11-07

www.theeldoradorum.com

Different & Dynamic. Bigga, Brighta, Betta!

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017 • Website: www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca

Tel: 647-669-9320 • Fax: 416-292-2943 • Email: graphiclyn@gmail.com

Saldenah Launches Celebration Time For Toronto Carnival 2017 Chandni Grand. The show was hosted by E-man who in great style pumped up the crowd and got them excited for the showcase of feathers and colour. Music for the show and the after party was provided by Dr. Jay, Soca Vibes, Invinceable International, Wukup Productions and D3.

This year’s theme, CELEBRATION TIME, honours the 50th Anniversary of the Toronto Carnival Parade, as well as Canada's 150th Anniversary of Confederation. Half the sections are inspired by iconic symbols from the Caribbean such as Soca on De' Beach and Limbo, while Louis Saldenah's Mas-K Club presented their submission for the Toronto

the other half portrays iconic Canadian symbols such as Maple Syrup and

Caribbean Carnival 2017 Parade on Saturday 15th April, 2017 inside the

the Blue Jays.

Jamaican Lady Is World's Oldest Person!

Even after living 117 years, Jamaican Violet Mosse Brown is as fit as a horse, witty, humble and still hardworking.

Not once in her quiet life did she imagine landing in the world's history books as the oldest woman, but she is overjoyed at having done so.

“I feel good, I feel happy to be the oldest person (in the world),” Mosse Brown, affectionately called Aunt V, told the Jamaica Observer newspaper.

Mosse Brown, who was born on March 10, 1900, entered the pages of history as the oldest person on Earth on April 15, after the passing of the previous oldest, Italian Emma Morano, who was born on November 29, 1899.

“I did not feel I would become the oldest person. I feel I would pass long ago. Thank God for whatever He has given to me,” declared Mosse Brown, who remarkably suffers from no ailment.

Longevity seemingly runs in her genes. According to the Jamaica Observer, both her parents lived to 96 years old and her oldest son, Harold Fairweather, turned 97 on April 15.

Mosse Brown jokes that she is healthier than Harold and her other four children.

“I had six children; one died, five alive, but them all sick. Them sick more than me,” she said with a laugh.

The supercentenarian, who still eats everything except chicken and pork, credits her long life to her deep faith in God and hard work.

She worked as a cane farmers and also operated the only bread shop in her community. Mosse Brown was also a music teacher and seamstress.

Her hard work was undergirded by her deep faith in God. At 13, she was baptized as a member of the Baptist church, serving in virtually every capacity.

“I spent all my time in the church – from a child right up,” she said.

Meanwhile, Jamaicans have been celebrating Mosse Brown's achievement.

She has emerged a star in her Duanvale community, just a stone's throw away from the hometown of track legend Usain Bolt.

Page 2 • www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017

Guyana Tourism And Business Forum Scheduled For Toronto!

Guyana's Ministry of Tourism

Department of Tourism in the

will be hosting a Toronto

Ministry of Business,

Diaspora Business and Tourism

Georgetown, Guyana. The event

Forum for interested members

targets especially Guyanese-

of the Guyanese-Canadian

Canadians who are active in

Community on Friday May 19,

tourism, travel and business

2017 commencing at 9:30 am.

enterprises; Education, the

The Forum's theme will be:

Media, Sports, Culture and

“The Business of Homecoming

Entertainment; Social Work and

– Tourism and Investment

other Diaspora-related activities.

Opportunity for the Guyana

The forum seeks to stimulate

Diaspora!”

thought and define Lines of

The venue for the Forum will be the JC Banquet Hall, located at 1686

Action aimed at enhancing the tourism and business aspects of

Ellesmere Rd, in Scarborough. Mr Donald Sinclair, Director General,

homecoming of Guyanese-Canadians.

Department of Tourism in Guyana's Ministry of Business will be the

For further information on the Forum, interested individuals can

Forum's Main Presenter.

contact the Toronto Guyana Consulate by phone at 416 494-6040.

The Diaspora Business and Tourism Forum is being organised by the

Beautiful, Talented, Intelligent & Cultured

Miss West Indian

Canadian Pageant • WiCANADiAN.COM

JOIN US & REGISTER TODAY!

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

Save These Dates

www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca • Page 3

Caribbean Jewel

Guyanese Canadians are being asked to notes the dates for Community Events which will be forthcoming within the next month or two.

Guyana Day 2017 It's now just less than a month to go before this year's grand Guyana Day celebration in Ottawa to mark Canada's 150 Anniversary of Confederation. The May 21 Guyana Day 2017 in Ottawa is also intended to showcase Guyana's culture and diversity in celebration of Guyana's 51st Independence Anniversary.

In further celebration of Canada's 150 the Organizing Committee of Toronto's Last Lap Lime will be hosting its Annual Volunteer Appreciation Event on May 28 at Scarborough's Tropical Nights Restaurant (1154 Morningside Ave) from 2:00 – 5:00 pm. The Annual Launch Party has been billed by the Last Lap Lime Organizing Committee as an opportunity for to thank those who have volunteered their services tirelessly within previous years and also to welcome new volunteers for the 2017 year. The Committee also uses the event to thanks its sponsors, both existing and new.

St Joseph's High Alumni Annual Spring Dance Finally, Saturday June 10th will be the date for this year's St Joseph's High School Toronto Alumni Association's Spring Dance. Pickering's West Rouge Community Centre (270 Rouge Hill Drive) will be the venue for this $25/per person admission, Cash Bar, treat which will feature the groovy life band sounds of Fuh Fun as well as tracks from Deejay TeeCee. The fun starts sharply at 7:00 pm and goes until 1:00 am.

Photo Credit: Martha K

Last Lap Lime Annual Launch Party

Celebration Time: Louis Saldenah's Mas K Club recently launched their “Celebration Time” presentation for this year's Toronto Caribbean Carnival.

When the Band hits the Lakeshore in their anticipated 3,000+ numbers we're sure this beauty from last year will be back making merry!

Page 4 • www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017

Commentary:

A 30 Day Better Life Challenge Within recent times and especially from the onset of this year, self-improvement has become a huge personal objective of mine. I now regularly read various books on the subject and constantly watch Tony Robbins YouTube videos.

Last month in my ongoing quest for self-improvement knowledge, I stumbled upon a 30 Day Better Life Challenge, that was being offered online by the self-made millionaire Dean Graziosi. Depite my immediate realization that it was likely more of a sales gimmick to generate registrations for his online Seminars, I nevertheless decided that I would have nothing to lose by indulging and might even somehow benefit from the exercise.

The Challenge was comprised of four weeks of seven daily challenges, with two more in the final week. The Week I “Foundation” challenges were fairly simple and straightforward, from an introductory Master Your Morning challenge to complete simple exercises on deep breathing, gratitude indulgence and the identification of meaningful daily tasks, through to a Day 7 slightly more complex task of identifying the specific direction that you would want your life to take. The challenges on the days in between included taking time off from viewing or reading negative daily news broadcasts, saying no to people who might not necessarily have your best interests at heart, reliving major fears or embarrassments that you have experienced in the past and simply flipping those as a means of identifying outcomes that could have been more positive, even humorous, engaging in a random act of kindness and being conscious of those whose

company you keep.

The Week 2, “Mastering Your Mindset” challenges were slightly more engaging. The headings were: Mind vs Body, Creating Reciprocity, Grit over Gift; When The Going Gets Tough, Crushing Negativity and Creating Your Story. The last of those was particularly interesting in that it suggested that one of the biggest blocks of experiencing rapid transformation is a negative story that we often tell ourselves based on unfulfilling experiences in our past. As such the challenge was discover the old, current story I have been telling myself that no longer serves any good purpose and demolish it so that I could create a new far more invigorating one. I was also challenged to identify my old avatar and create a new one!

Week 3”s “Pushing Forward” challenges were headlined as The Not To Do List, Sharpening Strengths, Living The Dream, Making It Happen, It Takes Courage, Do It Already, Tomorrow Is Not Guaranteed. Of these the last was again by far the most interesting. That “Tomorrow Is Not Guaranteed” challenge was to imagine that you had one week left to live and to identify 5 things that you would do during the week if you knew that the end was near? The five I identified were 1) to have individual heart t0 heart conversations with my three sons, 2) to call all those individuals that I value my relationship with to tell them how much I have appreciated having them in my life 3) to write a letter to my very best friend, the Barbados based Connie Smith, to express my profound appreciation for all that she has been to me in the

now 30+ years that we've known each other, 4) and 5) to have the nicest possible final evening with the Love Of My Life Resident Love Goddess, doing what I have loved most: enjoying a delicious meal, likely my favorite curry chicken and rice, watching my favorite movie of all time The Sound Of Music, dancing to some good music, just “Fuh Fun!:) and …… the rest would be best left to the imagination, this being a family publication!

The final Week 4 “Transforming Your Story” Challenges were under the somewhat self explanatory headings: Take Action, Now News Is Good News Part 2, Make A Sale, Show Your Appreciation, Your Perfect Day. Your New Story. Of these Show Your Appreciation was the most compelling as it required writing a letter/email of appreciation to five individuals to whom you owe a debt of gratitude. My five were fairly easy to identify, the actual letter writing though was far more difficult. So much so that to date I've only completed three of the five and still have two more to do.

The final Week 5's “Your Better Life” challenge was in two parts, the first a reminder to identify “Health Equals Happiness” daily activities and the second to share the 30 Day Experience with as many others as possible. Having done just that by way of this Commentary, I can now pat myself on the back for having completed the challenge. As to the lessons learnt, only time will tell as to whether those do indeed result in my experiencing a “Better Life!”

6 Ways To Whoop Workplace Woes A few years ago I attended a speed mentoring session with executives from a big bank. One executive sat at each table and covered a different relevant topic. Four to five guests sat across from them, keenly listening, taking notes and asking questions.

They covered topics like dealing with stress, negotiation, conflict resolution, networking and leadership.

At first glance, I noticed each executive wore a suit and had a warm and serious way of being. Most had prepared notes, and a mini-talk they had planned beforehand. But as we delved deeper into each topic, I began to notice a trend. There was much more talking about self-development, positive thinking, healing and self-esteem than I anticipated.

What most people think of as fluffy and woo-hoo, these executives were talking about openly as if these topics were normal and matter of fact to address in an office environment.

One executive shared that they never went to university, had no degree and had to network their way in. One executive shared about the challenges of being a single mom and working her way up the corporate ladder when there was very little acceptance of women in leadership. Each person was open and humble about their personal journey and talked very little about conventional 'work'. It wasn't about what they had accomplished; it was more about what they had overcome that got them where they are now.

Another pattern I noticed was their

willingness to be different, to stand out and well. We have 5 senses that can be our truth is not met with support, but to do what it takes to get from point A to tended to on a daily basis. Uplifting every now and then a person or an point B. For an entire three hours, I heard messages, paintings and beautiful environment will surprise us and these not one complaint or excuse from any of screen savers will soothe our eyes. moments are totally worth being them. It was a surprising and refreshing Calming essential oils and fresh vulnerable for. experience to know that a seemingly flowers/plants can soothe our nose. 5) Connecting to Vision conservative environment could be full of Ginger lemon tea can soothe our mouths In any environment we find ourselves, it so many down to earth people. while still boosting circulation. Kind is important to step back and look at Below are 6 ways to make work feel like an words and soft classical music can what is happening objectively. What investment and not just an obligation. For soothe our ears. And soft, comfortable skills and strengths are we building that the lucky ones who have work that already fabrics can soothe our skin. Making a will be of benefit to our vision for our feels like an investment, these are 6 ways to list of what soothes you and how to life? What stepping stones are we help work feel more like home. bring them into your space, might take currently standing on? And what 1) Morning Ritual some creative thinking and is essential stepping stones are available in this The best way to ensure our day gets off to well-being. environment?

Building in this to a great start is to have a great 3) Mid-Day Walk &Talk dimension is definitely a winding road. morning. If we hit snooze, roll out of Human beings are social creatures. We There are lots of zigs and zags but every bed late, grab a coffee and danish on the need each other to feel safe, we need one of them can help us if we let them. way in, have no time to prepare for the each other to build, to grow, to laugh and 6) After-work Reflection morning meeting and have a report due to share. If we have a friend at work or Whether we journal or just talk to by lunch, we feel powerless, exhausted one who works nearby, going for a midourselves, it is a great way to end a and rushed – and the day is just getting day walk and talk is a great way to relax working day by asking, what did I started. and add some happiness and connection learn? What did I accomplish? What However challenging at first, waking up to our work experience. This can also would I add? What would I take away? an hour or two early, exercising, eating a help us remember that while work is What am I grateful for? And what am I nutritious breakfast, meditating and important, it is not everything. looking forward to? getting to work early so we can prepare If our friends are busy or we are in the If we lived till 100, working at least 8 hours for our morning meeting and get process of making some, it is also great a day, we are spending the equivalent of 25working on our report due by lunch, to go for a walk by ourselves. 30 years of our total life working. When we simply feels better. Doing this may Circulation, fresh air and a mental break step this far back to take a look at the bigger mean that we go to bed earlier, turn our are always necessary. picture, the concept of work/life balance smart phones to silent at night and make 4) Honest Communication doesn't really make sense. Work is 30% of more noise in the morning, but feeling By honest communication, I don't mean our real life. That 30% should feel good. It more powerful is definitely worth the name calling or telling people what you should be fulfilling. And most importantly, initial challenge. I promise, having a 'really' think of them. What I mean by it should feel like ours. In the end, it is not happier, healthier partner or parent will honest is, have you shared your 30% of our life that we just give away to smooth over any trouble we cause for strengths? Where you would like more someone else or to a company. That 30% is our grouchy morning housemates. support? Where you see yourself in 3 just as much our responsibility as brushing 2) Creating a Safe Space years? If a group of people, an our teeth and preparing our food. And if we These days, when we hear the words organization, or a company have no idea don't do what it takes to make that 30% full 'safe space' at work, most of us think of who you really are inside, what you of meaning, quality and truth, then it is 30% diversity and inclusion initiatives. But dream about and what excites you, there of our life that we have neglected. there is much more we can do to soothe is no way they can help you build.

Love Mala our nervous systems independently as This can be challenging and sometimes It's Cool To BE Happy

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC The People’s Paper, daring to be different.

Website: www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca Tel: 647.669.9320 • Fax: 905.813.9403 Email: graphiclyn@gmail.com

Publisher/Editor: Contributors:

Legal: Accounting: Graphic Design:

Tony McWatt Selwyn Baboolal, Chef Phillip Hendricks, Dr. George Traitses, Mala Rambharose, Rudy Lochan, Sanjay Patel, Cherry Khan Oumarally and Baboolal Haroon Gafur Julie Rambali, infiniteLinx.ca

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca • Page 5

CARIBBEAN NEWS Barbados Adams Castle Property Sales Booming!

BRIDGETOWN, A marked uptick in reservations and purchases at the scenic Adams Castle Estate property development, could signal a return to real estate as a first choice investment for Barbadians, seeking both a housing solution and a means of making the best return on available financial resources.

Elias Haloute, developer and Director of Adams Castle Development Inc., said this was his observation following a most recent successful land showcase.

He said there was an encouraging response from Barbadians who toured the property, and engaged with representatives from the local financial sector.

Noting that at last count, over half of the lots at Adams Castle Estate had been sold or reserved, Haloute said with prices starting as low as BDS$15.00 per square foot for ample sized, investment grade, residential lots, it was only a matter of time before Barbadians seized on what was a once in a lifetime

opportunity. He said people were clearly once again looking at real estate as the best investment in a low interest rate environment.

Haloute said with several houses already completed or under construction, Adams Castle Estate was fast developing into the secure residential community which he had envisaged.

Prices on lots remaining across the 37.6 acre site have been considerably reduced, allowing investors who complete their purchase in 90 days to benefit from significant savings into the many thousands of dollars.

New Airlines Service For Dominica ROSEAU, Dominica (CBN4) -- Two new airlines may soon be providing services to Dominica, Minister for Fourism Robert Tongue has revealed.

Tongue, who was speaking at a recent town hall meeting, stated that both airlines are based in the Caribbean.

Dominica's main air carrier LIAT has been criticised for its irregular operations.

On April 3, the Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA) issued a press release calling on the shareholder governments to remove the current L I AT m a n a g e m e n t , s a y i n g i t “unfortunately has no other choice”.

“Hopefully soon we will have two new airlines servicing Dominica, one of them is called TIA out of Barbados and

St Lucia which will start sometime in October… to ensure that more persons can come to Dominica when they want to come and also more affordable,” he said.

The other airline was not named.

He added that traveling to Dominica is still a challenge, however, his ministry has been engaging with a number of airlines to improve travel.

“And as you know sometimes it can be very challenging to get to Dominica but we are doing a lot to speak with all the different airlines and encourage them to provide better service and come to Dominica,” he stated. Tonge said that last year, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit engaged LIAT for better services.

Grenada's Voter Registration Is On The Rise ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada, Spice Isle Grenada's electoral officials have indicated that more than 2,000 names have been added to the Voters List since the November 2016 referendum, as the island prepares for a general election that though constitutionally due next year, could be held later this year. Supervisor of Elections, Alex Phillip, said the increase in the number of voters could be as a result of the project undertaken by the Parliamentary Elections Office to educate students about the benefit of registering when they reach the age of 18.

“What we are seeing is that once young people turn 18 they are getting registered, the addendum has shown an increase in the consolidated Voters List growing since we had the November referendum,” said Phillip, noting that for the referendum where Grenadians voted against a number of measures, including a fixed date for general elections, there were 70,714 registered voters.

“For the addendum which is up for scrutiny as of Friday April 07, the

Consolidated List now stands just little beyond 72,000 and that is because of the amount of young people who have decided to register once they turn 18,” he said.

Phillip said that all registered persons will have until April 18 to file complains about the list and urged persons to scrutinize the list to ensure that the information is correct.

The law governing the general elections process provides for ongoing registration of voters and mandates that a consolidated be publish every quarter. The list will be reflective of all persons registered up to March 31st 2017.

A general election is constitutionally due no later than May 2018, but there is widespread speculation here that Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell, who led his ruling New National Party (NNP) to victory in 2013 by winning all 15 seats, will go for an early poll.

The other main party expected to contest the election is the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

St Vincent Signs New Open Skies Agreement With The US KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, A new open skies agreement between the United States and St Vincent and the Grenadines was signed on April 7, 2017, entering into force with immediate effect. This agreement replaces a more restrictive air transport agreement.

The US embassy in Bridgetown welcomed the signing of the new open skies agreement as strengthening the partnership between the two countries and deepening commercial and

economic ties between the United States and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“It will provide opportunities for airlines, travelers, businesses, airports and localities by allowing increased market access for passenger and cargo to fly between our two countries and beyond. In doing so, the new agreement will facilitate future travel and commerce between the United States and St Vincent and the Grenadines,” the embassy said.

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Page 6 • www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

Greenheart Digest Guysuco Moving From Sugar To Fish!

GEORGETOWN, As the cash strapped Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco) looks to new ways to generate funds to ensure its sustenance fish farming is one of the avenues that is being looked at.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Guysuco Errol Hanoman said that a 300-acre aquaculture farm is being looked at as one of the possibilities to inject much needed funds into the entity. He said that tilapia is the preferred species of fish that is being considered.

According to Hanoman a feasibility study is currently being done by an American company and those findings will be presented to the government by the end of the month.

Hanoman said that he is hopeful that the pilot project of this size will arrest the slide that currently prevails in the troubled industry.

He said that upon completion of the feasibility study the corporation will be in a better position to pronounce on the actual financial returns that will be accrued from the venture.

Hanoman added that he did not want to preempt how much the industry stands to benefit from the undertaking, but he said based on the magnitude of the project he was optimistic that it should be substantial.

Further, Harmon explained that the aquaculture project is part of a wider plan to diversify the industry as Guyana's sugar continues to attract less than favourable prices for sugar abroad.

He said that this project will aid in widening the revenue base of the industry added to the proposed seed paddy facility that has already been announced by the government.

Tony Vieira who currently heads the diversification unit at Guysuco had explained in a letter that the aquaculture project is a worthwhile one.

Vieira said trials were done for the government for $200 million in 2008 by the University of

Arizona and the Collaborative Research Support Programme.

He said that the price for tilapia in 2006 was US$1.10 per pound. However Vieira said today the price would venture close to US$2 per pound since the price has gone up.

The trial yielded 21,780 pounds of tilapia per acre which worked out to US$43,560 per acre in gross income. This was actually two crops a year of 10,890 pounds in each crop and 10,000 pounds per acre.

That project found that if Guysuco were growing tilapia instead of cane its income would be US$43,560 a year per acre, nearly 400 per cent greater than sugar cane.

Vieira who has been in sugar cultivation for many years said that if the 120,000 acres of sugar cultivation was growing tilapia and not sugar cane, we would be earning US$5.2 billion from it annually and not the US$132M annually that sugar raked in.

He said that nothing ever done in Guyana's history comes even close to the magnitude of this kind of income.

“Even if the study conducted in 2008 had an error of 100 per cent we would still be earning US$2.6 billion which is more than gold, rice, bauxite and sugar combined.

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017

13 Kenview Blvd, Brampton, ON 905-791-ROTI (7684) | www.alimas.ca

No More Long Lines For Passports & Birth Certificates GEORGETOWN, There have been notable improvements in the provision of immigration and citizenship services since the Ministry of Citizenship commenced its bid to revamp the system. Not only has the Ministry been able to decentralize a number of its services to far-flung regions, but Minister Winston Felix has also highlighted continued progress with the digitalization of relevant national records and the ease with which citizens can now access passports and birth certificates. When the Minister appeared on a HJ 94.1 radio programme last week, he said what existed previously was an “indecency” at the Central Immigration and Passport Office, where citizens were forced to join lines extending outside of the building, long waits for the document and a difficulty in accessing a birth certificate.

He said President David Granger expressed displeasure with the system based on discussions he had with locals and members of the Diaspora and decided to set up the Citizenship Ministry. When Felix became Minister, he said one of his first assignments was to make the job of accessing a passport easier. “People should not have to come from Parika, and Springlands, and Bartica to get a passport.” The minister said two initiatives were applied: Decentralisation has commenced with Linden receiving a passport office last August and New Amsterdam, last November. Offices at Anna Regina and Bartica are due later this year.

The second plan is the establishment of mobile unit. “With finance being a major concern, I am interested in a mobile facility to move around parts of regions Seven, Eight and Nine.” Felix said in this bid, “we must take the government service to the people in scarcely populated areas and have standard facilities in places like Anna Regina and Bartica and other places being designated townships.”

Additionally, a passport online system is being looked at to especially aid members of the Diaspora. Felix said he has had discussions with his technical team and is

currently awaiting a report on the technical inputs required to make it a possibility; “that you can stay from your home and apply for a passport and with one short visit to the passport office, having your documents signed up; you will get your passport.” This is being done within all the security and other required measures.

On the issue of birth certificates, Minister Felix said that he is conscious of the stress that citizens face, while recognizing the checks and balances that have to be done, using the paper system. He noted that any incorrect information provided by the citizen will also see the process taking longer. “In my view, you (citizen) should not have to wait a month to get a birth certificate.

So we are working towards digitizing records in the first place. And one of the benefits is having a database from which we can print the birth certificate.”

The Minister said that initially the digitalization of the records was scheduled for three years, but is now being scaled back to two years. He recognized that the information is significant since it includes births, deaths and marriages; and how far back the records are dated. On the matter of visas for foreigners, Felix said he is tasked with putting together an intergovernmental group that will develop a visa policy for Guyana. He said so far, he has received a report on the visa application process, “to give a data understanding of the system.”

According to the Minister, once that is completed the ministry would improve its online presence as to what is needed for a visa in Guyana, the qualities of the various visas, such as lengths of stay involved, entitlements and extensions associated with either a visitor's visa, business or any other.

This, he said, has the potential to improve foreign investment when access to the country's requirements is easy for the investor. Felix said too that he is aware of allegations under the past regime of visa sales, and bribes demanded for the access of the important documents.

Region 10 Hosts Tourism Workshop GEORGETOWN, As part of an initiative to boost tourism and develop hotspots in the Regions, the Department of Tourism in the Ministry of Business in collaboration with the Region Ten Tourism Authority hosted a Tourism Planning Workshop on Friday, April 7th at the Linden Enterprise Network.

Director General of Tourism, Donald Sinclair, said that the workshop is to spread the planning of tourism in all the Regions and what is occurring in Linden will be happening in all the Regions of Guyana.

He stated that a similar session was held in Region Seven just two weeks ago where they listed their tourism Hotspots.

“I hope that at the end of this session we will have a Green List of Tourism Hotspots in Region Ten. Also the participants will decide what are the lines of action needed to bring those hotspots to full fledged tourism attractions that will be generating revenues, generating employment for Region Ten.” Sinclair said that Region Ten has some interesting attractions and also some challenges but noted that the Region has an industrial heritage which according to him is unique in Guyana.

“Linden was the home of the Bauxite Industry and I thought more should have been done for the celebration of Linden

being 100 years as a mining town.

It is also possible and I hope that with the proposal for the development for an industrial park it will showcase the industrial heritage of Linden; because as you know bauxite is very important to Linden and to Guyana as a whole.”

Sinclair posited that the Demerara River which runs through Region Ten is an added attraction for Linden, during the River Front Festival.

He claims that the River Front offers enormous possibilities for Tourism once the activities are properly conceptualized and planned.

He shared his experience of a visit to a picturesque riverfront with a farm that cultivated coconuts and watermelons. The Director General of Tourism mentioned Linden's proud Sporting Heritage, and said that it can be developed.

He also named a few of the Heritage sites such as the 'Water Wheel', the 'Sawmill' and the Kwakwani Waterfront which he calls 'scenic'.

He said that for Tourism to be developed several factors must be taken into consideration such as tourism appeal, accessibility, safety and services among others.

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca • Page 7

Diaspora Digest

Easter In Guyana. Make Sure You Are There, Next Year The just concluded Easter Season is unquestionably one of the best times of the year to be in Guyana.

According to noted Guyanese Writer, Godfrey Chin Irving Berlin's Easter Parade conjures up one of the many glorious annual holidays celebrated in Guyana, in which kite flying is the major attraction.

Steeped in rich religious folklore and cultural traditions from the 'melting pot of our six races', the recently celebrated Easter Holidays sandwiched between four non-working days – Good Friday to Easter Monday with Easter kite flying is a kaleidoscope of epicurean fun and frolic, to match anywhere in the world.

Good Friday, yesteryear was a 'taboo' day where the religious inclined, must attend High Mass in their Sunday 'Best' – give more generously to their church's collection plate, and the Family's 'Thanksgiving' meal, on that day, must be no meat whatever. A loud Metagee or Coocoo with fish was the favourite dish, chased with a local brew of Ginger Beer, Mauby, Swank or Fly . The old folks would prohibit any members of their household from venturing outside the home with concocted tales designed to ignite the latent superstition in us, with conjured up vicious attacks of 'jumbees, ol Higue, and massacuraman.

Guyana celebrates Easter without the trappings of Easter Bunny Rabbits or Egg Hunts but the long weekend outdoor fun bringing folks of different class, race or creed together fulfilling magnanimously the 'purpose of the sacrifice on the cross'.

Good Friday was a good day for 'show-off' fathers to make kites for the entire household, but this ceremony is no longer necessary as kites are readily available from roadside vendors. Imported plastic 'do it yourself' assembly kites is a 'cop out' – permitting the households head, a well deserved lazy day for dominoes, surfing the internet, plus a 'surreptitious drink' under the table.

Yesteryear the rigmarole of making kites for the family was an Easter rite of challenges – collecting glamma cherry for adhesive – light box wood for kite frames – Barbados, tissue, and brown shop paper to cover intricate paper patterns. With the kite completed, additional challenges included the preparation of the 'bolla' string, enough kite tail with 'bedding scraps to keep the kites from pitching, and the loop to control your aerial display. Even preparations of pastry and goodies, etc for that Easter Monday kite flying family picnic are now 'dodo chores' as 'carry out quik-serv pizza and chicken take away in boxes, are the norm eliminating kitchen wares to be washed. The downside is 'nuff nuff plastic' throwaways for disposal.

In the modern today – Good Friday is a good day for travel overland to the profuse holiday excitement at our resort attractions. In Lethem, the Rupununi Rodeo is a festival of bronco busting – horse racing – steer roping – catching the greasy pig – wild cow milking – all delightful fun for participants and spectators'. The Rupununi Rodeo has become a Guyanese Easter tradition as it is hosted annually on at Lethem. It has become such a popular national event that the rodeo brings thousands by bus, SUVs, and even motorbikes thronging through the road corridor leading to Lethem, or by plane. It allows for seeing wild country at its best, from jungle to Savannah and then at the end gives a taste of a lifestyle far different from that of the Coastland.

The fun begins on Holy Saturday and continues until Easter Monday, with daytime activities including wild bull riding, horse racing, wild cow milking, wild horse riding, a female barrel race, and steer roping, among other exhilarating events.

Recently, a Miss Rupununi Rodeo Beauty Pageant has been added featuring beauties from the Region and neigbouring Brazil.

In an effort to harness the potential of this event, the Ministry of Tourism and the Guyana Tourism Authority have collaborated with several tour operators who offer tour packages for the Rupununi Rodeo and other events that fall within the Easter period, under the Re-Discover Home initiative.

This initiative was launched to provide the opportunity for citizens, businesses, organisations and tourists to discover Guyana's tourism offerings.

The Rupununi Rodeo has its origins in the middle of the last century, when vacqueros competed against each other in various skills; it later grew from being a centralised event in the hinterland village of St. Ignatius before moving to Lethem in 1985.

Over the Easter Weekend thousands of Guyanese also converge on Bartica for the interior mining town's Annual Regatta. At Bartica, the Regatta features a variety of water sports and competitions including power boat racing, jet skiing, canoe racing, climbing the greasy pole plus beach parties, a beauty pageant and street parade.

The main attraction this year was the mega concert which was scheduled to feature performances by Jamaican artistes Christopher Martin and D-Major, as well as Guyana's very own Universal Melodies Band along with Zion Kid. The concert, held at the Bartica Community Centre Ground, promised a great kick off to a weekend packed with activities.

On Sunday, April 16, the fun continued as some of the biggest names in powerboat racing were placed under the spotlight. The Power Boat Races saw the likes of Dave Scott, Jose Jardine, Sean Belle and the Bartica racers, throwing down the gauntlet to Neil and Clint Gonsalves and the Pomeroon crew. Following the thrills and excitement of the boat racing there was an evening of poise as eight of Bartica's most beautiful women competed for the coveted Miss Bartica Regatta Crown 2017, at the Community Centre Ground.

Back on the mainland, Easter Saturday which was previously a public holiday is ideal for shopping and sightseeing tours around the city visiting Stabroek Market, St George's Cathedral, the City Hall, the Botanic and Promenade Gardens.

The annual Easter kite flying tradition in Guyana is a rite as fulfilling as our 'pepperpot, black cake and garlic pork at Christmas or the 'abeer' water at Pagwah.

Kite flying for each individual encompasses a full lifetime – from

your first 'kankawa' kite at four – your challenging singing engine at youthful seventeen – your responsibilities as parents and finally your retirement languish in the sunset years as grandparents.

The kites Guyanese choose to fly in their lifetimes is very often a reflection of their respective individual characters and creativity as evinced in the wide variety available from singing engines, stars and box kites, etc. Flown kites perpetrate and carry on century old traditions of foreign dynasties such as China, India and Japan, etc. They conquer nature's aerodynamics by controlling a heavier than air object with a string tether, and match space age conquests of today's astronauts. Kite flying also provides an opportunity for family picnics in the glorious outdoor where class, race, creed and religion take the backstage. And of course there's also always the homage paid to a 'risen' Christ on the third day, in reverence and worship of the supreme being who paid the ultimate price for mankind

Page 8 • www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017

Govt. Urged To Create More Opportunities For Diaspora Investment

Violence On The Rise!

KINGSTON, Managing Director of JN Bank Maureen HaydenCarter, has urged the government to establish more concrete avenues for Jamaicans in the Diaspora to contribute to the development of the nation. While acknowledging the work of government, she said there are many opportunities for the financial sector in Jamaica to increase direct partnerships and engagement of the Diaspora.

Hayden-Cater, who was speaking against the background of JN Bank's recent launch of its JN Diaspora Certificate of Deposit, maintained that many persons in the Diaspora are prepared to invest; however, they are often unable to identify the specific products, services and information they need.

“We should be willing and prepared to design products and services that are exclusive to Jamaicans overseas; and provide the avenues that allow them to further contribute to the development of the country,” the JN Bank managing director underscored, pointing to 2013 data published by InfoDev for the World Bank which shows that a quarter of Jamaicans in the Diaspora have investable wealth or annual earnings of US$100,000 or more.

More than 70 per cent are interested in investing in start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises and 63 per cent are also interested in Diaspora bonds.

The JN Diaspora Certificate of Deposit, available in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Canadian currencies, was launched last

KINGSTON, A university and a 16year-old student were among six people shot and killed in western Jamaica over the April 8-9 as the murder toll in the country climbed to 360 since the start of the year.

The police have not yet released the names of the students from the University of Technology (UTECH) and the Muschette High School. In addition, the authorities have confirmed that a Canadian visitor, who was shot is in a critical condition at hospital.

month; and was among the products and services on display for 5,000 Jamaicans in Canada who patronised the recently held JN Group Expo in Brampton, Ontario.The product allows for a portion of the interest earned by the certificate of deposit to be used to fund social enterprises operating in the micro, small and medium enterprise sector.

The sector is responsible for about a third of the country's employment.

She further noted that two per cent of the interest income earned by individual investors will be matched by JN Bank and contributed to social enterprises engaged in the JN Foundation's Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI).

The instrument is tenured from one to five years; and starts at £1,000, CA$1,000, or US$2,000.

Interest at the top end of the longest terms on these investments range from 1.5 per cent in pounds; 1.1 percent in Canadian dollars; to 1.8 per cent in US dollars.

Hayden Cater also said that beyond specific products and services targeted to the Diaspora, clearer and more defined efforts must be made to engage them in their respective communities; and not only when they visit Jamaica.

“We need to recognise that Jamaicans in the Diaspora are an important constituent in our economic fabric; and, therefore, we should make it easier for interested persons to access information about investment opportunities in Jamaica,” Hayden Cater concluded.

So far this year, 360 people have been killed as compared to 290 for the corresponding period last year.

A cting P olice Commis s ioner Novelette Grant and members of the High Command toured western Jamaica to meet with divisional commanders to discuss crime prevention plans.

The acting police commissioner later told local media that the law enforcement authorities are determined to stem the violence in western Jamaica.

Govt. To Partner With Facebook On Missing Children “ Ananda” Alerts KINGSTON, The Ministry of Education has announced plans to partner with social media giant, Facebook, to broadcast Ananda Alerts – a system for reporting missing children. In his contribution to the 2017/18 Sectoral Debate in Parliament earlier this month, State Minister in the Ministry, Floyd Green said Facebook team will be visiting Jamaica in May for the official launch of the partnership.

“This partnership will enable the broadcast of Ananda Alerts on the pages of all Facebook users in Jamaica, which will ensure that we have a larger pool searching for our children when they go missing,” he said.

Meanwhile, Green informed that the backlog of sexual-offence cases at the Child Development Agency (CDA) has been cleared.

As it relates to the planned merger of the CDA and the Office of the Children's Registry (OCR), he noted that the move aims to “remove the bureaucracy from child protection”.

He added that in the new dispensation, the Registry functions will be sufficiently protected to guarantee the necessary legal safeguards in child-abuse cases.

The Ananda Alert system for reporting missing children was launched on May 19, 2009.

It was named in honour of Ananda Dean, an 11-year-old student of a Corporate Area school who went missing on September

17, 2008. The two-week search for her ended in despair as her headless, decomposing body was found in bushes.

The system was devised in the hopes of increasing the chances of recovering missing children by getting information out to the public faster.

Under the Ananda Alert programme, when a child goes missing, a report is made to the nearest police station or by calling 119. The police will then alert all Ananda Alert stakeholders including the media houses, mobile companies, local authorities, parish councils; and these will then mobilise community groups. After 12-hours, photos of the missing child will be placed on electronic/mobile billboards, in shops, supermarkets, community centre, church halls, schools and post offices.

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

Former PNM Candidate Charged With $5 Million Fraud PORT-OF-SPAIN, AN Arouca woman who was the People's National Movement (PNM) candidate for the Arouca/Maloney Constituency in the 2007 general election was on April 10 granted $450,000 when she appeared before a Port of Spain magistrate accused of stealing close to $.5 million from several people over a two-yearperiod.

But even though bail was granted to 40-year-old Rose Maria Smith, who also goes by the name Rose Howai, of Cedar Drive, Arouca, on the matters to be heard in the Port of Spain Court, she will spend at least until April 19 in prison custody since bail was denied on the matters to be heard in the Arima Court.

Smith, who was charged by Fraud Squad officers, appeared before Magistrate Cheron Raphael in the Eleventh Court charged with the larceny offences which supposedly took place between March 2014 and September 2016 in the Piarco, Maloney, Arouca, Port of Spain and San Juan areas.

She is accused of stealing the sums of $33,415, $24,595, $74,400, $25,000, 178,660, $93,000, $24,770 and US$3,391, a grand total of approximately $477,580.

When she appeared before the magistrate shortly before 11 a.m., Smith pleaded not guilty to the offences which were alleged to have taken place in Port of Spain and San Juan. On the matters that allegedly took place in Maloney, Arouca and Piarco, she was not called upon to plead as they were laid indictably.

Defence attorney Herbert Charles made and application for bail saying his client had a fixed place of abode and would not abscond if bail was granted. He admitted however, that the woman has a matter pending before the Arima Court for impersonating an attorney. He added that his client was a former secretary of government minister and attorney Peter Taylor and also had siblings who are members of the protective services.

In 2007, after being selected to contest the Arouca/Maloney seat, Smith was arrested and charged by Fraud Squad detectives for allegedly defrauding five people of a total of $733,020.

Charles stated however that those charges have since been dismissed.

She has since filed action in the High Court against the State for defamation of character stemming from the charges.

In response to the application for bail, police prosecutor Sgt Joseph Logan objected to bail saying that Smith provided officers with a particular address which she claimed to be the location where she lived but when checks were made, the owner of the house, Smith ex-husband informed the officers she no longer resided there.

Logan went on to say that as a condition of the bail bond on the charge of impersonating an attorney, Smith was required to report to Arouca police weekly but never did so since first appearing in court last October. Since then she never again attended court and officers were unable to locate her. It was only last Wednesday that she was arrested close to the High Court in Port of Spain, he said.

Charles however, contended that the reporting conditions on that matter was removed and this was why his client never presented herself to Arouca police.

After listening to submissions from both sides, Magistrate Raphael granted the bail bond on the Port of Spain matters but refused bail on the other.

“The Arima Court will deal with bail for the matters before it,” said Raphael.

As a condition of her bail, Smith is required to report to Arouca officers every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. She will next appear in the Port of Spain Court on May 5 and the Arima Court on April 1

www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca • Page 9

Protests, Red Tape Cause Loss Of Major Oil Investment PORT-OF-SPAIN, Former Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine says while BPTT's decision to not build its Angelin platform in La Brea is disappointing, it should come as no surprise. He contends the country, the people of La Brea as well as many families, contractors and suppliers have lost out as a result.

Ramnarine said there were two issues which led Trinidad and Tobago to this point.

“Firstly, the energy sector's ability to deliver projects has been severely impacted by industrial relations unrest and increasing red tape.

Angelin's predecessor, the BP Juniper platform, endured no end of stoppages and protests. The (Oilfields Workers' Trade Union) played a major role in these events.

This led to schedule slippage. As a result of the loss of time on

Juniper, BP decided to move the jacket component to Texas in mid2015. This was done to preserve the project timeline. The topside was completed in La Brea in January 2017,” Ramnarine pointed out.

The other issue, he said, related to the length of time it took to negotiate a new BP/National Gas Company contract.

“We are told that this is nearing completion. This should have been completed in December 2016 if the target of first gas from Angelin was to be achieved (January 2019).

It takes two years to develop a project like Angelin. The loss of time (four months and counting) means that BP has to compress its timelines and that means building the platform where it can be completed faster,” he said in an April 9 statement.

Page 10 • www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

NUGGETS

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017

Understandable, Factual Financial Knowledge; Success Strategies For Entrepreneurs & Business Owners

How Is Your Credit Limit What You Should Know About Home Appraisals Affecting Your Credit Score?

Tony MCWATT

When you're buying a home using a mortgage, refinancing your existing mortgage, or selling your home to anyone other than an all-cash buyer, the home appraisal is a key component of the transaction. Whether you're a buyer, owner or seller, you'll want to understand how the appraisal process works and how an appraiser determines a home's value.

What Is a Home Appraisal?

An appraisal is an unbiased professional opinion of a home's value. Appraisals are almost always used in purchase and sale transactions and commonly used in refinance transactions. In a purchase and sale transaction, an appraisal is used to determine whether the home's contract price is appropriate given the home's condition, location, and features. In a refinance, it assures the lender that it isn't handing the borrower more money than the home is worth.

Lenders want to make sure that homeowners are not overborrowing for a property because the home serves as collateral for the mortgage. If the borrower should default on the mortgage and go into foreclosure, the lender will recoup the money it lent by selling the home. The appraisal helps the bank protect itself against lending more than it might be able to recover in this worst-case scenario.

The Appraisal Process and How Appraisal Values Are Determined Because the appraisal primarily protects the lender's interests, the lender will usually order the appraisal. A property's appraisal value is influenced by recent sales of similar properties and by current market trends. The home's amenities, the number of bedrooms and

bathrooms, floor plan functionality and square footage are also key factors in assessing the home's value. The appraiser must do a complete visual inspection of the interior and exterior and note any conditions that adversely affect the property's value, such as needed repairs.

Appraisers are required to report on their descriptions of the interior and exterior of the property, the neighborhood, and nearby comparable sales. The appraiser then provides an analysis and conclusions about the property's value based on his or her observations. An appraisal costs several hundred dollars, and generally, the borrower pays this fee.

What Homebuyers Need to Know When you're buying a home, and you're under contract, the appraisal will be one of the first steps in the closing process. If the appraisal comes in at or above the contract price, the transaction proceeds as planned. If the appraisal comes in below the contract price, however, it can delay or derail the transaction.

Chances are neither you nor the seller wants the transaction to fall through. As the buyer, you have an advantage in that a low appraisal can serve as a negotiating tool to convince the seller to lower the price so the transaction can move forward. The bank won't lend you or any other prospective buyer more than the home is worth.

What Home Sellers Need to Know As a seller, a low appraisal, if accurate, means you will have to lower your home's price to get it sold. Lenders won't approve loans for more than a home is worth, and holding out for an all-cash buyer who doesn't require an appraisal as a condition of completing the transaction is unlikely to net you a higher sales price. No one wants to overpay for a home.

The Bottom Line When everything goes smoothly, the home appraisal is just another box to tick on a loan-closing checklist. When the appraisal value is lower than expected, the transaction can be delayed or even canceled. Regardless of which situation you encounter in your home buying, selling or refinancing experience, a basic understanding of how the appraisal process functions can only work in your favor.

Cherry KHAN While it may not appear to be the most obvious factor affecting you credit-score, it's important to understand how your credit limit impacts your rating.

What is your credit limit?

The credit limit on any account is the maximum amount you can borrow.

If you use all of the credit available to you through that account, you must pay down the loan in order to draw more money from it.

Commonly, it is assumed that the “payment history” portion of your credit report is what determines the quality of your rating, however, this overlooks the second most important category: “amounts owed”.

The “amounts owed” category is responsible for 30% of your rating. This means that the more you borrow, the higher risk you become.

Imagine you have a credit limit of $1000.

If you use $1000 of your credit, it appears that you are using more credit than you

have physical cash. If you use only 3035% of your limit ($350), lenders will see that you use your credit responsibly, and can afford to pay back what you borrow.

It's important to keep the ratio of borrowed credit to available credit as low as possible.

“That's not a problem for me, because I always pay off my balance in full.”

That's great! However, this practice won't always protect you from a low rating.

Sometimes, the lenders might report what your “amount owing” is to the credit bureau before your full payment is received. When this happens, the computer only detects your debt, without recognizing that the balance has been paid – thus spitting out a lower score.

Tip: If you're in the habit of primarily using your credit card for purchases and paying it off at the end of the month, try making more frequent payments throughout the month to keep the balance low, or request a credit increase to keep the ratio of borrowed to available credit, low.

Just remember, how you use you credit limit will be reflected in your credit score!

For more information, visit www.creditsave.ca

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

NUGGETS

www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca • Page 11

Understandable, Factual Financial Knowledge; Success Strategies For Entrepreneurs & Business Owners

Homeowners Pondering Future Plans As Toronto Real Estate Values Skyrocket Sell high, to buy low or just stay

comes on and that's all the way out basically in 200 kilometres in any

Minee

put? That's the deliberation many

direction from downtown Toronto at the moment."

NEHRU

Ontario home owners must now be

Cathcart noted that Toronto's real estate trends now encompass the entire

making as the Province's Real

Greater Golden Horseshoe.

Estate values, especially within the

"So instead of being 20 per cent of Canada, we're actually looking at a

GTA, continue to skyrocket. According to a most recent Toronto Star

third of Canada that's seeing these kinds of trends," he said.

report, the number of Canadian home sales hit a record high last month

The average Canadian sale price increased 8.2 per cent year-over-year in

with the sizzling Toronto-area market pulling up the rest of the country, as

March with a 9.3 per cent decline in Greater Vancouver and 33.2 per cent

indicated by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

increase in the Toronto area, according to CREA.

"Toronto always swings the biggest bat in Canada, but even more so

"If you take the GTA or Greater Golden Horseshoe out of the numbers,

lately," said CREA senior economist Shawn Cathcart on April 18.

the average price in the rest of Canada is actually down on a year-over-

Non-seasonally adjusted Canadian sales were up 6.6 per cent year over

year basis," he said.

year in March, with Toronto climbing 17 per cent in that period.

The association said home sales over its Multiple Listings Service system

That offset a 31.5 per cent decline in Vancouver sales, the latest drop

increased by 1.1 per cent in March to top the previous monthly record set

since the introduction of a foreign investor tax and vacant homes taxes

in April 2016. On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales totalled 46,353, up

last year.

from 45,856 in February.

The monthly CREA statistics came On April 18 as the provincial and

The actual national average price for homes sold in March this year was

federal finance ministers and Toronto Mayor John Tory met to discuss the

$548,517, up 8.2 per cent from a year ago. Excluding the Toronto and

imposition of potentially using similar taxes to cool Toronto's

Vancouver areas, the average price was $389,726

increasingly unaffordable property market.

CREA cautioned politicians, however, against destabilizing other Canadian markets in any attempt to temper Toronto prices.

"If Toronto is the only hot market in Canada, you don't want to be throwing cold water on everybody," said Cathcart.

He said the city's "prices are as tight as they've ever been."

"There's a lot of interest for every listing that

Page 12 • www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017

Your Matrimonial Home Is 'Special' In More Ways Than One If you are contemplating separation

family property as of the date of marriage; the net result is that a home

Sanjay

or divorce, it is important that you

owning spouse's net family property is significantly 'different' (higher, in

PATEL

seek the advice of a licensed legal

this case) than it would be had it been considered a 'date of marriage

practitioner to ensure that you have a

asset'.

sound plan of action to protect the

Section 18(1) of the Family Law Act defines a matrimonial home as

title and value of your individual assets to the extent legally possible.

“every property in which either spouse has an interest and which is

The 'Matrimonial Home' or the Family Residence is, in many cases, the

currently, or was at the time of separation, ordinarily occupied by the

most significant personal asset a married couple may possess. The value

person and his or her spouse as their family residence.” Notably, this

of a client's home is compounded by the presently healthy state of the real

section outlines the possibility of there being multiple matrimonial

estate market here in the Greater Toronto Area.

homes in any given scenario.

When a married couple separates, normally each person keeps their own

Knowledge and correct application of Family Law Act is critical when

property but they must divide any increase in the value of their property

contemplating and ultimately experiencing a separation and divorce.

that took place during their time of marriage. This payment is commonly

Seeking the advice of a licensed legal practitioner will allow you to gain

referred to as an "equalization payment". Please note that presently you

the advantage of understanding your legal options and formulate a plan of

must make an equalization claim within six years after you separate and

action as early in the process as possible.

within two years after you get divorced.

Sanjay R. Patel is an associate at OB Law Chambers and a Barrister,

When there is a breakdown in marriage and a division of family property

Solicitor and Notary Public practicing in the areas of Family Law,

– the Matrimonial home is awarded special treatment and is treated

Immigration Law and Criminal Law. The foregoing is intended for

different to all other assets in the equalization process by virtue of the

information purposes only and you should consult a lawyer if you need

Family Law Act.

legal representation or a formal legal opinion.

A matrimonial home's value is never deducted from a spouse's total net

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca • Page 13

Atlantic Provincial Nominee Programmes The Atlantic Provinces are now accepting application under their Pilot Immigration Programme. They will process 2000 applications in 2017. The Atlantic Provinces are: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The programme is for both highskilled, low-skilled workers and International Students who want to work and live in any of these provinces.

To qualify for Permanent Residency under the Pilot Programme the applicant needs to get a job offer from a designated Atlantic Employer, work with the designated employer (Employer needs to be designated by the Province) to submit your application for endorsement to the Atlantic Province and receive an endorsement letter from the Province.

Job Offer – the designated employer needs to provide a full-time, non-seasonal job.

For High Skilled job offers must be skill type O, A or B and last for one year from the date the applicant is granted Permanent Residency. Job Offers for intermediateskilled workers must be skill type O, A, B or C and be a permanent job offer. For International Graduates, the job offer must be skill type O, A, B or C and last at least one year from the date the applicant is granted Permanent Residency.

Needs Assessment & Settlement Plan – (NB – you cannot start this process until you have a job offer from a designated employer) once you have received the job offer, you and your family will need to complete a Settlement Needs Assistance – this must be done by a Designated Settlement Service Provider Organization.

Get an Endorsement Letter – the employer will need to submit the Job offer, settlement plan for each family member and an endorsement application to the Province. If your application is approved by the Province, they will send you an Endorsement letter. This letter must be submitted with your application for Permanent Residency.

It is important to find out your options before proceeding with an application under any Immigration Category.

Nadine Mahabeer is a weekly guest on “Immigration Mondays” on Nationwide 90FM in Jamaica – Monday mornings at 10am – streaming live on the Internet.

Norman Sue Bakery Ltd.

Thanks for your loyal and much appreciated continuing support.

Page 14 • www.CaribbeanGraphic.ca

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017

CARIBBEAN KITCHEN

Roasted Boneless Leg Of Lamb The Easter Season may have passed but now is still a good time to enjoy some “Bible Food!” Roasted boneless leg of lamb seasoned with rosemary, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and garlic is a succulent Easter delight that truly celebrates Spring. To compliment the lamb, serve it with tiny potatoes along with dijon vinaigrette sprinkled rosemary and asparagus for a skinny Post Easter Feast!

INGREDIENTS

5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

3 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp olive oil

1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, more or less to taste

fresh ground black pepper

3 1/2 - 4 lb uncooked trimmed lamb leg, boneless,

rolled and tied

DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and place a rack in the pan.

2. Combine crushed garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper; mix well and rub mixture all over lamb.

3. Roll the lamb and use butcher's twine to tie it together and place it on the prepared roasting pan.

4. Roast in the oven until medium-rare and a meat thermometer inserted in center reads 135-140ºF, anywhere from 70 minutes and up depending on the size of your roast.

5. Remove the lamb and let it rest about 15 minutes on a cutting board. Keep in mind the temperature will increase a few degrees once it rests.

6. Slice lamb into 1/4-inch thick slices and place on a serving platter

Volume 11 • Number 07 • April 19, 2017

CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC

Chris Gayle: 10,000 And Counting T20 Runs!

On March 19, 2017 West Indies', Jamaica born Christopher Henry Gayle became the first player in T20 cricket history to amass over 10,000 runs, an achievement that was aptly described by India'd Gautam Gambhir as “paranormal!”

Chris Gayle's T20 numbers dwarf the rest of the competition as illustrated as follows: 2550 The difference in aggregate between Chris Gayle and the nexthighest in the T20s - Brendon McCullum is in second place with an aggregate of 7524. To put that aggregate difference in perspective, the difference between the aggregates of McCullum and the 20thranked Mahela Jayawardene is only 2069.

284 The difference between the number of sixes hit by Gayle and the next-highest in T20s - Gayle has struck 743 sixes, while Kieron Pollard is second with 459.

The difference between Pollard and the 20th-ranked Cameron White is only 247 74.8% of Gayle's T20 runs which have come in boundaries - he has hit 769 fours and 743 sixes. Among batsmen with at least 4000 T20 runs, the next-best percentage is Virender Sehwag's 69.7 19 Number of different teams for whom Gayle has played T20s. Apart from West Indies, they are: Barisal Bulls, Barisal Burners, Chittagong Vikings, Dhaka Gladiators, Jamaica, Jamaica Tallawahs, Karachi Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Lahore Qalandars, Lions, Matabeleland Tuskers, Melbourne Renegades, PCA XI,

WINDIES 1ST Test Final XI Will Say Much About What To Expect From Coach Law And Director Adams!

MCWATT ON CRICKET

Royal Challengers Bangalore, Somerset, Stanford Superstars, Sydney Thunder and Western Australia.

15 T20 hundreds for Gayle in the period between 2011 and 2015, from 174 innings, which is an average of 11.6 innings per hundred. In the period before 2011 he scored one century in 51 innings, and since 2015 he has scored two in 56 innings. During the five-year period between 2011 and 2015, no other batsman scored more than five hundreds; the next-best was Michael Klinger with five.

6 Consecutive calendar years - from 2011 to 2016 - in which Gayle struck at least two T20 hundreds. Before 2011, he had hit only one T20 hundred 1 Batsman with a strike rate better than Gayle's 149.56, among the 49 who have scored 4000-plus T20 runs: Pollard has a strike rate of 151.72.

43.6 Dot-ball percentage for Gayle.

Among batsmen with 4000-plus runs, only two batsmen have a higher dot percentage: Dwayne Smith (46.5), and Lendl Simmons (45.8).

Hetmyer, Powell and Singh Included in Windies 1st Test Squad To Face Pakistan Leeward Islands batsman Kieran Powell is in line to play his first Test in nearly three years after being recalled to the West Indies squad for the first match against Pakistan at Sabina Park beginning on April 21. The uncapped batting pair of Vishaul Singh and Shimron Hetmyer have also joined Powell in the 13-man squad, after all three batsmen made runs in the warmup game against Pakistan.

Marlon Samuels, Darren Bravo and Leon Johnson were dropped from the squad that toured the UAE for three Tests against Pakistan in October.

Powell, 27, last played Test cricket in 2014 and briefly quit cricket altogether not long afterward in a failed attempt to break into baseball in America. He returned to the West Indies domestic scene last summer in the Caribbean Premier League with St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, and then finished as the leading scorer in the Regional Super50 competition in February, with 513 runs in eight innings at 64.12. He earned a recall to the West Indies ODI team for the threematch series against England in March and was subsequently picked for the ODI series against Pakistan earlier this month.

Powell's form in the domestic four-day competition is not as solid as his one-day record this season, with 342 runs at 28.50 and just two half-centuries. However, he produced scores of 58 and 84 not out for the West Indies President's XI in the drawn three-day tour match against Pakistan that concluded on April 19.

Singh, a 28-year old right-hand batsman from Guyana, similarly had an underwhelming season in the domestic four-day competition, with 317 runs at 26.41 and a best of 71. However, he was the third-highest scorer in the 2015-16 season with 712 runs at 50.85 and three

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centuries. Like Powell, he also produced a strong performance for the West Indies President's XI, making an unbeaten 135 in the first innings.

Hetmyer, 20, captained West Indies to the 2016 Under-19 World Cup title in Bangladesh last year and had a promising campaign for Guyana in the four-day competition, scoring 496 runs at 38.15 including four half-centuries in 15 innings.

He has just one first-class hundred in his 17-match career, but it came against Jamaica in the last match of the 2015-16 season to clinch the four-day title for Guyana.

The ascension of Hetmyer coincides with the continuing impasse between Bravo and the WICB. Bravo was the secondhighest scorer for West Indies in the Test series against Pakistan in October, but had his match contract cancelled for criticising WICB President Dave Cameron on Twitter in November. Browne said in January that Bravo would not be considered for selection again until the dispute was settled.

WI squad for first Test Jason Holder (capt), Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich (wk), Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kieran Powell, Vishaul Singh

The West Indies Cricket Selectors have announced a 13 member Squad for the April 21 1st Test against Pakistan to be played at Jamaica's Sabina Park. The 13 member squad is as follows: Jason Holder (capt), Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich (wk), Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kieran Powell, Vishaul Singh.

Other than the inclusion of newcomers Shimron Hetmyer and Vishaul Singh, there are no real surprises in the squad. Given the dearth of opening batsmen in the Region and the apparent inability to identify a suitable partner for Kraigg Brathwaite at the top of the West Indies batting order, Kieran Powell's recall after his multi-year, somewhat self imposed exile, was fully expected.

The actual XI chosen to take the field on April 21, donning their maroon caps, will likely be rather more interesting than the actual composition of the squad. It may in fact serve as an early indication of the intended approach of the team's new Coach, the Australian Stuart Law, as well as the Region's recently appointed Director of Cricket Operations, former West Indies Captain Jimmy Adams.

If as most of the Region's cricket aficionados seem to be predicting, Law and Adams opt for a final XI consisting of six batsmen, the wicket-keeper and only four front line bowlers, the indication will be that of a very conservative, defeat avoidance first, approach. If however they chose a more aggressive five batters, five bowlers plus wicket-keeper approach, the indication will definitely be that their intention is to seek to win, rather than avoid defeat.

Personally, given the reality of the necessity of taking twenty opposition wickets being the only means of possible of winning a Test match, my choice would always be to play the extra bowler rather than a batsman. I am and have always been an ardent subscriber to theory that if your top five best batsmen aren't good enough to make the runs that

would be sufficient to allow the team to avoid losing a Test, a sixth isn't ever likely to make any significant difference.

Based on the above my final chosen West Indies XI for the 1st Test would be, in batting order, Bratwaite, Powell, Hope, Blackwood, Chase, Dowrich as the wicket-keeper batsman, Captain Jason Holder as the bowling allrounder, followed by the four front line bowlers, Bishoo, the legspinner and the three seamers Cummings, Joseph and Gabriel.

Such an XI will provide the West Indies with fairly strong batting through to number 8,as Bishoo has proven in the past that when he puts his mind to it, he can more than hold his own. More importantly it will also give the West Indies its most potent bowling attack. And the very best chance of bowling the Pakistanis out twice cheaply enough to win the Test.

Gabriel and Joseph are both genuinely quick and can be used alternatively in relatively short three to five over bursts in an attempt to blast the Pakistani batsmen out with sheer pace. While these two are giving their all at one end, Holder and Cummins can be used at the other to bowl a very economical line and length as a means of drying up the scoring opportunities and creating pressure on the Pakistani batsmen.

Bishoo's leg spin and Chase's offspin will provide Skipper Holder with spin option relief for the seamers, as will the part-time, often wicket-taking off breaks that Brathwaite can produce.

That would be my final chosen XI, selected with the forethought that Jamaica's Sabina Park is still one of the Regions' fastest wickets and with the Pakistani's somewhat short of valuable Test Match practice, the first Test would be a prime opportunity for the West Indies to sneak a win. My bet though will be that the West Indies “Think Tank” will instead opt for defeat avoidance caution. I therefore wouldn't be at all surprised if the final XI chosen reads as Brathwaite, Powell, Hope, B l a c k w o o d , S i n g h / H e t m y e r, Dowrich, Holder, Bishoo, Joseph and Gabriel. My gut instincts suggest that they will play the extra batter, either Hetmyer or Singh at Cummins expense as the third frontline seamer. If they do, I hope that they can at least avoid defeat.