chlamydia, oral chlamydia, and gonorrhea shortly after students returned to school in March 2021. The problem is, in part, that adolescents haven’t had easy access to health care providers recently. Those who are becoming sexually active for the first time are likely missing out, unable to walk into a health counsellor’s office for confidential consultation, and even less likely to secure birth control, let alone testing services for sexually transmitted diseases.
A new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health reports major disruptions in services offered by physicians providing reproductive health services and testing, as well as a 43% reduction in adolescents seeking care. Sex is a squeamish topic, even for seasoned adults. For many, it is a very private matter, but for millions of young people living at home with little chance for privacy, even telehealth, which has boomed during the pandemic, has its limitations with teenagers. For them, it is their circle of friends and their online experiences that shape their beliefs and decisions. Most teenagers can run circles around would-be protective parents who might have had some luckmanaging friends and online content at younger ages. In times past, the church played a far greater role in determining societal views on sex and educating youth, or more precisely, pre-marital couples, on sexual matters. Some parents have taken up more responsibility, but others hope that schools are filling the gap.
While debates rage about the curriculum for sex education, those fertile teens are figuring it out for themselves, and the National Institutes of Health have published research that may pique your curiosity. The pandemic, you see, has generated an epiphany of ways that things we used to do in person are being done now online or without much interaction. That’s right, including sex. A Canadian survey found that “Pandemic stress actually drove up desire for sex with oneself, not with a partner.” Italian researchers recently published a paper on the importance of the Internet on sexuality during COVID-19. They write, “Using the Internet to maintain active sexual activity appears to be an excellent alternative to diminish the distance between partners or to increase online knowledge.” Their work suggests that today’s digital natives are especially adept at online dating, sexting, virtual sex and other online activities. So parents and grandparents, have a talk with your teens. You might learn something!
If you can’t speak French, that might become a problem here in Canada; a look at Bill C-32 MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
“A Leader’s Debates lead-off in French on a Quebec French-language cable TV company, signals to English-speaking Canada that Quebec has taken over Ottawa without firing a shot.” This quote sums up the whole idea of Bill C-32, which if political pundits are correct can be expected to pass anytime now, and when passed, this Bill will greatly increase the enforcement mechanisms to compel more of Canada to work and communicate in French. A bill like this is sure to cause problems for a large amount of Canada’s population and minorities who would be at the forefront of this calamity, not to mention the division in this already divided county.
Let’s take a closer look at the bill itself. According to the liberal political dictionary this Bill C-32 is “A Bill to Modernize the Official Languages Act,” an Act that is already embedded (enshrined) in Canada’s 1982 Constitution Act and its Charter. However, to break this act down in layman terms here is what the proposal is all about. According to “Canadians for Language Fairness” all parties now parading before the Canadian public during this election run-up period, have all committed to the passage of Bill C-32. This is what has been said by Canada’s opposition leader and other party leaders about this bill, “I will act in the first 100 days to modernize the Official Languages Act. Mr. Mulroney was the last Prime Minister who modernized the Official Languages Act. I’ll be next,” said Conservative leader Erin O’Toole. “It is essential that we modernize the Official Languages Act,” said Jagmeet Singh of the NDP. “I say that the Official Languages Act serves to protect Francophones outside Quebec and Acadians,” proclaimed Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blan-
chet. This should come as no surprise given that Canada’s voting-age population prefers to collect hush-money in silence, which is surely going to lead them into bondage, rather than standing up and defending their God-given rights, a source revealed. The CFLF went on to describe what’s coming with these words, “The upcoming federal elections will be the last in Canada after which totalitarian despotism will arrive bearing that “light” of a satanic smile and a welfare cheque.” In short, if these draconian bills ever pass Canadian’s can kiss their freedom goodbye. Imagine, Bill 96 will give the government enhanced surveillance powers and open the door to government intruding on your personal communication. If Bill 96 passes, The Office Québécois de la langue française will have the power to go through all data in your work phone and computer without warrant. This bill will then create an unchecked complaint system that encourages citizens to file complaints against businesses and others if they believe their language rights have not been respected,
and this could be a recipe for putting citizens against each other, while destroying the trust and unity in our communities. What’s more concerning is that the Charter of the French Language will take precedence over the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and over Quebec’s own Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. If this is passed, the legislation allows municipalities to refuse communicating and offering services in English thereby creating barriers for non-French speakers to access public services and programs, and finally it punishes Canadians from speaking anything other than French. Government officials will have the right to fine you for speaking anything other than French at work to anyone deemed “ineligible.” They can use this to revoke your business license. Canadians, it seems, have some serious soul-searching to do and they only have a couple of days to come up with a positive decision, because if they don’t, like the old people used to say, “They will eat the bread the devil kneads.”
NEWS
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Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Up-tempo, Positive, Empowering, and Addictive; Soca Queen Alison Hines hits the music world with her latest track “Go Gal!” themselves and each other. Alison’s fans were treated to her launch performance of “Go Gal” at Angela Yee Day in Brooklyn, New York. They also had a chance to see Alison appear on The Breakfast Club. The true celebration is the fact that the Queen of Soca is the first and only Soca artist to appear on the show, representing her genre in fine form. You can listen to her full interview at: www.youtu.be/XAH02sTyamY Accompanying the release of “Go Gal” is a music video that presents visuals of strong energetic women celebrating their beauty and rhythm. Woo! Watching that video made me tired. I appreciated the fact that the Queen was there on her throne looking regal as ever. I had a chance to catch up with Alison, and she shared with me her COVID-19 experience and what it was like to get back on stage and perform. Looking as beautiful as ever, Alison began by sharing how the pandemic had affected her. “It has been challenging, scary,” Alison began. “Some creative people were able to get more creative. I unfortunately didn’t have that motivation at the time. There were a few times when I
SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
On September 3rd, 2021, VP Records released its iconic project Soca Gold. Soca Gold represents the best releases of the genre over the past year. This seventeen-track disc features prominent artists Bunji Garlin, Iwer George, Edwin Yearwood, Fay-Ann Lyons, Patrice, and Alison Hinds. Alison is known worldwide as the Queen of Soca. It was fitting that she kicked off the launch of Soca Gold with the release of her song “Go Gal.” The song is everything that encompasses Alison’ persona: up-tempo, positive, empowering, and additive. This female anthem joins Soca with a little bit of Dancehall. “Go Gal” sings about the positive outlook women should have for
thought that I should put something out, especially during crop over. Thankfully I have a great team that I work with. My management said, it doesn’t make sense to just put out stuff, just because. My music has to say something, and it has to make noise. I understood and agreed with my management. I didn’t feel like putting out anything.” At that point for Allison, it was a matter of keeping her spirits up, and keeping her mind up. As she was going along, things started to come to her; her creative juices started to flow, which was a positive sign. “I knew it was right because the songs came to me, I didn’t have to push for it. With Go Gal, BP called me and told me that he had a rhythm. We got writers to write this song. When I heard it, I was like, yes, this song has something special. When I began to vibe with the song, I began to feel like Allison again. In my life, I have continued to grab opportunities. My husband was the first person to hear it, and he really liked it. My daughter heard it later on. Then I had one or two deejay friends listen to it. They were like, ‘Alison, this track is ridiculous.’ I knew that the song was special,
but to hear it from my deejay friends. I knew it was it. It was a different sound. It is me; it is powerful.” “How has the feedback been beautiful?” “The feedback has been crazy,” Alison told me. “When it was just released, all I was seeing was flames. The feedback has been positive. I can’t complain. The hook: go gyal, go gyal, go gyal, just get in there. It captures that positivity, that command. This song say’s I am here, deal with it. The melody, the lines are strong. Everything about this song is fire. Chris Almond produced my most notable track ‘Roll it gyal.’ I have worked with him over the years. When he heard the track, he said ‘Alison, it gives me the same vibes as Roll it Gyal. The energy and vibe were the same. I hope that this song reaches back to the heights of Roll it Gyal. It definitely has the potential to do so.” Alison Hinds will perform at New York’s prestigious Summer Stage at the Coney Island Amphitheatre on Wednesday September 15th, 2021. It is great to see that the Queen is still on her throne.
Despite many tragedies, Deejay Overall holds firm in giving thanks to the Almighty with parents, Stanford and Marlene McKenzie; the tradition is to pray whenever we rise each morning. This was not a choice and, for most parents in Jamaica, refusal could lead to strong disciplinary measures.”
EUGENE PITTER eugene@carib101.com
Deejay Ovarall in his song, “Give Thanks” dwells on these words: “As mi rise mi affi give thanks, Pray, read mi Bible or mi sing song. A chapter a daý that run weh demons, Keep them a distance.”
ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER
JAMAICA -- For centuries disasters including earthquakes and hurricanes have plagued the world. Despite the extent of devastation, we are able to mend the broken pieces. The Christian community claims that, were it not for their daily prayers and thanksgiving we would not have recovered; so today the Holy Bible sits at our bedsides to guide us in our thoughts and actions. For example, Thessalonians 5: 1618 says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Then in Psalms 117 verse 1 comes, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever.” Deejay Overall claims he has been giving God thanks from as early as he can recall. “I grew up in a Christian home RY 10TH
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He firmly believes these solid lines are motivational, especially for youths who have turned their eyes away from God. “I believe we should give thanks for health, strength, food, shelter, families and even when we lose our loved ones. I often reminisce on two tragedies that hit Jamaica: the June 7th, 1692 earthquake which devastated Port Royal and the September 1st, 1957 Kendal train crash.” But, why has Overall held so closely to the teachings of the Bible? “Were it not for the mercy of the Lord I would have lost my life by drowning. In 2003, I went on a church trip to Stingray City. This is a series of shallow sandbars found in north sound, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. This is also a tourist attraction where southern stingrays are found in abundance and visitors can pet and interact with the animals.
The church outing, which numbered about twenty-five, enjoyed smooth sailing to our destination but something soon happened while we were playing with the stingrays. Suddenly, without warning, the sea became angry and approaching waves led to several metres of water above my waist, and while I was in the water interacting with the stingrays, I began to panic foolishly, instead of calling for help. I went down once, swallowed a great deal of seawater, went down a second time and swallowed more seawater; the third time could have been fatal. Just then, I saw what appeared to be a man coming in my direction. Before I knew it, he was in the water, and I was clutching him tightly. I could have caused his death, and this would have led to two tragedies. As I lay on the boat, I began to throw up lots of seawater, including seaweed. Everyone, including my mom, was rallying around me except my dad who was left at home.” That night Overall recalled giving God thanks more than ten times. This is not a story he wants to remember. The deejay named Marlon McKenzie has met misfortunes more than once during this COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, he has held firm in giving thanks to the Almighty. Born in Waterhouse, Kingston
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11, he had lived in Central Village, a violence torn community, before residing in Montego Bay, St. James. Educated at St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), school gave him the right academic skills to forge ahead in music. He recorded his first song “Dun Inna Di Streets” in 2007 to highlight the life of poverty and injustice. He was kept busy for some twelve years as a member of the fourteen-year-old Just for Peace International, a triple Universal Peace Federation awardee. This opportunity gave him wide exposure, helping to promote peace and discipline in schools throughout Jamaica. “I totally cherish these years because I finally got to perform on television, share the stage with established artists and learn to deal with my own problems.” Deejay Ovarall won the JCDC (Jamaica Cultural Development Commission) Big Stage competition with a song titled “Lunch Time” in 2014. He has performed on several stage shows, including Summer Heat, Appleton Koolout Sundayz, and Black River Independence. Meanwhile, he is preparing to release his 7-track Ep titled “Give Thanks’’ which will include, “Give Thanks” “ Hustle Fi Mine” “Militancy” and “Lunch Time.”
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PAGE 18
FEATURE
Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, September 15, 2021
D’Jerk and Roti Stop A pioneer in West Indian cuisine JANIECE CAMPBELL janiece@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
For twenty-five years, a West Indian resto bar has quietly sat amongst major commercial restaurants and industrial buildings in the Etobicoke area. Though small, their significance is monumental, being the first Trinidadian-owned storefront in the region to offer delectable signature dishes such as goat tripe, jerk pork and goat roti. Shere Jurakhan, the owner of D’Jerk and Roti Stop has loved to cook since she was ten years old back home. As the eldest child of two constantly working parents, she woke up daily at 4 AM to prepare food for her family. Cooking became a means of survival rather than leisure, and she never dreamed she would own her own shop someday. She arrived to Canada in 1977, at nineteen years old. Like the tale of many Caribbean immigrants, what started as a vacation abroad became a search for opportunity and a better life. Shere got married, had two children, and attended Humber College for post-secondary, where she studied data processing. She took on job positions that had everything but cooking; from working at a bank, to the accounts department at Loblaws head office, to the TDSB schoolboard. It was the latter that opened a pathway in a brand-new direction. While working for the schoolboard, she would often bring in homemade food for potlucks, delicious meals that the staff thoroughly enjoyed. A principal told her that she should seriously look into starting her own business, as by this time, she was a single mother and she was only working part-time. Though she initially laughed it off, Shere took that principal’s life-changing advice home and discussed it with
her brother and boyfriend. Collectively, they loved the idea, and their first step was to name the place. “There was no place around here like it, it was all commercial restaurants. What do we call it? There’s no jerk places here, neither are there roti places. We started brainstorming names and came up with the ‘D’ because that was my boyfriend’s initial and he gave me a lot of good ideas. So, we called it D’Jerk and Roti Stop,” said Shere. Shortly after coming up with a creative name, she went to register the business. That later turned into months of back-and-forth with the city of Toronto. All in all, Shere prevailed and since 1996, D’Jerk and Roti Stop stands tall at 130 Westmore Drive and prides themselves in providing the Caribbean community with a safe space filled with food reminiscent of back home. A very family-oriented restaurant, Shere had her two daughters, Natasha and Nadya, learn the ropes at an early age. Beginning with doing dishes and prepping the food, they would later graduate to waiting tables and working the bar. Even her granddaughter would later get involved, knowing how to prepare roti since around eight years old. Three generations of self-sufficient women later, Shere plans to take a step back and try to enjoy the rest of her life outside of the restaurant. She has made a difficult but necessary decision to sell the store and close the doors of D’Jerk and Roti. Once the pandemic hit, that was a sure tell sign that it was time for Shere to move on. Aside from a loss of revenue, she realized that she can no longer withstand the long hours of work she used to and is beginning to take life a little easier. “Due to COVID, my mother had to close the restaurant,” says Shere’s daughter, Natasha. “It forced my mom to be at home and helped her understand what home life meant. It forced her to see a side of retirement, which I think she was nervous about closing the restaurant and what she would do. For twenty-five
years, she didn’t know a life without the restaurant. So COVID was a good thing in the sense that it showed her what she could be doing without working. She found things she liked doing outside of it.” Much of Shere’s hard work over the past twenty-five years was geared towards creating a better life for her children. She worked eighteen hours a day in the restaurant, and her daughters remember not seeing her often due to her being the sole breadwinner. Today, her hustle was not in vain. Her children are financially stable and currently work together in their own custom-home building business. “There’s always a place for us at D’Jerk and Roti. As far as our involvement, we won’t be working there anymore but I definitely see us going there and having a drink or hanging out with the people. I think they’re a really big part of the restaurant because they’re not just customers, they’re family. It’s the atmosphere, and when we go there it’s not like we’re hanging out with strangers. We’re talking to friends and playing pool with the guys,” says Natasha. Though the storefront will be closed at a date that’s to be determined, D’Jerk and Roti Stop will live on through catering. For those searching for a little taste of Trinidad, Shere will still be accepting orders for weddings, schoolboards, banquets and other events. “All my life I wanted to be somebody. I never thought I was somebody. It started when I was left alone by my parents, and later on I was in the same position they were in when I was separated from my husband,” says Shere. “I just wanted to make something of myself as a child. And I did.” D’Jerk and Roti Stop will be celebrating its 25th anniversary event instore on September 24th, and you can expect a night filled with good music, great food and fun vibes! Until then, you can follow them on Instagram @djerkandroti to see a first-hand look of the mouth-watering meals they serve!
These items go in recycling
Glass bottles & jars (lids on)
Paper, newspapers & magazines
Plastic bottles & jugs (lids on)
Aluminum & steel cans & aluminum trays
Learn more at toronto.ca/RecycleRight
PAGE 20
FEATURE
Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, September 15, 2021
SAM TITA
Proud to be Exclusively Black “The political, the economic philosophy of Black Nationalism only means that we have to become involved in a program of re-education to educate our people into the importance of knowing that when you spend your dollar out of the community in which you live, the community in which you spend your money becomes richer and richer; the community out of which you take your money becomes poorer and poorer.” ~ Malcolm X Within our current North American cultural framework, the systemic structure is characterized by White male patriarchy. This reality has impeded, and some could say crippled the Black man’s ability to transition into manhood. Throughout history, we have seen our men struggle and fight for an identity, for power, for respect, and for understanding of who he is, versus how society has conceptualized him. There is this invisible pressure to conform to White male patriarchal standards of manhood, and this has disenfranchised Black males, and made it increasingly difficult for them to control their own employment, a phenomenon that unfortunately, continues to this day. About a month ago, I attended an event called Black Men Style put on by a very powerful couple. Since this is a Classic Man Feature, I will be focusing on the man behind the magic, a young man that you will all get to know very well. He is currently the owner, and founder of Malcolm Exclusive (https://malcolmexclusive.com/). Established in 2018, and located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Malcolm Exclusive was created to provide a truly tailored and personalized experience at an affordable price. He consistently places the needs of the clients first, and because of this, he has become a leading force in custom menswear. As a serial entrepreneur, he did not stop at one venture. He decided to continue his quest of Black acknowledgement by launching a family business called Blak Maket (https://www.blakmaket.com/). I had to get him to spell it for me, but he explained that Maket is how Africans say Market. Blak Maket provides high premium authentic Black products made by Black entrepreneurs and creatives across the globe. He was tired of being perpetually re-victimized by the prevailing global narrative of marginalization and disenfranchisement of African peoples all over the world. His team decided to seize control of their collective destinies by creating a global marketplace that showcases the Black creative genius in a manner that both changes the Black narrative, while fostering economic empowerment and equity. Blakmaket.com has democratized the African economy and transferred power from the hands of a few to the hands of every African in the world. In his words, “We will become the African Amazon. We make sure that there are sales coming from the Continent, the Caribbean, and the America’s. It has to be as Black as possible. The products that you find here won’t be made in China and sold; it is products for us, by us.” After hearing his story, it made sense why the welfare of Black people across the diaspora was so important to him. I would like for everyone to put one fist up for our Classic Man Feature, Sam Malcolm Tita. “I was born in downtown Toronto, actually, I should say we were born in downtown Toronto. I am actually a twin,” Sam begins. “My mother is from Guyana, and my father is from Cameroon. People always wonder how my parents met, and the answer is they met at a house party in the Jane and Finch area. Life has been interesting,” Sam tells me. “I was always busy with after school activities: basketball, track and field. My mom always tried to put us in different things. We lived in Cameroon for three years. It is actually where I started school. Education was different there; it was stricter, and a lot more advanced. They start teaching things to you at a younger age. They knew our abilities and they knew what we were capable of. They would do roll calls, and you were expected to dress a certain way. You had to be clean and tidy, and you couldn’t have dirt under your nails. Another big thing was that the collar on your shirt should never change co-
lour, and you know how hard that must have been especially for a kid. I was always accustomed to being around my twin sister, and when they finally separated us, and put us in different classes, I have to admit that this was difficult for me.” His parents decided to move back to Canada, and right away, Sam noticed the difference in how he was treated, especially as a young Black man. “In Canada, they tailor education a certain way; it is almost like they hold you back and restrict you. When we came back to Canada, they automatically put me in an I.E.P program. There were a lot of Black students in the program, and I didn’t realize it until we moved to Scarborough. They would tell us that they wanted us to be at the same level as other students, but they kept us reading at lower grade levels, and doing other work at a lower level. It kept me stagnant. I also remember them keeping me from doing French. In Grade 8, a guidance counsellor told my mom that they wanted to send me to a BTI, instead of a Collegiate. This is where they sent Black boys, and then everyone else went to the Collegiate. They told my mom that I would not make it past grade 10, and that I was going to drop out, get involved in drugs, gangs, and street life.” Sam remembers being very misunderstood, and just because he didn’t experience education like everyone else, it did not mean that he was unskilled. “At that age, I loved doing other things: drawing, and I actually like math, but they kept me at a level, and did not bring me up to the level I was supposed to be at. When I look back at things, it almost seems like they were setting me up for failure. My parents decided to take control of my education, and enrolled me into Higher Marks. I went there for the summer, and it was like stepping back into my life in Cameroon. Here, they were setting me up for success. I didn’t appreciate it at that time, but now, I see the importance of all of it. How I started my summer school, the person I was, it was not the way that I ended summer school. I had made remarkable progress, and this was because I was surrounded by people who believed in me.” Sam shares with me that from a very young age; he always had a love and interest for everything and anything Black. “In grade nine, I joined the African Student Alliance. My love and interest came from being in Cameroon, and I have always wanted to go back. My love of Africa is because of how I was raised. My pride has always been there. I have always wanted to share the same love and pride with everyone around me. There are things that my grandmother taught me that stayed with me. I was always researching, I was always learning about our tribe. I began studying African countries, the music, and the culture. Our history became my passion. My middle name is Malcolm, so Malcolm X became a person of interest for me.” As Sam matured into adulthood, he made it a point to support everything and anything Black. “I would never stand there and have a man talk about our sisters. I would be around some of my friends and they would say things like, ‘There is no such thing as a beautiful dark skin woman,’ that would piss me off. I never took that stuff lightly. It is interesting because my mother is a fair skin woman, with freckles. My father is a dark skinned man. I always wanted to be like my father, I even wanted to have his dark skin. My mom always made sure that we knew who we were, and that we loved who we were. My mother has influenced me to be the person that I am today.” Sam tells me that he has received a lot of support, and the name of his businesses sparks enlightened conversations. “I always ask in my consultations what my clients do. It is all about building community. My clients made it a point to find Black businesses to support. Our dialogues are always about Black empowerment; we feed off each other, and it is a beautiful thing. If there is one thing that I would share with other young Black men it would be to never be ashamed to be your authentic self. Be as unapologetic as possible. Live your life, learn your history, and be proud of your Blackness.”
Photo Credit: Marsala Gueye
Written by Simone J. Smith Toronto Caribbean News
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HEALTH
Wednesday, September 1, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News
PAGE 27
Healthy conversations about weight should not be taboo - Part 1 W. GIFFORDJONES MD DIANA GIFFORD-JONES COMMON SENSE HEALTH
This week launches a series of columns on the current crisis – not the COVID pandemic, which will eventually come to an end, but rather, the seemingly endless escalation of the type 2 diabetes pandemic. We begin this week with the greatest culprit: obesity. Worrisomely, changing attitudes about weight are making matters worse. We’ll continue next week with an article on the interplay between diabetes and COVID, followed the subsequent week by a challenge to powerful media houses to do better. Finally, as we know from your letters that this column helps prevent many from falling victim to avoidable health problems, we’ll do a three-part
series on the signs of pre-diabetes and where you can turn for help. So, let’s turn to obesity, one of the greatest risk factors for type 2 diabetes. How can we resolve the obesity pandemic that worsens every year? Recently several well-respected researchers have argued that weight loss is not the solution and obesity is not the problem! Rather, the goal, they say, is “good health”. But is ignoring the major health hazards of obesity an effective way to slow down the tsunami of type 2 diabetes? In the consultation room, doctors need to be frank with their patients, and it would help if everyone else didn’t contradict the message. Make no mistake; obesity is not good for one’s health. But “body shaming”, the label applied to those who humiliate people with critical comments and attitudes about body size or shape, has made any supportive discussions about weight issues taboo. Health promoting support is vastly different from stigmatizing discrimination. A study published in the Journal of Obesity showed that
weight discrimination stigma was associated with increased risk of becoming more obese! So what’s the right approach to take if you are concerned about a family member or friend? Experts recommend discussing ways to improve lifestyle, eating healthier foods, and exercising more. This column has argued for years that a daily step on the bathroom scale should be a tactic for healthy weight maintenance. When paired with diet and exercise, the scale can be an essential tool for those who need to lose excess pounds. Is it possible to be healthy and obese? Research shows that thirty minutes of exercises in obese individuals, even if weight loss is not achieved, significantly improves physical health compared to sedentary peers. Other researchers have studied healthy men comparing their cardiovascular fitness to the amount of belly fat. The results show a relationship between the location of body fat and the risk of heart attack and diabetes. It’s the belly fat – called visceral fat that is stored around important internal
organs – that poses the greatest problem. Even being thin does not equate to good health if hidden visceral fat is present in the belly. Surgeons are well versed on belly fat. It makes operations more technically demanding, with more blood loss, and more anesthesias required for longer operations. Following surgery, incisions are more apt to become infected, and if patients are less active, a fatal pulmonary embolism (blood clot) is more likely. A natural product called “AppleSlim”, sourced from unripe green apples in Central Asia that contain high concentrations of apple polyphenols, attacks visceral belly fat. In addition to fighting obesity, the green coffee bean extract in AppleSlim lowers blood pressure. But the key message this week is, don’t let obesity unnecessarily elevate your risk of developing diabetes. If you are struggling with excess weight, don’t struggle alone. Have a healthy conversation with someone who can support you in making a change.
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News
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COVID-19 has impacted us, but it will not stop us DAVID ANDERSON d_anderson@carib101.com
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
As the world begins to head back to school, we must think about what positive changes we want to see for ourselves this year. We cannot afford to sit back and watch another year pass by, and we haven’t learned anything from COVID-19. Some of us had more time than others to plan out our future. Others waited till the last minute. Schools are still working on their safety plan and students have the option to learn online. This year will require a lot of energy and effort on your behalf. Write
down how you would like your school year, business quarters and grades to go. Nothing comes to anyone who doesn’t ask for it. Do you want to improve upon your financial status, mental health and relationships? Write it down, do research and create a vision board of everything you like. Vision boards help you to see what it is you actually want and the ideals that align with your goals. This is a creative way to hold you accountable and is a huge source of motivation. Entrepreneurs, youth, kids and organizations use vision boards as well to support people who need a visual representation in order to understand or be motivated. In school I was a visual learner, so I completely appreciated creating my own vision board. The great thing about creating a vision board is there is no deadline. You get to decide if you would like to have these goals accomplished within ten years or is this something that will take a lifetime to accomplish. COVID-19 has impacted youth in
school negatively by taking them away from face-to-face learning. This school year parents need to take the time with their kids daily or weekly to discuss school, what they liked, didn’t like so much and goals for this year. It doesn’t matter how much you work because these questions help them work towards goals they have. Entrepreneurs need to sit down and really think about the impact they wish to see. You will need to focus on more than financial benefits. During the pandemic we saw many important resources cut that supported businesses and organizations, and this left people in a grey area of support. If you focus your energy on impacting lives, opportunities will present themselves, opportunities such as: restaurants reaching out to provide food security for communities, organizations reaching out to facilitate workshops and people reaching out to support you. These will all grow your brand, business and credibility. This school year it’s time to take charge of your life and reach unexpected lim-
its. It’s going to be scary at first putting what you want on a vision board because many people don’t think about their goals. Many people don’t think about their next meal. This alone will separate you from others and put you on the path to success. This year will be your best year! You will not allow anyone to disturb your peace of mind because you are on a mission. Stay focused on your goals after creating them and find those who can support you along the way. You will become above average because the top 2% of wealthy people in this world develop healthy habits and routines. These habits consist of daily reading, network volunteer regularly, talk less, know their main focus, access to a mentor, listen more, don’t give up, go above and beyond, set aside limiting beliefs and setting goals, not wishes. COVID-19 has impacted us, but it will not stop us. I believe in you. You are strong and you deserve to be happy.
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Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Knowing when to quit what is not working DANIEL COLE
daniel@carib101.com
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
I have watched tons of interviews of highly successful men. I have conducted interviews with successful entrepreneurs and culture shapers across the world. Over the years, I have always wondered what has been the most difficult decisions for them to take in their entrepreneurial or success journey, and finally, I find out that, is knowing when to call it quits for what is not working. You’ve probably read Thomas Edison’s famous quote, that, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave
up.” Well, I have realized over the years; that in certain contexts and scenarios, “Giving up” may be the best decision to take, but the problem is knowing when the time is right. Overly simplified quotes without context can be very misleading. Life should not be lived based on bumper sticker wisdom or seemingly intellectual short phrases. Life is more complex than that. Grit has its place, doggedness, resolve, resolute, and courage all have their place in the pursuit of any dream, but to keep going when you are not getting the right results is not only disingenuous but misappropriation of resources and dissipation of energy. Over the years, I have stuck to certain practices, to take time out every three months to take inventory of things. To critically access what I give my waking hours to and the current and potential return, both short-term and long-term. Socrates has rightly said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” You don’t pursue a dream for the sake of pursuit; you pursue a dream because it is noble, rewarding, and fulfilling. You don’t pay for a gym membership every
month to put on pounds of muscle to impress the lady next door, such goals may be appealing in our teenage years, but as we age, and become more mature, as we take up more life responsibilities, we realize that the real goal of exercise or work-out is just to stay fit and healthy. How would you know when it’s time to let go of a pursuit? Or how would you know when it’s time to change your approach in the pursuit of a dream? Oftentimes, people fail in life not because their cause is not noble enough; but because they are not flexible with their approach or methodology to win. Nelson Mandela alongside others did not just win the Apartheid because they fought with sticks and stones; Nelson Mandela studied law, he understood the illegality of the Apartheid system. Sometimes, you need to rise to the intellectual level of your adversaries to really win a battle worth fighting. If the goal or the dream is noble enough and the results are not forthcoming, take a second look at your approach. You are only obliged to be loyal to the dream, not the method of
execution. On the other hand, there are some pursuits that aren’t worth the effort. Even if you win, it is of no lasting consequence. See, given the brevity of life, we can only do so much. Take time out to take a critical look at what you do. Do the results commensurate with the effort? What would it mean even if you win? To what end is this “battle?” To what end is this effort? Don’t go through life blindly motivated. Quit what is not serving you right. No matter how fast you travel on the wrong road motivated, it will never take you to the right destination. Improvise methods if need be, but most importantly, if it is not working, how much resources, energy, and time will you keep investing/wasting in it. Sometimes in life, the way forward is backward. If you need to start again more intelligently, then start again. But for the next three months of the year, make sure you are not dissipating energy to something of no lasting consequence.
LIFE
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News
Reliving my past trauma; Prison to Page Lines on CBC Gem, my story on the big screen SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com
HUMAN SPECIALIST
As I sat there watching it, tears came to my eyes. Here was a painful part of my life, on display for the nation to see. All I could do was weep… Every now and then I take a break from my story to come up for air. I have to admit that it has been difficult for me to write about my experience in Panama. I hold shame in that experience; shame and guilt. I had put my parents through some pain, and I know that there is no way that I can repay them in this lifetime for what I did put them through. I have tried to forget that time in my life because it was a lonely experience. I think that the reason that I cry now is because during that time, my focus was not on myself. I operate on an internal locus of control, which means that when things happen in my life, I don’t blame external factors, I hold responsibility. Now this can be a great way to operate because it keeps you away from that victim mentality, but you can also end up doing yourself harm with over critical thoughts, and self-degradation. I spent a lot of my time after the experience beating myself up for getting into such a stupid situation. I was always worried about how people may look at my parents because usually when children get into trouble, they look at the parents with a critical eye; what didn’t they do? Where did they go wrong? Last year I was approached by my beautifully talented mentee Selina McCallum. She told me that she had applied to be a part of The Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada, Canada’s largest
mentorship, training, and creation program to be entirely dedicated to Black filmmakers. The Being Black in Canada program was created to make up for the blatant lack of diversity and the lack of Black people in front and behind the camera in Canada. Founded in 2012, with the first cohort launched in 2014, the program has given a voice and a platform to creators who would not otherwise be seen or heard. They actively promote equal opportunities for Black film professionals while fostering diversity on Canadian television screens that unfortunately showcase content that is too White for a truly diverse society. She was selected and told me that she wanted to tell my story. I was hesitant at first because once again, I knew that my mom wanted to keep the story buried, and now here I was about to showcase it to the world. What I have learned about this process is that when you have a story, it is selfish to think that it is yours and yours alone. Yes, you lived through it, the pain, the mental health tragedies, the emotions, but you
always have to think about why you went through what you did. I always go by the motto that God will never give you more than you can bear, and after my experiences, there is really no explanation for why I am still here, functioning in the capacity that I do. It has to be spiritual, a gift of strength that was given to me so that I could share with the world. Part of sharing that strength is sharing my story. On September 11th, 2021, I got up and sent the link to all of my contacts. I knew that there would be people that judged me, but I didn’t care. I stay focused on the people that I would be helping with my story. As I sat there and watched it, I had tears in my eyes. My story on screen was even more powerful than I had imagined. Selina had found a way to share my story, delicately, and empathically. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I want to thank Selina for giving me a voice, and allowing me to share my strength with the world.s
Once we take power over our choices, freedom appears; making the best of Virgo Season GARCIA AKUA
garcia@carib101.com
COSMIC CORNER
Greetings kosmic family! I hope this finds you well and you are staying safe. We are coming to the tail end of summer, yet things seem to be heating up. Here in Canada, we are preparing for a federal election in the midst of the never-ending pandemic. We are all being asked to make a choice and choose a leader, but I pose the question, when will you choose you? Virgo season highlights our daily routines, the details we may overlook and how we show up to serve. It is said that the devil is in the details, therefore we need to be focusing on the details of our daily routines to outsmart the devils in our lives. We discussed in the last article the importance of shadow work and facing our fears. We can use this analytical energy of
Virgo to look at the details of where our fears are coming from and begin to serve ourselves in more healthier ways. Virgo influences the digestive system and is also ruled by Mercury which influences the mind. What we feed ourselves physically and mentally impacts our overall wellbeing and how we serve. When we are stuck in fear, we are stuck in fight or flight mode which is detrimental to your nervous system and making clear decisions. We are in a constant battle with our devils which leaves us mentally and emotionally depleted. It is in our daily routines we reclaim our power over our fears and demons. Each day we get to decide the details of our day. We have the power to choose what we eat, what information we ingest, who we spend our time with and how we spend our time. We get to decide if our routines will feed our ego/ fears or our spirit and dreams. We get to choose, and there is power in choice. If you are presented with two options, you have limited choices. Someone has chosen for you two possibilities which leaves all other options off the table. You don’t have much power in such choices. You are limited in the ways to show up and
serve. In these times of uncertainty, it is important more than ever to choose you. With lockdowns, mandates and the election we can feel overwhelmed in the choices of powerlessness. We have power! We have power in authentically showing up, we have power in our unique expression, we have power in numbers of like-minded beings, you have the power to choose you. On August 6th we had a New Moon in Virgo. As discussed before, New Moons are times for setting new goals and intentions. We all have the opportunity to recommit to ourselves, to our routines and fine tune the details of our lives. We have the power to choose people and experiences that support our choices. We can choose to serve from our heart and not from our fears. When we face our fears, it’s harder for others to project their choices or fears on us. I challenge us all to recommit to our routines. I dare you to face your fears. Once we take power over our choices, freedom appears. Once we conquer our devils, the magic shows up in the details. Make the choice to take your power back. Serve yourself the choice and choose you!
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Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Toronto District School Board votes that unvaccinated Individuals will be required to attend mandatory education on the benefits of vaccination fully vaccinated to help protect the health and safety of both staff and students.”
PAUL JUNOR
paul@carib101.com
YOUTH EDUCATION
On Wednesday, August 25th, 2021, the Toronto District School Board released a press release, which revealed that its trustees voted unanimously to develop a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination procedure. The vote was conducted at the regular board meeting held on August 25th. The trustees voted to “Have TDSB staff develop a procedure that would require all TDSB staff, Trustees and visitors to disclose and provide proof of vaccination, status and to be
There are six key areas that will be addressed by this procedure which include: • Individuals covered by the procedure are expected to submit a formal attestation if they are “fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination. • Individuals who have not been vaccinated will be required to attend mandatory education on the benefits of vaccination. • A schedule for dates by which point any unvaccinated individuals must disclose if they have received first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccines. • TDSB will comply with its human rights obligations and accommodate employees who are legally entitled to accommodation.
•
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That the finalized procedure and strategy be implemented prior to school re-opening on September 9th, 2021, if feasible, or as soon as possible thereafter. That the procedure contemplates where regular COVID-19 testing would be required.
Alexander Brown, Chair of the TDSB is 100% supportive of this procedure. He states in the press release, “The data is clear. Being fully vaccinated significantly reduces the risks of the most serious outcomes of COVID-19. This is an important step to ensure we are making our schools and workplaces as safe as possible for staff and students, particularly younger students who are not eligible to receive the vaccine.” The Trustees will follow up by writing a letter from Chair Brown Toronto’s top doctor, “Reiterating the board’s support of the Ontario Public Schools’ Association's state-
ment advocating that COVID-19 vaccinations be added to the list of compulsory vaccinations for all eligible students.” CTV News Toronto confirmed on Thursday, August 16th that the TDSB’s okayed the plan. Ryan Bird’s spokesperson for TDB states, “Staff will have to develop this procedure and the key word is mandatory, it would apply to not only TDSB staff but trustees and visitors. They would be required to not only disclose and provide proof of vaccination but then potentially upload that certificate that you receive upon that second dose.” In response to queries about the fate of those who refuse to be vaccinated those details will be forthcoming. Bird notes, “We received this direction from trustees just last night and now the procedure has to be developed. There are legal implications, there are staffing implications, there are a number of implications so, depending on that, that’s what staff are looking at.”
LIFE
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News
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Women prefer men who are ‘Masters.’ An insightful book takes a look at modern day relationships LA SHAWNA GRIFFITH lashawna@carib101.com
SPOTLIGHT FEATURE
“Here I am a good guy and treat women well- why is it that I cannot find someone who would go hard for me?” Ian Harewood is a Barbadian author who writes under the pseudonym Mule Mind. He is the author of the book “Some Look For Masters and Some Look For Saviors.” The book, which was released on August 8th, 2021, has already, received a five-star review on Amazon. It is a collection of his dating experiences over the years after multiple failed relationships in which he was the Savior. Subsequently, he began to realize that some women prefer-
red men who were Masters. “I went through a couple of failed relationships, and I was always the good guy in the relationships. I was raised and taught that I should always be the good guy in the relationship and still had bad breakups. I was trying to figure out what I had done wrong in the relationships, and it reminded me of the saying that good guys finish last. Over the years by observing other people and their relationships and watching how good women deal with guys who are bad guys and treat them badly, despite that treatment these women still love those men. I was like, here I am a good guy and treat women well. Why is it that I cannot find someone who would go hard for me?” Harewood said that in doing his self-introspection he decided that his research should be compiled in a book to educate his male peers who were facing similar situations in their relationship journeys.
“I thought that I should share the information with guys who are like my former self. I have not gotten any negative response from people. Even my editor who read the book said he could identify a lot of the traits in the book as he identified himself as a Saviour back in his previous relationships. Now that he is a different individual, he considers himself more of a Master.” The first-time author said that the concept of the book was two-fold in that the Saviour is seen as the Hero while the Master is seen as the Anti-Hero. However, during the book, persons would realize that the Saviour is the one who suffers the most in their relationships. “The concept of the book is the Master and the Savior. The Hero and Anti-hero. When you read the book, some people may identify the Master as being the bad guy and the Saviour as being the good guy, but many times in the book the Saviour is the one that ends up losing because he is the one that is putting in 90%
in the relationship and the other person is putting in 10%. When the relationship is over, he is the one that loses the most in the relationship. Basically, in the book I say that Saviour gets beaten to a pulp for his good deeds.” Harewood said that he wants everyone who reads his book, especially men, to understand that in the age of women being independent, that it is ok for a woman to take care of them. “In this time, women are more independent so they can’t expect that a man is supposed to do all the thinking for her and save her from the brutal crazy world. I feel that a woman can save herself. Sometimes, men can allow women to take the lead and provide for both of them,” he said. Harewood invites people to read his book by heading over to Amazon and typing “Mule Mind- Some Look for Masters and Some Look For Saviours,” in the search bar.
Can we even agree to disagree anymore? GLORIA O’KOYE
gloria@carib101.com
CREATIVE SPEAK
What makes us stand out from one another is that each individual’s thoughts and opinions are unique to self. A person’s perspective is moulded by internal and external factors such as: upbringings, their environment, culture, and lived experiences. Another cool yet overlooked part is that people’s views can also change as they continue their life journey and have eye-opening conversations and experiences. Just like the earth spins, a person’s view does not remain still even though we must acknowledge there are core values people do have. As time passes and generations come and go, I can’t help but notice how much society has gravitated and become
more one-sided and dismissive with any other opinions that may differ. Keep in mind that there are some non-negotiable conversations because the harm it may bring can do more damage than good, however, as of lately it seems that every topic has become a constant battleground. Nowadays, one must be cautious in approaching certain topics and hold certain thoughts in, or risk getting into heated debates that leave lasting damage to relationships with others. The current mentality of today’s society is potentially becoming a breeding ground for extreme thoughts, because when individuals are not able to express fully without being ostracized, it increases their chances to turn their thinking into more disastrous results which we had witnessed from time to time. It has been a rough two years that the world has been facing: the pandemic, social justice trends, decisions the governments have been making, and much more. There has been intense peer pressure within our communities that de-
manded everyone to choose a side or face backlash for being in the middle, or remaining silent. Even though it may have started with good intentions to change for a better world, human beings tend to mix in personal agendas when movements become huge. As the media continues to post these polls on public opinions for certain mandates, conversations from the family dinner table to work environments potentially can become a toxic space when current events are at the centre of attention. From last year when there was confusion and fear worldwide about the pandemic, unfriendly comments were made towards people that were still maintaining their social interactions. What was shocking was that professionals in the social service and healthcare sector were shaming individuals for raising concerns, asking questions, or just being hesitant because of historical and/or personal reasons. If we were truly heading towards being a progressive society, why are tactics being used to feel like the olden days and to some even worse? Why must it
always have to be a black and white area when it comes to our health? Another huge debate comes in the form of conversations that are centred on politics and social movements. Uproars and sides clashing during protests and riots have become more prevalent. What is interesting is that some of the political figures and certain mind-sets are more common than we like to admit, just that most folks have hidden it better from the public than others. All in all, our society needs to come together and listen while setting aside emotional responses, respecting each other’s opinions without the harsh back and forth. If some folks want to remain in the middle, allow them to do so and give them the space to research more before making their decision. Sometimes both sides are saying the same thing but from different perspectives and it can be easily resolved by conversation. Sometimes it is okay to agree to disagree and remove from the environment if it seems to be a dead end.
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Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Understanding happiness TARA MYSHRALL tara@carib101.com
COMPELLED TO CHANGE
“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.” Thich Nhat Hanh Happiness seems to be something that as a society we are opposed to. Constantly chasing a euphoric state that is filled with contentment and many times tying happiness to achievement and possessions. True happiness comes from a state of being. It comes from within and is
connected to the divine energy that runs through all of us as a collective. We can have more happiness in our lives if we focus on forgiving and letting go of the past, decoupling our happiness from outside achievements and accomplishments and connecting to something larger than ourselves. First, no happiness can be obtained if we walk with animosity and anger in our hearts. Those feelings of scorn we project at others due to our differences only reflect back on our inability to love all of ourselves. Every situation or person that has brought upset or turmoil in our life also brought us valuable lessons that help us appreciate the sides of ourselves that may not always be at the highest standard that we hold others. Projecting anger at others for deeds of the past keeps us stuck in the past and in those lower vibrational energies. There is a freedom in forgiveness that brings more joy and happiness into our heart
How to help your child overcome their fear of monsters
Is your child afraid of monsters? If so, you should know this is a normal childhood phobia. Researchers believe it may be evolutionary. Here’s how you can help your little one overcome their worries.
READ STORIES Books can help your child work through their fears. Many stories feature friendly monsters and use humour to help children overcome their worries.
REASSURE THEM Although your child’s fear of monsters may seem irrational to you, it’s very real for them. Respect their feelings, be patient and reassure your child that they’re safe. You can even show them there aren’t any monsters hiding in the closet.
BE CREATIVE Come up with creative solutions to help give your child a sense of control over their fears. For example, you could fill a spray bottle with coloured water or es sential oils to create a monster repellant. Spray it anywhere your child thinks the creatures may be hiding. Some ot her ideas include letting them wear superhero pajamas or sleep near a pet.
COMFORT THEM Establish a soothing bedtime ritual. Start with a warm bath and end with a bedtime story. Use relaxation techniques that will help your child fall asleep faster so they don’t have time to worry about monsters. If your little one’s afraid of the dark, dim the bedroom lights or install a nightlight.
Finally, keep in mind that children have difficulty distinguishing between what’s real and what’s imaginary. It’s up to you to help them see the difference.
space. Decoupling our happiness from external achievements and accomplishments allows us to love ourselves and find happiness in the simpler moments of life. We start to view happiness as a state instead of something we obtain, such as a new house, car or award. I remember a time where I tied my self-worth and happiness to my accomplishments as if being the number one salesperson made me more deserving. The problem with this was as soon as that award was achieved, I was out gunning for the next one in a vicious circle of performance rewards. Today I still want to be successful, own properties and continue on my growth path but my happiness enables that and is not contingent on it. Connecting to something larger than ourselves can mean many things to many people, for some it is God, for others, it is the universe or the collected
consciousness. Giving time to sit in the space of that divine energy and connect to others brings me the greatest peace and offers the greatest happiness. In the moments of quiet prayer, contemplation and meditation, I understand what is really important. This enables me to drown out some of the noise and become centred on what matters. In plugging into the greater collective, I also find a source of energy that leads me into knowing that all this will end one day and I would rather pass knowing I had pleasure and happiness in the simple things in life like epic sunsets, a warm embrace and a sweet smile from a stranger. We can stop connecting happiness to something we achieve and realize we don’t need to pursue happiness, it can be accessed from within at any given moment. How will you access your happiness today?
4 tips to communicate better with your teenager Open and honest communication is a key building block for any healthy relationship. However, when it comes to talking to your teenager, this may not always be easy. Here are some tips to help you converse with your teen. 1. Listen mindfully. This is one of the best things you can do to improve how you communicate with your child. Focus on what’s being said, and don’t interrupt. Let your teen finish their thoughts before you interject. 2. Pay attention to timing. Choose the right moment to have a conversation with your teen, and make sure they’ll have your undivided attention. Having a conversation while participating in an activity together such as walking or cooking can help take the pressure off
the conversation and foster an open dialogue. 3. Be understanding. Put yourself in your teen’s shoes. Try to start all conversations from a place of understanding and avoid being judgmental or critical. Your teen will be more likely to confide in you if they feel understood. 4. Tailor your message. Think before you speak and choose your words wisely. Use “I” statements, and avoid making accusations as they can cause your teen to feel attacked and get defensive. If you find it difficult to communicate with your teenager or you’re concerned about changes in their mood or behaviour, don’t hesitate to seek professional help.
Couple conflicts: 3 common arguments and what to do about them Are you having the same fight with your partner over and over again? It’s normal for couples to disagree from time to time, and arguments can lead to positive changes when handled constructively. Here’s how to address some issues that couples commonly fight about.
libidos, mismatched sex drives can lead to frustration and misunderstandings. It’s important to have an open and honest conversation about your sexual expectations. Agree on a frequency you can both live with and schedule sex dates. If you need help discussing the issue, consider talking to a qualified sex therapist.
1. MONEY It’s not unusual for couples to argue about each other’s spending habits. To address this area of contention, sit down with your partner when you’re both feeling calm and make a list of all the things you spend your money on. Then, set an objective such as paying off a shared debt or saving for a major purchase. Once you’ve agreed on mutual goals, create a budget to help you achieve them.
3. CHORES To avoid constantly bickering about who takes care of the household tasks in a relationship, make a list of all the chores that need to get done and divide them up equally. Determine who will do what jobs and when they’ll be completed. If you can’t agree on who should perform a particularly unpleasant task, consider hiring someone to do it for you.
2. SEX Intimacy is a key component of any romantic relation ship. Though it’s normal for partners to have different
Remember, never run away from an argument. If things get heated, take some time to cool off, but always come back and work through the issue. Your relationship will be stronger for it.
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News
REAL ESTATE
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Canadian housing market need more houses, not more taxes and promises JAY BRIJPAUL brijpaul@carib101.com
REAL ESTATE PRO
Let’s face the truth; The housing problem is simply because of supply and demand. When supply is low, demand increases. This problem can only be solved by building enough affordable homes to offset supplies. Christopher Alexander, Senior Vice President at RE/MAX Canada, said “Policies that impact market dynamics usually end badly for homeowners. The solution should not be about changing market dynamics but should focus on tackling supply challenges.” The three major political parties are dancing around the main issue, making promises, proposing major policy changes, and increasing taxes. One of the Liberal policies is to ban blind bidding. On the surface, this looks great but let’s look at why people are bidding in the first place. The reason is simple. There are about four buyers to every seller. If there are enough houses, then, the bidding war will stop. Open or closed bidding will not help to solve the problem. The President of The Ontario Real Estate Association, David Oikle, stated that “You cannot fix Canada’s housing crisis by denying millions of hardworking families the choice of how to sell their home and by pitting homeowners against buyers. In fact, this plan would have the opposite effect, negatively impacting Canada’s housing market and making homeownership even more unaffordable.” According to Mr. Oikle, “Auction fever creates a three-ring circus on front lawns, as hopeful buyers crowd in front of a home with a live auctioneer, or online, and the bidding begins.” Another Liberal idea is to ban foreign buyers from buying Canadian homes for the next two years. Foreign buyers are indeed depleting our housing stock, but to what extent? According to a survey conducted by RE/MAX of Brokers and Agents in Western Canada, Ontario, and Atlantic Region, 96% of transactions were being done by sellers selling their home and buyers buying a home to live in. The housing problem is home grown. Foreign buyers are already penalized in
Ontario and BC with foreign buyer tax which has not cooled the housing market. The NDP proposal to raise capital gains tax on investment properties is implosive. Capital gains is the profit made when an investment is being sold. Currently, the investor keeps 50% of the profit and the other 50% is considered as regular income. By reducing the incentive, investors will not invest in rental properties. As such, there would be fewer rental properties available which will cause rental rates to climb. Jagmeet Singh, The NDP Leader, stated “Tax the ultrarich to invest in people. That’s our plan. And really no other party is willing to say those words.” An average investor with one or two rental properties will not be considered ultrarich. These are regular folks who worked two jobs and saved so that they can build some wealth. A government who kills the spirit of its citizens to become financially independent, is creating a society of people who will become financially dependent. If there is enough supply, the market will correct itself. You cannot solve the financial crises by sucking the financial life blood from hard working people. I do agree that speculators, both local and foreign, should pay, but not investors with long term investments. The Conservatives promised to build about 330,000 homes yearly or one million homes in three years. Currently, there are about 210,000 new homes built yearly. An additional 120,000 homes yearly is a good start but is not enough to quench the thirst for housing. The Liberals, on the other hand, promise to “build, preserve, or repair” 1.4 million homes. This is a statement with no official plan. The Liberals took office since 2015 and literally did nothing to prevent price escalation. Instead of walking around the problem, the political parties should confront it. The bottom line is that we need more affordable homes. This can be done by engaging the three levels of government to work together. Developers and builders should be encouraged to build more affordable homes by providing incentives such as tax breaks when building affordable homes. Another idea is streaming the approval process. Currently, in Toronto, it can take over two years to get final approval and another few years to build. It’s like driving on the highway with only one lane
open. Another idea is for all levels of government working together to spur economic development in smaller, less populated cities. This will encourage people to move away from the big city, easing the upward pressure on housing. Giving incentives to first time buyers is a temporary fix for an underlying housing problem. The older generation never had any incentives given to them when they bought. There was enough supply and with their income, they were able to buy a home and support a family. We need to go back there, open more land and make it a priority to build more homes. Seniors usually add about 10%
of homes to the housing stock. With the pandemic, many remained in their home. Give seniors an incentive such as moving costs and waiving the land transfer tax to relocate to smaller towns. This way, they can sell their home in GTA and buy another home much cheaper, freeing up money for retirement. Housing is a red-hot issue and that’s why no one wants to touch it. Instead, the political parties are dancing around the main issue. I am afraid that after the election, when things are settled, the fire will continue to spread until the next election when the dance will resume.
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HOME
4 factors to consider when converting a basement into an apartment Do you want to convert your basement into an apartment? If so, you should know this is a major renovation project that requires proper planning. Here are four factors that are important to keep in mind.
3. THE DIVISION OF SPACE If you’re converting an unfinished basement, it might be more cost-effective to design a studio apartment. If your basement already has rooms, consider which walls to keep or remove in order to create a functional kitchen, bathroom, living room
How to add an interior wall to your home Do you want to improve the layout of your home by creating a new room or dividing an existing one? If so, here’s how to add an interior, non-load-bearing wall. DECIDE ON THE LOCATION It’s important to take into account the alignment of the ceiling joists when deciding where to build a wall. If they run parallel, for example, you’ll need to erect the wall directly beneath one of the joists. Use a stud finder and a square to determine the best spot for the wall. Then, mark the location on the floor and ceiling with a chalk line.
1. THE LEGAL ASPECT The first step is to contact your municipality to determine whether this type of renovation is permitted and, if so, what standards you’ll need to meet. Among other things, you may be required to have a minimum ceiling height, a fire separation between the units and a certain number of windows and exits. You should also find out what permits you’ll need. 2. THE BASIC COMFORTS In order for a basement to be truly livable, you need to make sure the space has proper ventilation and that dampness isn’t an issue. You should also maximize the amount of natural light that enters the apartment, and make sure the space is adequately insulated and soundproofed.
Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, September 15, 2021
and bedroom. You should also incorporate sufficient storage space and, if possible, a laundry room. 4. THE FINISHING TOUCHES Since basements tend to get less natural light and have lower ceilings than the rest of the house, it’s a good idea to favour light colours and materials for the walls, flooring and cabinets. This will help make the space feel bigger, brighter and airier. Finally, be sure to work with certified professionals to ensure your renovation is a success.
GATHER THE RIGHT MATERIALS In addition to buying or renting any tools you don’t already own, such as a circular saw or drill, make sure you have all the required materials. Among other things, you’ll need dimensional lumber, wood screws, primer and drywall. Make sure to measure the space where the wall will be built so you can determine the quantity of supplies required. If you need advice, you can ask an expert at your local hardware store. INSTALL THE PLATES AND STUDS Start by cutting the plates (the lumber that runs horizontally along the floor and ceiling) to the required length, and then
screw them into place. Next, cut the vertical studs to fit between the plates, and screw them in one at a time. They should be evenly spaced out. Finally, install crossstuds between each stud at the midpoint between the floor and ceiling. ADD THE FINISHING TOUCHES Screw the sheets of drywall into the studs and cross-studs, then finish the drywall joints. Conclude the project by installing the baseboards and painting the new wall. Find everything you need to complete this simple, affordable project at your local hardware store. Alternatively, hire a contractor to ensure the job gets done right.
FUN
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PAGE 37
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 12 TO SEPTEMBER 18, 2021
ARIES
The luckiest signs this week: ARIES, AQUARIUS AND PISCES
You might decide to change your car on a whim. Just remember to be patient and negotiate a good price; the seller will eventually make you an ever better offer. At work, your team will offer to support you if you’re overwhelmed.
TAURUS
As you calculate your budget, you’ll realize you can afford to indulge in a few more luxuries, perhaps in the form of a vacation or two. Professionally, changes will prove quite profitable if you can overcome your fear of change.
PUZZLE NO. 744 ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 744
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 need to make changes in your relationships, both at home and at work. Wait a few days for your emotions to calm down before you take action. Some decisions need time; acting on a whim isn’t always the best approach.
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.
CANCER
You may be influenced by those closest to you to spoil yourself. You’ll decide to give yourself a makeover and follow the advice of a specialist. By reducing your anxiety, you’ll automatically find yourself in better health.
LEO
PUZZLE NO. 34
You’ll find yourself in the spotlight for one reason or another. You’ll be in charge of a group that might well pay tribute to you, or at least offer you warm congratulations. A promotion isn’t too far off.
VIRGO
51. Browns in the sun 55. Slice off 56. Emerald or garnet 57. Departure 58. Unlatch 59. Earth’s upper atmosphere 60. Alluring 61. Those opposed
ACROSS 1. Festive occasion 5. Not this 9. Chap 12. Piece 13. Type of hoop 14. Arctic 15. Office announcement 16. Squeal
17. “You ____ My Love” 18. Boggy area 20. Rowed 22. Staten or Coney 26. Matthew and Peter 30. Unrefined metals 34. Cried
35. Large tree 36. Hurry 37. Behind schedule 38. Sham 40. Meeting plan 42. Pack animal 45. Small fish 50. Above, to a poet
DOWN 1. Chewing and bubble 2. Again 3. Certain bean 4. Powerful particle 5. “____ kingdom come . . .” 6. Tinge 7. Once and for ____ 8. Bird’s claw 9. Dishonest person 10. Farm measurement 11. Changed the color 19. Hole 21. Idolize 23. Hill 24. Memorize
25. Questioned 26. Boring instrument 27. Garden veggie 28. Select 29. Iron setting 31. Scamper 32. Snaky letter 33. Female pronoun 39. Child’s game 41. Fence doors
42. Pieces of trees 43. Onion’s cousin 44. Military branch 46. At the top 47. Mama’s fellow 48. Hunted animal 49. Wishes 52. Have an ____ to grind 53. Veto 54. Porky’s place
ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 34
You’ll consider buying property if your family undergoes one or more changes. You may hear of a birth among your relatives, which will delight you. Try to be more delicate with certain sensitive people.
LIBRA
You’ll have a lot of conversations. Even at work, you’ll find yourself in the middle of a great discussion. This will allow you to expand your social circle and network of professional connections. New friendships will lead to great adventures.
SCORPIO
You’ll finally get out of a complicated financial situation. You’ll master the art of persuasive speech and convince some people to follow you. In love, communication is essential if you want your emotional connection to thrive.
SAGITTARIUS
You’ll need to make a decision without having access to all the necessary information. Try to rely on your good judgement. And above all, avoid longterm payments whenever possible so as not to add to your financial strain.
CAPRICORN
You could receive a great offer in your professional life. Take the time to discuss it with your loved ones before you accept, even if it’s your dream job. Affection will magically appear as soon as your world is ready for it.
AQUARIUS
You’ll have your eyes glued to your social networks. It’s a good idea to include your significant other more in your various activities to rekindle the passion between you. At work, your whole team will rely on your experience.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING
PISCES
The phone is ringing off the hook; sometimes clients will be in dire need of your service, other times your loved ones will be looking for you. Your efficiency is what makes you so highly sought after. If you’re single, you’ll find love when you stop looking for it.
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PAGE 40
FINANCE
Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Four financial questions to ask yourself before buying a home CLEVE DeSOUZA cleve@carib101.com
WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Buying a home is a huge decision, no matter what stage of life you find yourself in. If you are a first time homebuyer, you may be still learning about the intricacies of ownership and trying to budget for expenses that a landlord has typically covered in years past. Or, maybe you are trading in a smaller home for one that is a little more spacious, but haven’t figured in increases in things like utility bills and higher property taxes. Or, still yet, perhaps you are on the hunt for your forever home. You are a pro at owning a home, but the older you get, the harder it is to do things yourself. Maintenance becomes a bigger ticket item, and some homes require much more than others. Before you buy a home, here are five financial questions that you need to ask yourself. Question #1 How much can I comfortably afford? Most people rely on mortgages when buying a home and one of the first questions that you should secure an answer to is how much of a mortgage you can really afford without stress. Lenders and banks will often qualify people using a standard debt to income ratio,
but that isn’t always the best indicator of payment comfort. It also doesn’t leave any leeway for the unexpected. Things like a job layoff, a large unexpected repair, or an increase in taxes or insurance could cause a mortgage to become suddenly unaffordable if you are already maxed out. While it may be tempting to stretch your buying power to the very tip-top of your preapproval amount in order to secure your dream home, this usually isn’t a winning strategy. Question #2 Do I have the funds for repairs and maintenance? Every home is unique, and every home comes with its own set of necessary repairs and maintenance expenses. Oftentimes, home shoppers only budget for immediate fixes and don’t take into account what will need to be spent over the years to keep their home functional, safe, and building equity. Things like a worn out roof, ancient plumbing, or an air conditioner unit that is on it’s last leg may stand out, but what about the myriad of little things? Peeling trim paint on a home, for example, may not seem like a deal breaker at the time of purchase, but hiring someone to scrape and paint that trim every few years adds up over time. Because every house will have costs to maintain, be sure that you are prepared financially to handle upkeep. Question #3 What will the utility costs be? Whether you are moving across the street or across the country, utility costs can greatly vary from house to house. Things like the size, layout, and quality of a home’s insulation can make a huge difference when it comes to heating and cooling a
space. Other factors that can greatly impact utility costs include the energy efficiency of appliances and systems, the types of bulbs present in light fixtures, and the seal quality of windows and doors. Some sources of power and heat are also more expensive than others. In certain areas of Canada, a fully electric home is usually going to carry a higher monthly bill than a home that utilizes natural gas or propane for heat. Asking the current owner for a copy of their utility bills can help you understand realistic expense expectations. There are also sites that help you compare energy rates and options that could be helpful for determining a utility budget. Anytime you move, there are costs outside of the home itself that usually need to be adjusted. Many people neglect to account for increases in these areas and then find out after the fact that their budget just doesn’t work. If you commute to work each day or take the kids to day-care or school, is the prospective new home further away, requiring more gas and vehicle maintenance each month? What about the availability of amenities? If you are accustomed to working out in a gym that is on site and included in the monthly cost of your current residence, moving to a home without this will likely have the added cost of a gym membership. These are just a few examples of outside expense changes to plan for. Asking yourself these four financial questions before buying a home can help prepare you for the true cost of owning that home. While no one can foresee or prepare for every expense, spending some time doing due diligence in these four areas will go a long way.
6 tips to help you save for retirement Many Canadians struggle to understand the logistics of retirement and how to save. In fact, 32 per cent of Canadians nearing retirement age have nothing saved, and 53 per cent don’t know if they’re saving enough. Here are six practical tips to help you get ready for retirement. 1. Understand your current spending. Know how much you currently spend so you can compare it with your projected retirement spending. Managing your current spending can help you save for the future. 2. Plan your future lifestyle. Now’s the time to think about how you want to live
out your golden years. Many people assume their retirement spending will amount to approximately 70 per cent of their current spending (known as the 70 per cent rule). This may not be realistic by today’s standards. Consider how you want to spend your retirement, and create a budget to match that lifestyle. 3. Expect inflation. Rising prices are inevitable. Be sure to keep inflation in mind when planning your retirement. 4. Save on auto-pilot. Setting up regular deposits into a savings account can help you build your nest egg without having to lift a finger.
5. Pay off your mortgage. Home expenses comprise a significant portion of your fixed costs. Paying off your mortgage before retirement can help eliminate this monthly expense. 6. Work with a financial adviser. Hire a good investment professional and work with them regularly to keep your savings on track. Ask friends and family members for recommendations if you don’t currently work with a financial adviser. With proper planning and a little help, you can prepare yourself for the realities of retirement.
PAGE 42
AUTOMOTIVE
Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Distracted driving and the use of electronic devices Backup cameras 101 As of 2018, all new cars sold in North America must be equipped with a backup camera. If your car doesn’t already have one, you may want to consider purchasing an after-market model to help make your driving experience safer and more enjoyable. BENEFITS OF BACKUP CAMERAS Backup cameras are especially helpful when reversing, parallel parking or backing out of a parking space. They expand your field of vision and give you an accurate view of any obstacles behind your car. Additionally, the wide-angle camera drastically minimizes blind spots. Despite these advantages, you should still con duct a shoulder check and use your side and
rear-view mirrors to check your surroundings. HOW BACKUP CAMERAS WORK Backup cameras use coloured lines to help you gauge the distance between your car and whatever’s behind it. These lines also give you a better idea of the width of your vehicle. It’s important to know what the different coloured lines on your specific backup camera indicate to ensure you’re using it properly. If you need advice on which backup camera is right for you, visit your local electronics retailer.
There are many ways for drivers to become distracted. However, using a hand held electronic device is probably the most common. Every year, thousands of Canadians are severely injured or killed in collisions involving a distracted driver. To protect yourself and other motorists, it’s important to respect the rules of the road. DISTRACTED DRIVING LAWS In most Canadian provinces, it’s illegal to use handheld electronic devices such as cellphones, MP3 players and smartwatches while driving. Depending on where you live, if you’re convicted of distracted driving, you could receive hefty fines, gain demerit points, have your licence suspended or go to jail.
PERMITTED DEVICES It’s permissible for fully licensed drivers to use hands-free devices such as Bluetooth headsets. In addition, provided they’re securely mounted to your vehicle’s dashboard or windshield, GPS display screens are also allowed. It’s likewise acceptable to view screens that display information related to the status of your vehicle. However, it’s important to remember that even though hands-free devices are legal, they’re not entirely safe. There are risks involved any time a driver isn’t fully concentrated on the road. More often than not, distracted driving collisions are preventable. The next time you get behind the wheel, think twice before you try to multitask.