CANADA’S LARGEST ETHNIC NEWSPAPER CANADA’S LARGEST ETHNIC NEWSPAPER
MESERET HAILEYESUS was one of the recipients of a Professional Excellence Award at the 10th Annual Bikila Awards. In 2017, she founded the Canadian Centre for Women’s Empowerment which addresses economic abuse and economic injustice. See story on page 1. Photo by Ron Fanfair
Bikila awards honour members of the Ethiopian community
By RON FANFAIR
Curiosity is critical for developing scientific thinking.
Very aware of this fundamental human trait at a young age, it is not surprising that Mengistu Wolde gravitated to the sciences.
“I like to observe and ask questions,” he said. “By the time I got to university, my interest grew in applications and solving problems.”
Graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Addis Ababa University, Wolde was a meteorologist in Ethiopia for eight years before going to the United States to pursue graduate studies.
At the University of Wyoming, Laramie airborne research facility, he fell in love with aircraft experimentation.
Wolde flew into storms, collecting data for his doctorate that focused on cloud structure and ice crystal growth in nimbostratus clouds.
In late 1999, he came to Canada to offer his unique skill set to the National Research Council (NRC) Aerospace Research Centre.
“I have family here and I heard many good things about this country,” Wolde said. “I also learned the NRC was looking for someone with my knowledge.”
Over the last 24 years, he has led or
co-led 15 major collaborative projects, spearheaded the development of worldclass research facilities, including the NRC Airborne W and X-bands radar system, established the Airborne Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Reconnaissance research team and managed the Convair-580 that is an aircraft laboratory flying into storms to collect data.
The largest aircraft in the NRC fleet is equipped with full airborne in-situ cloud microphysics and remote sensing capability, making it an invaluable asset for atmospheric research in Canada.
Wolde is also the Scientific Research Lead for the new Medium-range Aircraft platform for Environmental Research (MAPLE) that will replace the Convair-580
which will be decommissioned in 2028.
“Working with the Convair since I joined the NRC in 2000 has been a real privilege, and now I'm looking forward to working with the new MAPLE aircraft which will be built with the federal renewal funding,” he said. “The new plane will have a longer range so we can do more research in
GuyanaoppositionpartyleadersupdatenationalsinT.O.
By LINCOLN DEPRADINE
The leader of Guyana’s opposition People's National Congress–Reform (PNC-R), which lost power to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP)/Civic of current President Irfaan Ali in 2020, is confident of a return to office after the country’s next general election.
“We will beat the People’s Progressive Party,” Opposition Leader Aubrey Compton Norton told supporters at a town hall meeting in Toronto. “If Guyana is to grow, the PPP must go.”
On his latest visit to Toronto, Norton headed a three-man delegation that included Mervyn Williams and Ganesh Mahipaul, members of the central executive committee of the PNC-R.
Like Norton, Mahipaul and Williams also are parliamentary representatives in Guyana’s National Assembly.
The Toronto meeting, held at the Huntingwood Drive headquarters of Tropicana Community Services, was a fundraiser and a “grounding-with-the-people type of activity”, Norton said in an interview with Share
“I had promised the Guyanese community here that I will visit once a year, and so this is part of fulfilling that promise. Every year since I’ve been leader, I come around this time,” said Norton, explaining his presence in Toronto.
“The second thing is to engage them and update them on what is happening in Guyana. It also provides the opportu-
nity for me to interact with Guyanese in Canada at the individual level; going and meeting other Guyanese, outside of those who are involved in these activities.”
Norton and his two colleagues, in addressing the meeting, criticized the performance of the PPP/Civic administration and the governance of Guyana.
A future PNC-R government, said Williams, “shall rescue” Guyana and return the country “to a place where all Guyanese feel they have a stake in the country”.
For his part, Mahipaul said he was sure, and was “without a doubt,” that “the next
President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana” will be Norton.
He also appealed for the continued support for the PNC-R from the Guyanese overseas community.
“You yourself can come back home and vote and vote them out, because that is what we have to do,” said Mahipaul. Norton, too, made a direct pitch to overseas-based Guyanese, including those in Canada.
“You here, in the Diaspora, you have a key role to play, not only in terms of educating people and informing them, but
also being supportive of the actions that will change Guyana into a better place,” said Norton, holder of a political science degree and a graduate of the University of Kent’s master’s degree international relations program.
Norton said he and the PNC-R have been advocating for changes to the electoral system, including calling for a “clean voters’ list”.
However, with or without the changes, the opposition will be ready when an election date is announced, said Norton.
“We continue to prepare. You’re never totally ready but we’re doing as much as possible to ensure that whenever it’s called, we’re up and ready and running,” he told Share
Support for the PNC-R, said Norton, has been on the increase.
“We believe that the PPP is losing support and the opposition forces are gaining support,” said Norton, pledging that a PNC-R administration “will work assiduously to ensure we serve all the people of Guyana”.
The PNC-R is “committed to good governance”, he added.
“We are committed to a democratic society; we are committed to ensuring the resources from oil and gas meet the people of Guyana. That is our commitment,” said Norton.
“The biggest problem right now is that there are plenty of resources but very little of it meeting the ordinary man in Guyana.”
Dr. GORDON RIXON (2nd right) with, from left, African theology students BERNARD ADIKA ROBERT SEKYANZI and REMY NIYITEKA Photos by Ron Fanfair
MENGISTU WOLDE
Guyanese-Canadian CARL VEECOCK (left) and Guyana's Opposition Leader, AUBREY NORTON Photo by Lincoln DePradine
Gov’t urged to cover PSA test to fight prostate cancer
By LINCOLN DEPRADINE
The Walnut Foundation (TWF), fresh off observing September as “Prostate Cancer Awareness Month”, is now preparing for its annual conference that will attempt to answer the question of why Black men are “disproportionately affected by prostate cancer”.
The conference will be held on Saturday, October 19, at Movember Canadian headquarters, 588 Richmond Street West. It also will be carried online via Zoom.
“Hear from leading experts, patients and researchers, as they discuss the role of genetics, masculinity and global health equity in shaping the future of prostate cancer diagnosis and early detection,” TWF said.
Among the conference’s experts will be clinical scientist and oncologist, Dr. Neil Fleshner, who has also served as chair of the divi-
sion of urology at the University of Toronto (U of T) and U of T’s Dr Aisha Lofters, who has researched the impact and risks of prostate cancer on men of African descent.
Other speakers will include TWF president Anthony Henry, who has been affected by prostate cancer and lost his father to the disease.
As part of “Prostate Cancer Awareness Month”, Henry joined an appeal for
the cost of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for men to be covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).
“Prostate cancer is a treatable disease. But, if it’s not caught on time, it spreads and it makes it more difficult to treat and it reduces your options,”
Henry told Share at a news conference at the media studio at the legislative building at Queen’s Park.
“My dad did not get the PSA test and his disease was discovered at an advanced
stage. It was … this that prompted me and my other family members to initiate a screening protocol and I started at age 40,” he said.
JamaicaandCanadaholdbilateraltalksinToronto
The two top diplomats for Jamaica and Canada met for bilateral talks on the margins of the Women Foreign Ministers Meeting hosted by Global Affairs Canada, which began on September 19. The opportunity allowed for Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest to both countries.
While underscoring the
importance of the relations between Jamaica and Canada, the ministers discussed opportunities to further advance the relations in areas such as trade and investment, security, immigration, concerns relating to international students, ease of travel between the two countries and labour mobility.
The ministers also discussed developments relating to Haiti.
The bilateral talks were widened to allow the ministers to engage with members of the Jamaican Diaspora community in Toronto, as well as other state actors, during a ‘meet and greet’ round table discussion. The group comprised representatives from academia, the private sector, faith-based organizations, Diaspora organizations and other philanthropists.
Johnson Smith also met with Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, to discuss Canada’s ongoing support to Jamaica and other Caribbean countries in the post Beryl recovery efforts as well as the wider development support in the areas of Climate Resilience and Climate Funding. The two ministers discussed possible collaboration in the areas of capacity building and training.
Johnson Smith expressed optimism at the end of the discussions, noting the synergies and mutual interests of both sides to further explore new opportunities for growth and collaboration.
“Our focus is on creating tangible opportunities, particularly by boosting trade and investment, and making mobility easier for both Jamaicans and Canadians,” said Johnson Smith.
Dr. ANTHONY DIXON (left) and TWF President ANTHONY HENRY Photo by Lincoln DePradine
Canada's Foreign Minister MELANIE JOLY and Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, KAMINA JOHNSON SMITH
Celebrating BIPOC Entrepreneur Award winners
By RON FANFAIR
Just a short six years in Canada, Kimesha Walters stood tall at the third annual Women Empowerment Awards on September 13. She was not alone.
Judy Stewart and Natasha Ferguson joined her as the finalists for this year’s Mantella Corporation BIPOC (Black, Indigenous & Other People of Colour) Entrepreneur Award founded by entrepreneurs and philanthropists Robert and Sylvia Mantella.
The three women of Jamaican heritage emerged from a record-breaking pool of 243 applicants for the $10,000 grant.
Walters, the founder of Oasis Integrated Communications (www.oasisintegrated. com), was the recipient of the award presented to an entrepreneur to enhance their business.
The University of the West Indies grad-
uate, whom her older brothers raised after their mother went to England for better opportunities for the family, is over the moon.
“To get this grant is amazing, but it was mind-blowing just to be in the presence of powerful women,” said Walters who gleefully ran onto the stage with a miniature Jamaican flag to accept the honour. “To tell them I am from Jamaica and what I am doing and have them listen to my vision was satisfying. It was incredible just feeling that power of women supporting women and lifting others.”
With operations in Canada and Jamaica, her strategic communications firm crafts meaningful narratives that move the needle for clients.
Walters, who has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Media & Communication Studies, has a clear plan for how she will use the funds.
NATASHA FERGUSON (left), KIMESHA WALTERS and JUDY STEWART
Photo by Ron Fanfair
Jamaican-born RN among new CNA Class of Fellows
By RON FANFAIR
Healthcare professional Dionne Sinclair is among 15 new inductees into the Canadian Nurses Association’s (CNA) 2024 Class of Fellows.
The Jamaican-born Registered Nurse and her colleagues were nominated by their colleagues for their exceptional ca-
reers of sustained impact across nursing and health systems.
“I look forward to celebrating the remarkable achievements of these outstanding nursing leaders as they are inducted into the Academy,” said CNA president Kimberly LeBlanc.
CNA Chief Executive Officer Valerie
Dr.AfuaCooperreturnstoT.O.andtheUofT
Thirteen years after leaving Ontario to become the James Johnston Endowed Chair in Black Canadian Studies at Dal housie University in Nova Scotia, Dr. Afua Cooper has returned to the Greater To ronto Area to be a faculty member in the University of Toronto’s Department of Historical Studies.
After six years as the third Endowed Chair, she served as Halifax’s Poet Laure ate and founded Dalhousie’s Black Faculty & Staff Caucus and was instrumental in the creation of the Black Canadian Studies Association (BCSA) summit that provides a platform for scholars and other delegates to reflect, discuss, dialogue and engage with issues critical to the praxis of com munity, empowerment and leadership in Black Canada.
Cooper also led the Lord Dalhousie Panel on Race & Slavery mandated to gather historical facts relating to the university founder’s statements and actions related to slavery and race.
Her commitment to social justice education led to the curation of several exhibits on Black history, slavery and freedom, including ‘Black Halifax: Stories from Here’ which was an online exhibit created in 2015 and hosted by the Delmore ‘Buddy’ Daye Learning Institute.
Cooper was a consultant to the Ontario
committee set up to commemorate the bicentennial of the abolition of slavery in 2007 and her interest in slavery, abolition and Women Studies led to her doctoral dissertation on anti-slavery crusader Henry Bibb and the publishing of ‘The Hanging of Angelique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montreal’, a national bestseller that was nominated for the 2006 Governor General’s Award.
The award-winning poet, historian and author completed her PhD in History at U of T.
FANFAIR
Grdisa said it would be a privilege to induct this year’s Fellows into the Canadian Academy of Nursing.
“We are excited to celebrate such an extraordinary group of leaders who continue to inspire and advance the nursing profession,” she added.
Academy Advisory Council chair Sally Thorne said that the Fellowship represents the highest honour for Canada’s most accomplished nursing leaders.
“I am thrilled to welcome you into the community of Academy Fellows,” she said.
The Fellows will be recognized during a virtual ceremony on October 24.
Sinclair is the Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH) Vice-President Complex Care & Recovery and Chief Nursing Executive.
The Complex Care & Recovery Program serves patients with persistent mental illness who are highly complex with high community integration needs. The role is central to the organization’s continued clinical transformation and achievement of its strategic directions.
Sinclair was also a Professional Practice Co-ordinator with the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, the Manager of Inpatient Mental Health & Addictions at Humber River
Regional Hospital, the Director of Clinical Programs at Saint Vincent Hospital in Ottawa and the Director of Home & Community Care Service, Planning & Strategy with the North West Local Health Integration Network in Thunder Bay before joining Southlake Regional Centre in September 2019 as Director of the Medicine Program.
A year later, she was promoted to Multi-Site Director, Diversity & Cultural Advancement to focus on identifying gaps and developing strategies to create an equitable workplace environment.
Halifax street named after T &
A Halifax Street in a new housing development will bear the name of one of the city’s first Black doctors.
Born in Trinidad & Tobago, Alexander Waddell graduated from Dalhousie University Medical School in 1933. He lived, worked and volunteered in the new Cogswell District.
“By naming a street after Dr. Waddell, we hope to highlight the history, cultural significance and contributions of the African Nova Scotian community in this neighbourhood,” the Halifax Regional Municipality said in a statement.
Waddell’s grandson, Dr. Ron Milne, said the honour is overdue.
“I think it is overdue that the city and the province should recognize him because of all the work he did in civil rights and advocacy as well as medicine,” he said.
A documentary film, ‘Before His Time’, was released in 2001.
“He was way ahead of his time in terms of all his social activities and how much he cared for people and what he contributed,” said Lalita Krishan, the film’s writer/director.
T-born doctor
“But his classmates stood up for him and basically protested, saying that they would not do their residency either if he was not allowed to graduate,” Krishan added.
Waddell died in 1953 at age 57. FANFAIR
The film shows a photo of his classmates from his graduation at Dalhousie where Waddell faced being denied an internship because of his skin colour.
DIONNE SINCLAIR
Dr. AFUA COOPER
OCTOBER IS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
Celebrating the strength and resilience of Black women
By HOLLINSWORTH AUGUSTE
Black women, across the nations they call home, have been the foundation of movements, families and communities. Yet, despite their unwavering strength and invaluable contributions, they continue to face obstacles.
It is no different in Toronto.
Black women are often denied the fair chances they rightfully deserve, whether in their careers, education or personal lives. But these challenges only serve to highlight their resilience and underscore the importance of celebrating their achievements and amplifying their voices.
Toronto’s Black and West Indian community is rich with stories of women who have persevered in the face of adversity. Whether it’s through running businesses, excelling in leadership roles, or raising families amidst systemic barriers, these women have shown us time and time again that their contributions are indispensable. Their efforts, often overlooked or underappreciated, are the foundation upon which our communities thrive.
This is not merely a matter of survival but of flourishing against all odds, and it
is time we fully recognize and honour our Black women.
Much like in the United States, Black women in Canada encounter unique challenges rooted in both racism and sexism. Our history is not immune to the harmful structures that deny opportunity and equality. Whether it is wage disparities, glass ceilings, or the emotional toll of constant discrimination, Black women face a daily uphill battle that few others fully understand. But it is their remarkable strength that pushes society forward, demanding better treatment and opening doors for future generations. These women aren’t just survivors – they are change-makers, advocates and trailblazers who defy the constraints placed upon them by an unequal playing field.
Take, for example, the many Black women in Toronto who run small businesses, from hair salons and restaurants to marketing and consulting firms. They have transformed challenges into opportunities, building businesses that not only support their families but also enrich their communities. Yet, despite their entrepreneurship and leadership, many Black women are still underfunded, underrepresented and face higher barriers to accessing business resources compared to their White counterparts.
The reality is Black women are central
to the success and vitality of Toronto's economy. Their contributions extend far beyond the workplace, reaching into education, healthcare and the arts. Black women are at the forefront of creating cultural change, educating young minds, advocating for health equity and using their artistic talents to challenge social narratives.
To support Black women means to advocate for equity across all aspects of life – from the workplace to healthcare, from education to media representation. It means ensuring that young Black girls see role models in positions of power and influence. It means providing them with opportunities to advance without the fear of being held back because of the colour of their skin or their gender.
Advocating for Black women is not merely an act of charity or goodwill – it is an acknowledgment of their central role in shaping the fabric of our communities. By championing their rights, we are investing in a more equitable, prosperous and just future.
This support must take the form of both structural change and daily action: from lobbying for policy reforms that ensure equal pay and protection in the workplace to creating mentorship programs that empower the next generation of Black female leaders.
Healthcare is another arena where disparities are particularly stark. Black women are often overlooked or misdiagnosed in healthcare systems that were not designed with their needs in mind. Studies have shown that Black women are less likely to receive proper care for conditions like heart disease and mental health issues, and more likely to face complications during childbirth. These disparities can no longer be ignored.
As we move forward as a community, let us commit to standing by the women who continue to stand tall despite everything they face. Let us be the voices that amplify their work, the hands that offer support and the advocates who push for a fairer future. This means uplifting the voices of Black women in every sphere, from boardrooms to classrooms, from hospitals to studios.
To the Black women of Toronto – your contributions are invaluable, your strength is unmatched, and your potential is limitless. Together, we will ensure that your future is one where your accomplishments are celebrated, your barriers are torn down, and your brilliance is undeniable. You have carried the weight of communities on your shoulders for too long without receiving the recognition you deserve. It is time for a change, and it begins by honoring you today, tomorrow, and every day to come.
TheEDGEprogramempoweringgenerationsofyouth
The EDGE program, a premier leadership initiative for Black youth in Toronto and Peel, is building a lasting legacy of empowerment and growth.
What began as a platform to help young people navigate adolescence has evolved into a multi-generational movement. Former participants, now parents, are enrolling their children, continuing EDGE’s tradition of empowering Black youth through leadership development and career-building opportunities.
"We’ve seen the program come full circle," says the program’s founder, Pat Gloudon. "It’s a powerful testament to the impact EDGE has had over the years."
Leadership Development Rooted in the Community
EDGE stands for Empower, Develop, Grow, Engage – its mission is to show young people the power that lies within them.
At the heart of the EDGE Program is a curated career panel, specifically tailored to align with the career aspirations of each youth participant. This workshop connects youth with Black leaders in their chosen fields, offering personalized career guidance and real-world insights.
EDGE runs two programs: EDGE East (Scarborough) and EDGE West (Brampton), targeting youth aged 16-19 and 7-10. The biweekly workshops, held over a six-
month period, provide practical skills and leadership training in areas such as public speaking, mental health, financial literacy and resume writing.
Participants also engage in community volunteer opportunities, strengthening their networks and gaining hands-on experience to prepare for their future.
The East program runs from February to July, while the West program runs from June to October.
One of the most transformative experiences is the program's weekend retreat, held on a university or college campus. During the retreat, youth experience post-secondary life firsthand by staying in dorms, attending workshops in lecture halls, and touring university facilities. This immersive experience inspires participants to think beyond the present.
“Sometimes, seeing is believing," says Tracy Grant, EDGE West Program Lead. "By giving our youth a glimpse into life beyond high school, we help them imagine and work toward a successful future."
A Culmination of Achievement: The Graduation Cotillion Ball
The EDGE Program culminates in a formal Cotillion Ball, where youth, their families and community members come together to celebrate their transformation into confident future leaders, showcasing
their growth and the skills they’ve gained throughout the program.
A Future Built on Community Support
Despite its success, the EDGE Program operates without government funding.
It relies on the generosity of community sponsors such as TD Bank Group, which supported the program in 2023 and 2024.
Volunteers also play a crucial role, filling funding gaps to ensure that no child is left
behind.
Parents can give their child the EDGE they need to succeed as EDGE EAST 2025 registration is now open.
To support the program, community members are encouraged to attend a Cotillion Ball graduation, share information about the program within their networks, or donate to sponsor a youth by visiting www. edgeprogram.net.
OCTOBER IS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
Black women were not accorded the same rights as Whites
By MURPHY BROWN
October was designated Women’s History Month in 1992 to commemorate the “Persons Case” which was launched by the “Famous Five”.
On October 18, 1929, the historic decision to include women in the legal definition of “persons” was handed down by Canada’s highest court of appeal, the British Privy Council.
This decision did not include all Canadian women: African Canadian women, Asian women and Indigenous women were not included.
The decision gave White women the right to be appointed to the Senate of Canada and paved the way for their increased participation in politics.
Five White Canadian women took the case to the British Privy Council and won the right to become members of the Senate.
On October 18, 1929, Lord Sankey, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain, announced the decision: “The exclusion of women from all public offices is a relic of days more barbarous than ours. And to those who would ask why the word ‘person’ should include females, the obvious answer is, why should it not?”
The decision contradicted an earlier ruling of the Supreme Court of Canada.
The “Famous Five” who took the case to the British Privy Council were led by Emily Murphy who was very open about her disdain for racialized people. In her 1922 published book “The Black Candle” she attacks “Chinese, Hindus, Mexicans
and Negroes” as people unfit to live in Canada. Some people have sought to excuse her White supremacist diatribe as being a product of her time.
To give Emily Murphy her due she did fight for the rights of White Canadian women.
A quote from a CBC article “Women & The Right To Vote In Canada: An Important Clarification” published on February 26, 2013, reads: “Most women of colour – including Chinese women, “Hindu” or East Indian women, Japanese women – weren’t allowed to vote at the provincial and federal level until the late 1940s. And under federal law, Aboriginal women covered by the Indian Act couldn’t vote for band councils until 1951 and couldn’t vote in federal elections until 1960.
“So, there you go – it wasn’t until 1960 that ALL Canadian women finally had the right to vote.”
Although there has been a documented African presence in Canada (enslaved and free) since the early 1600s, Rosemary Brown was the first African Canadian woman elected to a Canadian provincial legislature. In 1972 Brown was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and in 1975 she became the first African Canadian woman to run for the leadership of a major federal party (NDP) in Canada.
In 1993, Dr. Jean Augustine was the first African Canadian woman elected to the Canadian Federal Parliament since Confederation in 1867. She served as a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for four consecutive terms, being re-elected three times.
“In December 1995, Canada’s federal parliament officially recognized February as Black History Month. The motion, which was initiated by MP Jean Augustine, Parliamentary
Secretary to the Prime Minister, received unanimous approval.
Canada has come a long way from the 1920s when it was acceptable to discriminate against women based on their gender and their race. We have come a long way since it was legal to enslave African women, men and children. We have come a long way since Emily Murphy, member of “The Famous Five” wrote: “It sometimes seems as if the white race lacks both the physical and moral stamina to protect itself, and that maybe the black and yellow races may yet obtain the ascendancy.”
She wrote those words as a descendant of colonizers/ immigrants from the British Isles, with the accompanying sense of entitlement.
Canada has come a long way since it was legal to drag an African Canadian woman out of a cinema because she sat in the “wrong” area of the cinema. In 2019, the face of African Canadian, Viola Desmond (who was dragged out of a cinema and arrested on November 8, 1946) was placed on the Canadian $10. bill.
As Canadians celebrate/observe Women’s History Month in October 2024, although we have come a long way from 1929, we still have a long way to go. In this last year of the United Nations-declared International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024) there are several African Canadian women who are plaintiffs suing the Federal government in a complaint of anti-Black racism (https:// www.blackclassaction.ca/) in a “Black Class Action lawsuit” seeking long-term solutions to permanently address systemic racism and discrimination in the Public Service of Canada.
tiakoma@hotmail.com
Canada/UNICEFpartnertosupporthealthcareinJamaica
By CARRY BISHOP
Jamaica is benefiting from a bilateral and multilateral partnership to build resilience in healthcare delivery through the retrofitting and build out of infrastructure and systems to withstand periods of crisis that can occur from national disasters and pandemics like COVID-19.
One key piece of infrastructure with its supporting technology being added to the island’s public health system is allowing hospitals to meet their Medical Oxygen demand through their own generation and supply infrastructure.
Medical Oxygen is a vital lifesaving medicine used to treat acute respiratory illnesses, pneumonia, asthma and other chronic diseases, neonates and patients receiving treatment in Intensive Care Units. Medical oxygen is also necessary for surgery and during treatment of trauma cases.
Over the years Jamaica’s public health facilities have largely depended upon the island’s sole supplier of medical oxygen to provide the service. But in 2021 when a COVID-19 surge heightened demand of the lifesaving medicine, the government announced plans to change this overly dependence on one source to supply medical oxygen and to mitigate the risks associated with oxygen supply.
The work began shortly after through a partnership with UNICEF and the Government of Canada to build out government’s first Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generating plant within Jamaica’s public health system.
Just over $125 million Jamaican dollars was allocated for the project through funding from UNICEF and the Government of Canada.
This first and historic development sited on the grounds of the St. Ann’s Bay General Hospital was unveiled recently and aims to complement existing supply and meet the critical need for oxygen that follows acute illness.
Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. Christopher Tufton, said that these efforts by the government and people of Canada supported by UNICEF had to happen even while the government contemplated opening up the market to
competition.
“But to the extent that we had partners in UNICEF and the Canadian government and people it was the right time and it demonstrates progress in terms of building the resilience in the public health system that is necessary.”
The Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Plant package is designed for facilities with little to no existing oxygen infrastructure and those faced with sudden surge in demand for the lifesaving gas.
The plant built by contractor NovaAir produces high purity oxygen by separating the oxygen from nitrogen in atmospheric air.
Through this plant, more oxygen is made readily available for piping at beds. It has the capacity to fill up to 137 20-litre cylinders in 24 hours and offers a key strategy for the hospital to meet its oxygen demand in cases of a surge.
At the handover of the first government-run oxygen plant in Jamaica, Head of Cooperation at the Canadian High Commission, Shehryar Sarwar, acknowledged that it is a significant achievement coming out of the partnership with the government of Jamaica and UNICEF.
“Canada is proud to have provided the funding to make this a reality. We are thrilled that improved supply of and access to medical oxygen will be a positive legacy of Jamaica’s pandemic response and Canada’s support,” Sarwar said.
“As the leading donor in the oxygen space, Canada will continue to support countries to increase oxygen capacity through investments in oxygen supply infrastructure and workforce. This commitment is part of our broader efforts to strengthen health systems for an inclusive sustainable COVID-19 recovery and forward-looking pandemic prevention, preparedness and response efforts.”
UNICEF’s country representative, Olga Isaza, underscored the project as a testament to the power of partnership.
“The collaboration between UNICEF, the government of Jamaica and the Canadian government exemplify how international cooperation can advance health outcomes and save lives. By working together we have pooled resources, shared knowledge and created sustainable solutions that address the present health needs of the
community,” said Isaza.
UNICEF and Jamaica enjoy a rich history as the agency delivers humanitarian support in several sectors to strengthen the nation, especially in response to global crises.
“UNICEF has increased its investment in oxygen systems around the world and, here in Jamaica, we are pleased to facilitate the St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital to be the very first public health institution in Jamaica operating its own oxygen plant,” Isaza added.
The oxygen plant will not only serve the immediate needs of patients at the hospital but other fundamental areas of the project as it will also function as a training hub for healthcare professionals, ensuring that the knowledge and the skills necessary for the effective use of medical oxygen are disseminated widely including training for staff to operate and maintain the facilities.
UNICEF initially supported the training of eight biomedical engineers to work with the Northeast Regional Health Authority to train the additional staff to support the operation of the plant.
UNICEF’s support also includes working with the government to develop policies, guidelines and the standards for oxygen plants operation around the country.
This plant represents a significant first step forward in ensuring a steady, reliable supply of medical oxygen across the island as work is already in train for the second plant at the May Pen Hospital in the Pariah of Clarendon which is among several other facilities across the island getting similar enhancement in their capacity to supply medical oxygen with the installation and upgrading of piping infrastructure and associated equipment, including oxygen tanks and security fencing.
The establishment of medical oxygen generating plants is one element of a multifaceted approach towards building resilience in the provision of healthcare in Jamaica that will assure quality care for all even within a crisis.
Other elements include retrofitting or build out of health facilities to withstand disasters such as hurricanes, droughts and extreme heat with resilient roofing, windows, doors, water storage capacity, alternative energy, backup power generators and air conditioners.
CARRY BISHOP
MURPHY BROWNE
Claudette McGowan – on the cutting edge of technology
By RON FANFAIR
With technology evolving rapidly, cyber literacy and digital confidence matter.
Protecting internet-connected devices and services from hackers and spammers and the fear of making mistakes while using devices are concerns for many people and business owners.
To help businesses protect their systems from unauthorized access or theft, global information technology leader Claudette McGowan founded Protexxa which is a business-to-business Software-as-a-Service cybersecurity company.
Using AI, the Protexxa Defender platform rapidly identifies, evaluates, predicts and resolves common cyber issues.
Last July, the company closed $10 million Series A which is the largest round secured by a Black woman founder in Canada.
For the layman, what does this mean?
“When you start a company, you own it 100 per cent,” said McGowan who is pursuing a PhD in Computer Science at Toronto Metropolitan University. “Along the way, you might sell 10 per cent for X dollars. That sale comes with conditions like supporting me, promoting the business or bringing engineers to the table. In a sense, you are a partner. That is what we did.
teams as it expands into global markets.
Investors in Series A include Bell Ventures which is the venture arm of Bell Canada and Sandpiper Ventures which is a seed-stage venture capital investing in women and women’s innovation.
people and give them digital confidence.
“When it comes to cybercrime, most leaders think they are outnumbered, underfunded and ill-prepared. The fastest way to change that narrative is to activate their greatest strength which is people. Protexxa prioritizes people through assessments and training that improve cyber hygiene and create more secure organizations.”
One of the fastest-growing cybersecurity companies in Canada, Protexxa recently welcomed TMU Chancellor and philanthropist Donette Chin-Loy Chang as an advisor.
Before starting the global security platform and services company in 2021, McGowan led digital transformations and cybersecurity initiatives across prominent organizations, including the Bank of Montreal and TD Bank.
“Companies should be training their people on the top threats and things to be mindful of,” she said. “Put an external warning banner on top of emails as cybercriminals might change the screen name. If you hover over the name, you will see that the email is not yours. Investing in a banner is very inexpensive.
“Other things are hygiene-related like turning on multi-factor authentication for your applications, ensuring you have a complex password and turning on a virtual private network if you are at an airport, hotel or coffee shop. In the same way that you have locks at your home for personal safety, you need to put a digital lock on your data and network for security.”
“It is extremely hard to secure venture capital funding, especially for women. About two per cent goes to women and less than one per cent goes to a Black woman. When I did my seed round, I raised $5 million in 2022, and $10 million was raised in the last Series A. Overall, we have raised $15 million in funds from angel investors and venture capital to grow the business.”
The new capital will fund engineering and data science innovations on the platform and grow its sales and marketing
The interest shown in Protexxa does not surprise McGowan who the Black Business & Professional Association (BBPA) recognized as a Woman of Honour in 2015.
“We knew it was going to be challenging raising funds, but one of the main reasons people are investing is because their cyber issues need to be addressed,” she said. “The fact that we built a platform that will tell you how compromised you are, is very attractive to business owners and governments who are our clients. The other thing is we offer cyber training. My goal is to try to educate
“With access to so many tools and resources in my roles at the banks, I have helped millions of people feel safe and protected,” said the Air Canada Board director. “There are billions of people online and I thought I could take some of this knowledge, skills and networks I have and apply it to more folks. Many people that I know tell me they don’t feel cyber literate and digitally confident. Part of getting better online is being those two things.”
Because of growing criminal activity targeting computer networks and networked devices, more companies are embracing best practices, even when they are not required.
Among the Women’s Executive Network distinguished list of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women in 2019, McGowan said it is a necessity.
As cybersecurity companies increasingly rely on AI, there are huge risks and striking the right balance is challenging.
“From a defender standpoint, we can use artificial intelligence to find the needle in the haystack,” said McGowan who, in 2020, was recognized in the sixth edition of Bay Street Bull’s POWER 50 issue. “Someone who normally logs in at 9 a.m. in Toronto is doing so at 3 a.m. in a country outside Canada. To look for that will take a long time. Using AI to find that anomaly in a short period is super helpful. It is also being used for threat hunting to find those and it is quite proactive.
“On the other hand, malware campaigns leveraging AI are being created. That is done digitally, tapping into artificial intelligence instead of having someone do that manually.
“AI can be used for deepfakes in which a video of a person whose face or body has been digitally altered so that they appear to
Your Waste
On Monday, Oct. 14, there will be no waste collection due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. Waste collection will be one day later that week.
All Community Recycling Centres are closed on Monday, Oct. 14 and will reopen on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
CLAUDETTE McGOWAN
Excellence Award for musician extraordinaire Eddie Bullen
By RON FANFAIR
Renowned multi-talented artist Eddie Bullen has given a lot without getting much recognition. On September 7, the pianist/ composer/producer got his due. He was the recipient of the second annual Jean Augustine Excellence Award at Harbourfront Centre.
“So many of us have been the beneficiaries of Eddie Bullen’s musical talent,” said Canada’s first Black woman Parliamentarian. “Very congenial, he has delivered over the years with a smile, even when we asked him to stop playing.
“He has propelled onto the musical stage many well-known artistes and is most worthy of this honour.”
The award was presented at the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival event, celebrating Augustine’s 87th birthday.
“This award will hold a prominent place in my studio because it means the world to me,” said Bullen whose early career was spent in pop and commercial music before transitioning to jazz 28 years ago. “It will be the first thing anyone will see when they walk in.”
He dedicated the honour to his late father, Ralph Bullen, who was a member of the Harmony Kings, one of Grenada’s top orchestras in the 1930s. Signed by Decca Records, the group was the background band for several of Trinidad & Tobago’s leading calypsonians.
The outfit included William Ted Lewis and Bing Mauricette – the grandfathers of
successful Canadian artiste Glenn Lewis whose mother Cindy Lewis was a backup singer with Byron Lee & the Dragonaires and his father Glen Ricketts was a member of the funk bank Crack of Dawn with whom Bullen worked – and Sean ‘Subliminal’ Mauricette.
Grammy-nominated Lewis was signed to Epic Records and Mauricette is a beatboxer/motivational speaker.
Bullen spent a lot of time in his father’s music store in Grenada.
“That’s where my journey started,” he said. “Dad taught me to tune and repair pianos. We were the agents for the Hammond B-3 organs and Selmer saxophones and we sold musical instruments in Grenada and throughout the Caribbean. When my father was not busy with work, he had a ‘jam’ session in the store. Just watching how musicians enjoyed themselves and how they could call a song and have everyone join in gave me joy.”
The family patriarch’s plan was for his son to run the store.
and the late Oscar Peterson, Jimmy Smith, Anthony ‘Chick’ Correa and Clive ‘Zanda’ Alexander. “I don’t know if that was a good thing for him because he was a bit disappointed when I decided to become a musician.
“He was one and he told me all the stories about being a musician. I thank him for that. When musicians came to my dad’s store and talked about their journeys and travels and then I heard them play, I said one day I wanted to be just like them.”
He formed the Jazz Connections and held his first concert at the Grenada Boys’ Secondary School auditorium.
“We sold about 15 tickets because people didn’t want to hear jazz,” Bullen said. “However, there was a cinema (Regal) at the bottom of the hill that was showing a Bruce Lee movie. When it ended and the patrons came out into the street, they heard the music and bought tickets to come to my show. People were hanging from the rafters. We sold out.”
Elizabeth Bullen, who passed away in 2012, supported her son’s music career.
“She bought the air ticket for me to come to Canada and she allowed me to practice in our apartment,” he said. “The neighbours were always knocking on the floor or hitting the walls because it was a bit loud.”
“At first, she was worried because I was trying everything and going on the road with people she did not know,” said Bullen who migrated as a teenager in January 1981. “I was just embracing everything because this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to be in North America pursuing a music career.”
Starting with ‘Nocturnal Affair’ released in 1996, he has produced over 250 albums for many artistes.
“I thank all of them for entrusting me with bringing their compositions and songs to life,” said Bullen. “In my studio, I have several of the albums on the wall and each album has a story.”
One of them stands out.
While at a funeral, Bullen heard some ladies singing and encouraged them to do an album.
“I told them they sounded good and invited them to my studio,” he said. “After the recording, they said they wanted about 50 copies to give to family and friends. When I told them that the cost of 50 and 500 would be the same, they went for it after some deliberation. Three days after getting the copies, they called, saying they needed another 500. I think they sold about 5,000 CDs.”
Suggesting they do an album, the alumni group agreed.
In 2004, the St. Joseph’s Convent St. George’s Alumni choir – led by Mary Fletcher – released ‘Sounds of Friendship’.
A year ago, Roy Cape was presented with the inaugural Jean Augustine Excellence Award.
He died on September 5 in Trinidad at age 82.
The veteran bandleader and saxophonist was one of Bullen’s music idols.
“I have worked in the calypso and soca fields for many years and Roy Cape was a backdrop for many of the things I have done,” he said. “When he was in Toronto for the event last year, it was the first time I got an opportunity to sit with him and talk in-depth. That was such a great opportunity.”
A few days after arriving in Toronto, Bullen was invited by Grenadian-born pianist Kingsley Etienne to a rehearsal at La Rotonda in the Dufferin St. and Eglinton Ave. W. area to meet a few musicians.
“Unfortunately, he taught me some music,” said Bullen whose other influences include Herbie Hancock
His mother came to Canada in the 1970s to assist her late daughter, Leslie-Ann Smith, who suffered from sickle cell anemia.
The group included former Harps leader/arranger Lester Boyke, two-time Juno Award nominee Demo Cates and Liberty See EDDIE BULLEN Pg. 14
EDDIE BULLEN and his wife BELINDA BRADY
Photo by Ron Fanfair
Despite setbacks gov’t committed to major projects
By LINCOLN DEPRADINE
Although the opening of the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rapid Transit (LRT) has been delayed by four years, severely impacting businesses in “Little Jamaica” in west-end Toronto, the provincial government is planning other major infrastructural projects.
One such project, according to Ontario’s transportation minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, is the possibility of digging a 60-kilometre-long tunnel under Highway 401.
“We’re going to continue building and never put the shovels down,” Sarkaria said in response to a question from Share
Sarkaria was meeting with reporters to specifically address the idea of the tunnel for cars and transit that Premier Doug Ford says “will cut gridlock”.
According to Ford, who did not provide an estimate for how much such a tunnel might cost, his government will begin studying the technical feasibility of building the tunnel, which would stretch from Brampton and Mississauga to Scarborough and Markham.
“Through this feasibility work, we’ll figure out the best way to get this project done, including initial soil testing along the route, reviewing best practices from other jurisdictions, and getting a clear understanding of how this tunnel can fight gridlock and support the economy,” Ford said.
The proposed tunnel has been criticized by opposition politicians, including Ontario Liberal Party leader, Bonnie Crombie, who described it as “a half-baked, back-ofthe-napkin scheme to funnel tens of billions of your tax dollars to Doug Ford’s cronies”.
Sarkaria, at the news conference with Share and other media, said the idea of the tunnel is part of a “large, ambitious plan on transportation” that involves building highways, subways and bridges to tackle traffic gridlock, a problem for which he blamed former Ontario governments.
“What we’ve seen in Canada, particularly Ontario, is huge population growth. Previous governments didn’t build highways, they didn’t build transit, and now we have
gridlock everywhere,” he said. “Tunneling under the 401 is one of those key measures that we think can really help save some of that time that people are stuck in gridlock.”
The Eglinton Crosstown LRT –one of several subway construction projects across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) – has resulted in business closures, downturn in sales and traffic congestion in the area from Marlee Avenue along Eglinton Avenue West to Keele Street.
Dr. Jill Andrew, New Democratic Party MPP for Toronto-St. Paul’s,
has demanded compensation for small businesses in Little Jamaica, saying they’re “hanging on by a thread”.
Sarkaria, quizzed about completing projects like the Eglinton Crosstown LRT before embarking on digging a tunnel for an expressway under the 401, suggested that work on all is required to meet the province’s transportation needs.
“If we stop building, we will lose out on huge opportunities and the population is growing so quickly,” he said. “We need to make sure we build more infrastructure. We’ll
continue to examine even more options when it comes to easing gridlock.”
Sarkaria dismissed opposition criticism of the tunnel idea, claiming that they “say no to everything”.
The ruling Conservatives, said Sarkaria, are building for the “next generation”.
“It’s about thinking 20 years ahead, 50 years ahead, 100 years ahead,” he said. “In the next 10 years, all of our highways are going to be at capacity. we need to continue building.”
Embarking on a feasibility study aimed at constructing a tunnel under the 401 “is the latest step in our nearly $100 billion plan to tackle this gridlock by building and expanding highways and transit” to get “people and goods moving across Ontario once more”, said Ford.
“Ontario’s gridlock problem is leaving the average Toronto-area commuter stuck in traffic for 98 hours every year, taking up precious time that would be better spent with family, friends and loved ones, and is costing our economy $11 billion every year in the GTHA alone.”
McGowanencouragesgirlstobe‘boldandcourageous’
CONTINUED FROM Pg. 7
be someone else. One can use an app that says, ‘Use this voice, but make it say these words or use someone’s face and put it on this body.’ These are the things that AI can bring to life, so we have to look at how we label things so one can see it was created by AI.”
Starting her information technology (IT) career in health care at Wellesley and North York General hospitals, McGowan spent three years working in Toronto Police Service’s Computing & Telecommunications division as a key member of the desktop implementation program and mainframe operations group.
After four years with the Deloitte technology management team, she joined BMO in 2000 as a Help Desk manager.
In her two decades with the bank, McGowan held several high-profile positions in the technology & operations division.
As Director of Operations for Enterprise Desktop, Messaging & Trading Services, she managed a fleet of 110,000 computing devices and introduced iPhones & iPads for employees through an innovative ‘Bring Your Own Device’ program.
McGowan also designed and launched BMO’s first Women in Technology affinity group to support women at the bank, developed a multi-year workplace technology strategy to benefit the 45,000 employees and served as Chief Information Officer for just over two years before joining TD Bank in April 2020 as Global Executive Officer, Protect Fusion and Cyber Experience.
She left that role in October 2022 to pay more attention to her business.
“I have always been interested in technology and my whole career has revolved around that,” said McGowan who, in 2019 was named one of the 50 Most Influential Torontonians by ‘Toronto Life’ magazine. “In the beginning, it was about getting everyone connected. It was about getting rid of the paper, automating the process and putting in a policy that does things that work for people. Now that we are all connected, the question is, ‘Are we protected?’
“When I was managing hundreds of thousands of devices for the banks, I knew you were at risk if you were connected without protection. Through my time in banking, I developed a passion for protecting people from criminals and themselves.”
In 2022, McGowan and Danielle Graham co-founded The Firehood which is a network of over 100 women angels who have invested over $4 million in women-led startups across Canada.
“We meet on the last Wednesday of every month and connect women with great ideas,” the 2024 University of the West Indies (Toronto Benefit Gala) Vice-Chancellor Award recipient said. “Some of them have concerns about who is tracking their businesses and where they can turn to for funding.
“A woman told me she has three jobs because she hopes to open a company one day. You can open your business if you get a $100,000 grant. You can pay yourself $50,000 annually and help build your company. Why are you working three jobs for seven or eight years? There are other ways to do things and I enjoy helping and connecting people.”
As preparations are made for the shift to quantum computing,
McGowan is quietly working on quantum-resistant technologies.
“I like to see what is on the edge that most people are not thinking of today,” said the 2022 Women in IT Woman of the Year. “There will be challenges, like encryption being broken, when quantum computers are more prevalent.”
Quantum computers could be a billion times faster than conventional computers for solving certain complex problems.
A National Research Council of Canada study revealed the quantum sector will become a $139 billion industry in Canada with more than 200,000 jobs and $42 billion in returns by 2045, potentially contributing three per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
IBM, the leader in quantum computing hardware, predicts that quantum computers will outperform classical computers in specific tasks by 2027.
With a deep love and passion for giving back to her community, McGowan launched the Black Arts & Innovation Expo in 2015.
Seven years earlier, she started Excelovate Canada which collaborates with First Book Canada to host the Expo during Black History Month to celebrate forward-thinking Black creators who are working diligently under the radar to make a positive difference locally and globally.
Trailblazer awards and scholarships are presented at the annual celebration that will be held in February 2025 after a four-year hiatus because of COVID-19.
“The plan is to broaden it because, for the most part, it was Ontario-focused,” said McGowan who Carleton University honoured two years ago with an honorary degree. “I have now visited every
province and was able to make connections in each one of them.”
A professional coaching firm registered with the International Coach Federation, Excelovate is also a full-service Canadian publishing house that assists organizations with specialized advisory services in publishing, mobile application development and coaching. It also creates productivity and gaming apps for a variety of platforms, including Apple iOS, Android, Windows and Blackberry.
While some standout people have helped to shape McGowan, experiences have played a major role in defining who she is.
“Whether you are taking a workload to the cloud, putting in a higher level of encryption around data and being able to leverage data, analytics and artificial intelligence in cyber security have all been great experiences for me,” she said.
What is McCowan’s advice to young girls considering pursuing technology?
“They have to be bold and courageous,” said the SickKids Foundation Board director who has authored five books to enhance children’s digital and financial literacy learning. “The only thing that will prevent them from achieving their goal is themselves. Going wide is okay but pick a place to go deep because technology is not just one field. Go deep in networks, AI, mainframe systems or quantum computing.
“When people are looking for an expert, could you give them a reason to point to you? Feeding your mind with the art of what is possible is also important. Find mentors and people who have done it before and lean on them.”
With all her stellar digital
achievements and accompanying recognition, meeting and interviewing Michelle Obama is one of the high points of her life.
She interviewed the former United States First Lady at the Elevate Technology Conference in Toronto in October 2019.
“That was special and sometimes the magic happens behind the stage,” said the married mother of two children. “Before we stepped on stage, she rubbed my shoulder and said, ‘I am so proud of you and you are so brilliant.’ Coming from her, I was like, ‘Whoa’.
“She talked about my technological capability and what I have achieved. That was a very warm moment. She also asked if she could meet my daughter before she left. While it was a nice gesture, I didn’t think she had the time to follow through. After the interview, she inquired where my daughter was. They met and took photos. That is a treasured moment and it speaks to her character and spirit.”
There was a time when McGowan was thinking about becoming a nurse. Seeing her mother – a retired nurse who migrated to Canada over five decades ago –providing help and care for the sick and elderly was her motivation for considering that profession.
“When I got hooked on technology, I saw myself as a digital nurse, helping and healing for things online,” said McGowan who ELLE Canada magazine listed this year as one of the 20 Most Inspirational Black Canadians to Know. “That spirit of helping and enriching is something that my mother instilled in me.”
In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis, golfing and flying drones.
Ontario’s Transportation Minister, PRABMEET SARKARIA.
MPP Dr. JILL ANDREW
Clarence Bayne ‘a stalwart in Montreal’s Black community’
By RON FANFAIR
Clarence Bayne might not have been a familiar name outside Quebec.
Leaving Trinidad & Tobago in 1955 to pursue higher education in Canada, the plan was to acquire a PhD and return home ‘to get a government job to help change the order of things in the country’.
That did not occur.
After completing undergraduate and master’s degrees at the University of British Columbia, Bayne accepted a job in Montreal as a trainee economist with the Canadian National Railway (CNR) in 1964.
“I soon realized that the job was in one of the most racist sectors and there was pressure for changes,” he told me in an interview in February 2022. “At the time, CNR was heavily subsidized by the government that owned the company. With Canada moving towards becoming a multicultural society, the government had to show it was not racist. I think that worked in my favour in terms of getting a job there.”
Quickly becoming part of the movement advocating for change, Bayne remained in Canada and was a prominent activist and community organizer in Montreal’s Black community.
He died on September 1 at age 91.
Gemma Raeburn-Baynes migrated from Grenada to Quebec’s largest city the same year Bayne arrived in Montreal.
“He was part of my life for six decades,” said the 2024 CBC Black Changemaker. “His unwavering dedication to the Black community of Montreal has left an indelible mark on all of us. Through his advocacy, leadership and commitment to equity, he worked tirelessly to uplift and empower those around him.
I will remember him not only as a brilliant mind and a strong voice for change, but as someone who deeply cared for the growth and progress of our people.
“His legacy will continue to inspire us for generations.”
National Film Board of Canada publicist Patricia Dillon-Moore met Bayne over four decades ago.
“The former CKUT 90.3 station manager says that Bayne was a builder, artist and verbal force.
“He was a writer, an educator and a visionary. Stubborn at times and set in his ways, he was also my mentor and friend.”
Retired Toronto Catholic District School Board educator Kirk Mark, who completed high school in Montreal before coming to Toronto, said Bayne laid a solid platform in the community.
“He was a trailblazer in education and community in many aspects,” said the former Canadian Alliance of Black Educators president. “He will be missed.”
Former East Scarborough Boys & Girls Club’s executive director Ron Rock spent 21 years in Montreal before relocating to Toronto in 1990.
“Clarence was a leader who put in the time to see his community advance,” he said. “He was a stalwart in Montreal’s Black community.”
Finishing his PhD in Economics & Econometrics at McGill University in 1966, Bayne joined Sir George Williams University’s John Molson School of Business (now Concordia) where he spent over 58 years before retiring in 2016.
“I saw him standing up for others, including me,” said Anne-Marie Croteau who is the first female Dean of the John Molson School of Business. “His thoughtfulness and consideration for others will always be remembered.”
Bayne taught Statistics, Quantitative Methods and Decision Sciences prior to becoming a full Professor in 2001. The Director of the Diploma in Administration/Diploma in Sports Administration program for 15 years until 2006, his research focused on
the social, political, economic and institutional life and development of marginalized communities in Quebec.
“Clarence was not only an academic,” said Roland Wills, a former Associate Dean and Decision Sciences Professor in the Faculty of Commerce and Administration at the John Molson School of Business. “He was an artist, a Black community stalwart, an innovator and, above all, a loving and caring family man. His contributions to the Black community in Canada are immense.”
Bayne was in the thick of things during Canada’s largest student occupation at Sir George Williams University.
Suspecting unfair grading by their Biology professor, six Caribbean students lodged a protest in 1968 with the university that agreed to establish a committee to investigate the allegations. Eight months after the matter wasn’t resolved, nearly 400 students occupied the computer lab on the university’s ninth floor.
During the 14-day protest, they destroyed about $2 million in computer equipment.
Bayne briefly sat on a six-member university committee that investigated the students’ charges before resigning because of what he thought was a conflict of interest.
“They asked me and the late Chet Davis (the American Professor taught History at
“Clarence was a leader who put in the time to see his community advance…”’
the university), who was a supporter of the Martin Luther King Jr. movement in the United States at the time, to be on the committee and we took the opportunity,” he said. “We felt that we could provide the students with a more favourable evaluation of their case. It was also an opportunity for us to be seen as important people in the university.”
The historic student revolt, Bayne said, was a wake-up call.
“It excited and energized Blacks across Canada who experienced racism in many sectors and complained about it in vain,” he said. “They felt empowered to act which was a good feeling.”
In 1971, Bayne co-founded the Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) which is Canada’s longest-running theatre company reflecting Black culture and community by developing and providing visibility for Black Canadian artists.
It emerged from the Trinidad & Tobago Association Drama Committee.
“A large part of Clarence’s soul was dedicated to the arts and culture,” said Dillon-Moore. “What started as an idea among friends in an apartment in the McGill ghetto grew into a significant cultural institution in Canada where it is Canada’s oldest Black theatre company. As the BTW’s first artistic director, Clarence’s vision laid the foundation for countless actors, writers and directors from across Canada who passed through its doors. He directed some of the plays, wore red leotards in a production and kept everyone focused on what this platform for Black self-expression could be. Today, BTW continues to produce work that resonates across Quebec and beyond.”
Award-winning documentary filmmaker Anthony Sherwood met ‘Clary’, as he affectionately called him, in 1975 when BTW was still in its infancy.
“I was amazed by his dedication and ability to bring together artists from different Black backgrounds to tell stories,” he said. “He was determined to let the voices of those different Black communities be heard in Montreal.”
Sherwood acted in one of the theatre’s early plays, ‘Dance Bongo’
“I played a dancer and we were short of one of them,” he said. “Clarence, who was the president at the time, put on dance tights and filled the breach. He did anything to make the organization survive. He was a cultural icon, trailblazer and someone who was proud of his culture and Caribbean background.”
At Expo 67 in Montreal, Bayne co-managed the Trinidad & Tobago concession stand alongside several community stalwarts, including Shirley Whittaker who is the wife of the late Carl Whittaker who – with Bayne – co-founded the Black Community Council of Quebec (BCCC).
His fingerprints are all over many Black community organizations in Montreal.
In addition to co-founding the BTW and the BCCC where he worked with community leaders to create the Monkland Community Centre, he was involved with the Black Community Council of Quebec and served as a board member for the Quebec Board of Black Educators, the Quebec Community Group Network, the Queen Elizabeth Health Complex and the Black Studies Centre.
In 1972, Bayne established the National Black Coalition of Canada Research Institute, an organization mandated to conduct research and increase the creative and productive capacity in Black communities
ontage was issued three tickets for making noise, continuing to do so and not walking on a sidewalk. After viewing video footage of the encounter, a judge sided with Lamontagne’s version of events, rejecting claims by officers that they were courteous in their interaction with him.
Bayne, who joined community leaders in petitioning Montreal Mayor Jean Dore in the early 1990s to institute Black History Month, would have been proud of the outcome.
“The police have made the life of Black people uncomfortable,” he said. “They have always argued that their lives are threatened and they had to use force. That put Black people in a position where they didn’t even get the protection that they needed. Now, the police don’t get away with it as they used to and that can be attributed to the effective strike back from the Black community.
“Black Lives Matter is a part of that resistance. They have had a transgenerational impact.”
Based on feedback from Trinbagonians who had gone to England to attend university, Bayne – who completed high school at Osmond which was founded by Arthur Murray – chose to study in Canada.
“The feedback we got from students who went to England was not encouraging,” he said. “They complained about racism, poor housing and the lack of central heating. I didn’t have a government scholarship which meant I had to work part-time during the summer. I heard that was not easily accessible.”
Pursuing higher learning in the United States was not an option because of the high cost.
Bayne’s fees to complete undergraduate and master’s degrees at UBC in five years were about $6,000.
“I shared living accommodation with four other T & T students and we each contributed about $50 to rent monthly and that helped,” he said.
The same year – 1960 – that Bayne completed his master’s in economics & political science at UBC, there were major changes in Canada’s immigration laws that placed more emphasis on academic and occupational skills and opened doors for Blacks and other people of colour.
The country was also enjoying economic stability and prosperity.
“He was a cultural icon, trailblazer and proud of his Caribbean background…”’
across Canada.
He also lobbied for changes within the Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal (PSBGM) when it was discovered that very few Black students who graduated from high school in the city were going on to university and he played a pivotal role in Canada’s contribution to the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture in Lagos, Nigeria.
Police accountability was a concerning issue that Bayne vigorously tackled.
Over many decades, he spoke out against the Montreal Police’s unfair treatment of Blacks in the province.
Last month, a Quebec Superior Court judge ruled that racial profiling is a systemic problem in the Montreal Police Service and awarded damages in a class action lawsuit that advocates said is ‘a decision that meets with reality’.
Filed five years ago, the suit stems from a 2017 incident in which police stopped Alexandre Lamontage after he left a bar.
Pinned to the ground, handcuffed and taken to the station, he was charged with obstructing police work and assaulting a police officer.
The charges were dropped, but Lam-
A UBC Professor, who was a consultant to the Canadian government, recruited Bayne to apply for a job as a trainee economist with CNR.
“He basically wrote the application for me,” he said.
Bayne was a mentor to hundreds of young people, including Sommer Knight who was the inaugural recipient of the 2021 Audrea Golding Black Student Leadership Award.
“He truly helped me to learn that I too as a Black woman have a voice in the field of medicine,” she said. “It was an honour to work with him and the BRCR for the Living History Project. He opened doors for so many, including myself and he always supported me with reference letters whenever I needed one. I would not have gotten the scholarships I have now without his guidance and support.”
Among his many honours are the Governor General’s Award for the Arts and the Black Theatre Workshop’s Martin Luther King Jr. Award.
Bayne was predeceased by his wife of 61 years, British-born Frances Ward, who died in August 2021.
They met in the late 1950s while she vacationed in British Columbia.
The couple had two children.
Patrice Bayne is an Informational Technology specialist at the John Molson School of Business and Judy Palmer is a senior communications executive.
CLARANCE (CLARRY) BAYNE
Program ‘providing a safe space for women to learn’
CONTINUED FROM Pg. 3
age that Walters was a star in the making.
From Prospect, a rural community in the parish of Clarendon, she always felt inspired.
“Though the people are mostly laid back, there were times when it was difficult to be inspired just by being there,” said Walters who has been an ecosystem partner for Startup Canada and a MasterClass presenter for Scotiabank Women Initiative. “I did not allow that to hold me back. I am a dreamer and I always want to do more and be more.”
Though reserved, she expressed herself through academics.
“Starting in primary school, I received a prize every year for excelling in the classroom and that extended through high school and university where I was the top student in my class,” said Walters who founded Amazing Prospects in 2010 to provide scholarships, educational opportunities and resources to young people in the community where she was raised.
She was a journalist and blogger with the Jamaica Gleaner daily newspaper and a regular contributor to Wealth magazine, a Jamaican wealth and lifestyle publication.
Though making strides in her professional career, Walters was looking for a challenge that would take her to the next level.
Falling in love with Toronto after her second visit to Canada in 2015, she made the move three years later.
It didn’t take Walters long to discover there is a vast difference between vacationing and living somewhere.
“With my educational background and work experience, I didn’t have to apply for jobs in Jamaica,” she said. “I had two at times and was always busy. Here, I sent out hundreds of applications without getting many responses. Nothing much came out of the occasional interviews and I started to question if something was wrong with me. However, I am a strategist. Rather than sitting and sulking, I look for solutions.”
The Clarendon College graduate reached out to alumni in the Greater Toronto Area who assured her she was not the problem.
During the job search, Walters prepared the press release and co-ordinated Jamaica’s Industrial Gases Limited introduction of the first Liquefied Natural Gas-powered vehicles in the country in 2018.
“That was one of the biggest projects that I managed and one of my proudest moments and it was done from Canada,” the Clarendon College Alumni Association Toronto chapter’s past president said.
With returning to Jamaica not an option, Walters did something very bold.
She started a business.
“When I came here, the plan was to replicate the success I had in Jamaica,” said Walters who has worked with some top brands, including GraceKennedy, Heineken, Western Union and Microsoft. “I understood there is a process and it would take some time, but I knew what I wanted and nothing was going to derail me. I wanted to surround myself with knowledgeable and talented people who would be an asset and help me flourish. This award tells me I am on the right track.
“I am blessed.”
Stewart dedicated the nomination to women who have felt overlooked or underrepresented.
“It is a reminder that we have the power to create change and that our struggles can become our greatest strengths,” the former bodybuilder said.
Having big feet can be frustrating for most women. With her mother and two older female siblings wearing large-size shoes, Stewart wore their hand-me-down footwear.
That was not cool.
As Stewart grew older and sought fashionable shoes to complement her sense of
style, the frustration mounted.
“It was really hard to find shoes that are cute even though I am a 10-and-a-half and on the lower side of my size run,” she said.
While at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) on a track scholarship in the 1990s, Stewart had an idea to create shoes for women with big feet.
During COVID and with some free time on her hands, the Special Education teacher at Bill Crothers Secondary School for the last 16 years, revisited the plan.
“I did a lot of research and reached out to experts in the women’s footwear business, trying to figure how I could start a business that would fill a need,” said Stewart, a four-time Academic All-American and All-American in the 400-metre and 4x400-metre relay events at UNLV.
In 2020, she launched Tresolz (www. tresolz.com) which is a footwear brand revolutionizing stylish and comfortable shoes for women with large feet.
Starting a new business is very challenging as Stewart quickly found out.
“When I reached out to factories in Canada and overseas, inquiring about making shoes for me to sell, many of them said they could not,” she said. “The very few that said they could, wanted me to order a minimum 1,000 units. Because I didn’t have much competition, I had to bite the bullet and pay almost four times the cost just because I was seeking big sizes.”
After importing shoes the first year, Stewart turned to designing.
“The sizes of the shoes I was purchasing were right, but something was missing from the fit,” she said. “People, especially women, want to feel comfortable in their shoes. You don’t want to take off high heels after a few minutes. Then is when I realized I had to design comfortable footwear for my clients. Many of them are on the heavier side because they are tall. They were looking for more padding or a certain type of heel. Some were looking for shoes with arch support. I had to get into the design game.”
Stewart selected two women footwear designers in Montreal and Canada to teach her the ropes.
“They were so gracious in taking me under their wing and giving me all the knowledge I was seeking,” she said. “I come up with the concept and they help me to put the technical pieces together.”
Married since 1999 to Winston Stewart, the President & Chief Executive Officer of Wincon Security, the couple has three boys.
A member of Canada’s 4x400-metre relay team that won a gold medal at the 1994 Francophone Games in France, Stewart is the daughter of Bishop Emeritus Delton Fraser and his wife Gladys who was a dental hygienist.
They founded Agincourt Church of God in 1973.
Ferguson was honoured to be a finalist.
“It underscores my commitment to fostering equality, uplifting women’s voices and creating opportunities for future leaders,” she said. “This recognition strengthens my resolve to continue breaking down barriers and driving meaningful change for women everywhere.”
Good things are happening in abundance to Ferguson, and her mother is foremost in her thoughts whenever she is recognized for being a trailblazer in skilled trades.
A few weeks before Marian Osbourne passed away in November 2020, she told her daughter, ‘I have to go for you to ascend to the next level.’
“At the time I was hurting because I knew my mom was dying and I was not interested in what she was telling me,” said Ferguson. “I just wanted my mom to be around.”
Four years later, she better understood what her mother was saying.
“She taught me well and put me in a
position to succeed,” said Ferguson who was celebrated in 2022 as one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada. “She knew I was working extra hard without getting much in return. Mom always reminded me my time would come.”
Disdainfully treated while trying to break into the skilled trades dominated by men was her impetus for starting a business.
Minutes into an interview for a roofing job, the interviewer abruptly walked out on Ferguson who took an Uber in a blizzard. On another occasion, she had to defend herself against a contractor who threatened her with a hammer on a job site.
The former Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) sprint champion owns EthelFox Construct (www. ethelfoxconstruct.com), a full-service construction and development company.
It specializes in kitchen & bathroom remodelling, cabinet refurbishing & painting, high-end painting & textures, wallpaper removals & installations, crown moulding, drywall installation, tiling & flooring and custom interior/exterior home renovation.
EthelFox is a combination of her mother’s middle name and her daughter, Fox.
For the last two years, Ferguson has appeared in Home Depot advertisements. Osbourne predicted that would happen.
“Mom said one day you will see cutouts of yourself in Home Depot,” the 2023 Canie Award Entrepreneur of the Year finalist said.
Another time while driving through East York, Osbourne requested her daughter pull over in an empty spot.
“She asked me when I am going to have a shop here and I started laughing,” recounted Ferguson who worked in marketing and communications for 15 years before making the transition. “About four months after she died, I was looking for a spot to start my business. After I went on Kijiji scanning for affordable commercial space, I drove to one I saw and could not
believe it. It was the same space me and mom were at a few months earlier.
“I cried.”
As the only woman in Canada running a full-service construction company, she counts her blessings and gives back in a focused way.
Frustrated by the limited selection of women’s work clothes in a retail store, Ferguson started ‘A Women’s Work’ that is a non-profit organization training women in skilled trades.
The training is done at support centres in East York, North York and in Mississauga and there are plans to establish four more in Ontario by 2027 and expand to other provinces.
Of the first cohort of eight graduates, two are employed in the skilled trades. The second cohort comprises 53 women who are completing their training.
“We are in the process of exploring placements for them,” said Ferguson who was the recipient of a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award last May.
The next cohort of 41 start their training on September 30.
Ferguson said about 80 per cent of the women are refugees, the majority living in shelters.
“We are providing a safe space for women to learn and be comfortable,” the 2024 Ascend Canada Leadership Award winner added.
In 2021, the Canadian Business Review Board named EthelFox Construct one of the Best Businesses in Canada and Ferguson was selected to take part in the Starter Company Plus Program offered through Enterprise Toronto.
The EthelFox Group also includes SkyGarden Landscaping, SkyLimitless Roofing and TKO Demolition.
Two weeks ago, Ferguson was celebrated at the 100 Accomplished Black Women gala in Etobicoke.
PSAtest‘importantforhealthofallmen’
CONTINUED FROM Pg. 2
“At my non-profit, The Walnut Foundation, we advocate for early screening to reduce deaths from prostate cancer. When Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer, we must be a part of the conversation on this disease.”
Henry was joined at the news conference by other prostate cancer advocates and lobbyists including Dr. Stuart Edmonds from the Canadian Cancer Society; Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and her husband Pete Ward, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer days before his 60th birthday; medical doctor Anthony Dixon and Ontario New Democrat Wayne Gates.
“I don’t believe that any man should die unnecessarily because we have a government that won’t cover their testing by OHIP,” said Gates. “Early detection through testing can absolutely save lives.”
Gates, MPP for Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-Lake, has promised “to continue to fight” to obtain parliamentary approval to have PSA tests covered by OHIP. The test is paid for by governments in eight of 10 provinces.
Three times – between 2019 and 2023
– Gates tabled a motion in the legislature, calling for free PSA testing for Ontario men. Each time, the motion failed.
Gates plans on reintroducing the motion and is appealing for support from government and opposition politicians.
“Let’s come together across party lines
and do the right thing by passing this motion,” he said. “This is a common-sense, simple solution that will save our province millions of dollars, and more importantly, save lives.”
Dixon, an emergency room physician, was diagnosed with prostate cancer almost four years ago and underwent surgery and other treatment.
“The best test that we have for all men at the moment is the PSA screening test,” Dixon said in an interview with Share
“This test is important for the health of all men and it should be covered as part of our routine health insurance that we have in Ontario.
“I have advocated for many things during my professional career. Since being diagnosed with prostate cancer, none has become so important as advocating for prostate cancer screening to be covered as part of the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
“Saving lives has taken on a new meaning for me.”
Henry said TWF, a not-for-profit organization established in 2007, is an “advocate for early screening to reduce deaths from prostate cancer”.
According to TWF, a male Black is diagnosed with prostate cancer “every 13 seconds”; that “one in six Black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer” and that Black men have three times the risks of having more aggressive disease than Caucasians.
October 13 - 19, 2024
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Nurture meaningful relationships on the 13th. The little extras you offer will lead to open communication and resolving any issues standing in your way. Focus on financial, medical and domestic issues on the 14th and 15th, but keep the information private from outsiders. Keep your vision a secret and the changes you are considering undercover until you have everything in place. Speak from the heart on the 16th and 17th, and the response you receive will alter the dynamics of how you proceed. Test a lifestyle change first and see what transpires. Put more thought and effort into handling expenses or earning your income on the 18th and 19th. Refuse to let anger take over and put your energy into broadening your vision and qualifications.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Pinpoint what you want to accomplish on the 13th and map out a route. Refuse to let someone’s negativity deter you from striving to reach your goal. Refrain from allowing your dreams to overpower reality on the 14th and 15th. Your intuition is excellent, but you’ll veer off course if you give in to emotions. Implement a realistic approach to money management. Consider the rules, regulations and steps before you begin on the 16th and 17th. Preparation will help you maintain a direct route to seizing the moment and putting what you want in perspective and place. You’re on the right track on the 18th and 19th. Maintain communication with those your plans will impact, and you’ll get the help and support you require to get things done.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Open a communication channel on the 13th and address sensitive issues. Share your dreams and something good will transpire. Having heart-to-heart talks will encourage plans that please you and those you love. Keep your promises reasonable on the 14th and 15th. Being a people-pleaser is good only if it’s doable. Concentrate more on creating opportunities for yourself than for others. Volunteer, participate and learn from your experiences on the 16th and 17th. How you conduct yourself, your opinion and your actions will determine what you get in return. Join forces with like-minded people. A learning process is necessary to complete things efficiently and swiftly on the 18th and 19th. A change looks promising if you research and educate yourself before you act. Honesty and integrity are required.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): A changing situation will require patience on the 13th. Do your research, ask an expert and look at the underlying causes and effects your choices will have on you and your loved ones. Rethink your long-term plans on the 14th and 15th, and you’ll gain a clear vision regarding what you want to pursue next. Taking the road less traveled will help parlay creativity into the joy of using your skills to your specifications. Getting along with others will be a battle on the 16th and 17th. Choose your words wisely and let empathy and understanding lead the way. Romance is favoured. Hesitation is the enemy on the 18th and 19th. Search for information, seize the moment and initiate what you want to happen.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Pitch in and help on the 13th, and you’ll feel good and connect with someone who is informative. A positive change at home will help you save more and ease stress. Show interest, and your popularity will grow. On the 14th and 15th, when one door closes, another will open if you direct your energy into something you feel passionate about. Use innovative alternatives to cut your costs. Don’t let anger set in on the 16th and 17th when action is necessary. Channel your energy into correcting a situation physically and moving forward in a direction that offers positive outlets, peace and love. On the 18th and 19th, distance yourself from situations that aren’t geared toward having fun, using your attributes positively and spending time with people who bring you joy.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You can pursue change on the 13th but stay within your budget. Discipline and hard work will help you sort through any setbacks and encour-
the 14th and 15th, however, some will enlighten you and others will be out to take your cash. Differentiate between the two and you’ll find the path to victory. Think big, but budget wisely on the 16th and 17th. Refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don’t need. Stick to the plan you budgeted for and victory will be yours. On the 18th and 19th, visit a location that inspires you, and you’ll enjoy it with someone you love. Romance is in the stars.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take time to socialize on the 13th. Spending time with loved ones will lift your spirits and raise your awareness regarding your priorities. Refuse to let outside influences unnerve you; choose peace and love over discord and chaos. Pay attention to detail and how you work and get along with your associates on the 14th and 15th. Send a positive message through dedication and contributions. Refrain from getting dragged into something you don’t want to be a part of on the 16th and 17th. Broaden your perspective through research and education and distance yourself from anyone trying to dictate or bully you into something foreboding. On the 18th and 19th, spend time fixing your space to suit your needs better. A positive lifestyle choice will help.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Live, learn and experience what life offers on the 13th. Networking or socializing will introduce you to someone or something that tweaks your creative imagination. Romance or a lifestyle change are favoured. Dive into whatever intrigues you on the 14th and 15th and enjoy the ride. Let your mind wander and your heart race, and it will lead to alternatives that titillate your senses. Keep your secrets to yourself on the 16th and 17th. Too much information will lead to misrepresentation. Bide your time and throw your energy into romance, creativity and positive change. You’ll dodge a bullet on the 18th and 19th if you are direct. A positive outlook regarding your intentions will clarify your position and encourage the changes you want to make.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Do what you can to help a cause you believe in on the 13th. Your efforts won’t go unnoticed and will help you deter any emotional angst developing with a friend, relative or neighbour. Look for alternative offers on the 14th and 15th. Some of the people closest to you will be your worst enemies. Differentiate between who is on your side and who isn’t before sharing information that can be incriminating. A unique outlet will give you time to think and decipher what’s best for you on the 16th and 17th and encourage you to take more time to nurture yourself and the relationships that are meaningful to you. Be observant on the 18th and 19th, but ideally, keep your eye on investments; a financial gain will be forthcoming.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): On the 13th, your intuition will prompt a change of heart. Your mission to properly handle your legacy, lifestyle and financial future will become clear. Let the past go on the 14th and 15th, and peace of mind will unfold. Self-improvement, personal growth and returning to what you enjoy will be a blessing. Treat yourself to whatever makes you happy. Emotions will surface on the 16th and 17th if you get into deep discussions or let what others think or do bother you. Put your energy to good use and do something to your space that adds to your convenience. You’ll find bliss on the 18th and 19th if you try something new geared toward tranquility and peace of mind. Live, love and let be.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be open to trying something new on the 13th, but don’t put yourself in harm’s way. Find out the risks involved before you agree to anything that may alter your lifestyle, finances or health. Hard work will pay off on the 14th and 15th. Use your ingenuity to develop alternatives that make your work efficient and boost your confidence and reputation. First and
17th. You stand to gain if you are thorough and opportunistic. Don’t follow; use research and intelligence to get ahead. An emotional matter will surface on the 18th and 19th; be diligent about getting your facts straight. Don’t take anyone or anything for granted.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Know the rules before entering the ring on the 13th. Don’t overreact or let temptation take over. Direct your energy into something constructive. On the 14th and 15th, it would help to have substantial stability in your life, not excess and expense. Say no to temptation and develop a concrete plan that helps fulfill your dreams instead of blowing them apart. Home, relationships and keeping everything moving forward are necessary on the 16th and 17th. Educate yourself firsthand, sign up for lectures, watch how-to videos or stay busy with projects that bring you closer to people who care about you while distancing you from those who don’t. You’re on the right track on the 18th and 19th. Refuse to let anyone interfere. Use your energy wisely, and innovative ideas will unfold.
UNIVERSAL SUNDAY CROSSWORD
PAM AMICK KLAWITTER, EDITED
JEFF CHEN
Eddie Bullen ‘a Grenadian Canadian treasure’
Silver who was the first Black woman to receive a Juno Award.
“I was introduced to everybody and, for some reason, Liberty and I hit it off,” recalled Bullen. “We are around the same age while the other guys were older. When I told her I was a songwriter and she said she was a lyricist, we got together and started writing songs. Eventually, she got a record deal and I was one of the musicians/ songwriters/co-producers on a project she was doing.”
He collaborated on her 1985 single, ‘Lost Somewhere Inside Your Love’, which won a Juno Award in the Best R&B Soul Recording category.
“It was really rewarding hearing the song play on the radio many times,” said Bullen who was part of the duo, The Ed-Ian (Wiltshire) Cartel, which released a string of soca-soul tracks in the 1990s.
When two people with the same interests meet, good things happen sometimes. At a rehearsal in the Eglinton Ave. W. and Caledonia Ave. neighbourhood, Silver introduced Bullen to Washington Savage, the Harry Jerome Awards Musical Director for eight years.
The pianist/composer/ arranger, whose musical career spanned nearly 25 years, died of heart complications in May 2009 at age 46.
“When Liberty told Washington I was a keyboard player, rehearsals ended,” he said. “We sat and compared notes for the rest of that evening. I and Washington stuck together like two peas in a pod.”
Savage founded two bands – BLAXAM and Age of Reason – of which Bullen was a member.
He said Savage, who was a member of Molly Johnson’s rock band, The Infields, and the Jeff Healey Band that won Juno Awards in 1991 and 1992 respectively, was an artistic genius.
“Washington came from a gospel/jazz background in the United States and was just an amazing keyboard player,” said Bullen who performed and produced Sway’s Juno-nominated ‘Hands Up’, which was the theme music for Club Med’s successful TV commercial. “He was very meticulous and would labour over lyrics and the sound he was looking for. We rehearsed daily for hours and hours where The Docks nightclub is on Polson St. We got hooked up with Eric Mercury (the Canadian singer/songwriter who died in 2022) and the late Brenda Dash (she was a leader in the 1969 George Williams University occu-
pation in Montreal and the manager for American singers Regina Belle and Brenda Russell).
“We signed a management deal with Brenda (Dash) and got a lot of interest from major companies, including Warner Brothers. Washington also played with a lot of great artistes in this city, including Salome Bey and Jeff Healey. He had a residency at Sassafraz (a restaurant on Cumberland St.) where he performed on weekends and people went there just to meet him and hang out with him.”
Artists were hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unable to do live performances and appearances, they had to pivot to earn a living.
Before the pandemic, Bullen made some home adjustments to accommodate video productions.
That was a great move.
“That is my youngest son’s specialty for the last five years,” the Thunder Dome Sounds record label owner said. “The industry was heading in that direction and I was trying to see how I could set up my basement to handle something like that.
“One of the things I was very worried about was people coming into the studio. However, some of the software manufacturers made it possible to do recordings virtually. I have the major software and someone like a vocalist can download a free app at their end. Once they have a microphone and HD converter, they can plug it into their computer, find a quiet place and sing. I can record that in my studio as if they were standing next to me.
“I did that with people all over the United States, Canada and Bolivia.
“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going and you just have to figure out a way to survive.”
As the pandemic unfolded, Bullen was ready to supply festivals with content for their virtual shows.
Some of his clients included the Beaches International Jazz Festival, the CNE Bandshell and a few in Montreal in 2020 and 2021.
“That part of it was good because a lot of these festivals get funding, so they had to spend the money,” said the former Musical Director for the Golden Soul Classics Show and Toronto’s Uptown Jazz Festival.
However, nothing beats performing live in front of an audience and Bullen – like most artistes – missed that.
“That was challenging,” he said. “In 2019, I did a onemonth tour in China with my two sons, visiting 15 cities and performing in stunning theatres. That was my third tour there and there was one planned for 2021. I also had several shows lined up for the summer and fall of 2020 that had to be cancelled in addition to festivals and corporate gigs that were booked.”
Nothing gives Bullen more joy than ‘jamming’ with his sons Quincy and Tre-Michael.
Quincy, 30, is an accomplished pianist, composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and singer while his 26-yearold brother is a percussionist and lighting technician.
“I am a proud daddy and sometimes I look at them and have a smile that stays with me for a long time,” he said. “My dad did that to me and I decided it should be a family legacy. I ensured that my sons had some musical ability and appreciation.
“When they were young, I made sure they took piano and acting lessons and did everything in the arts so they
could do it from all angles. It is wonderful that I could be with them, jamming together and performing for people.”
Bullen and his older son have been performing as a duo for 13 years, delighting audiences with their mastery of popular jazz piano standards.
“Our concerts are a unique blend of traditional jazz and modern improvisation and we bring our personal touch to each performance,” he said.
Performing with three-time Grammy Award singer/ songwriter Dee Dee Bridgewater and meeting the late Harry Belafonte rank among his music career highlights.
“I worked on a project with Harry and when he learned I was from Grenada, he addressed me as ‘This Island Boy’,” recounted Bullen, a featured mainstage performer at the 2011 Jazz Artists on the Greens festival in Trinidad. “He told me the movie ‘Island in the Sun’ was not supposed to be as successful as it became because the director was off drinking and having a good time and didn’t care a ‘s…’ about him. He said that was the movie that launched his acting career.”
Retired Citizenship Court Judge Pamela Appelt is a big fan of Bullen.
“Over the decades I have known Eddie, he has always found ways to lend his support to initiatives that were beneficial to the community,” she said. “He is a Grenadian Canadian treasure who continues to share his talents with the younger generation.”
In 2015, Bullen’s first wife, hair salon owner and former Grenada Carnival Queen Joan Des Vignes-Bullen, passed away.
They married in 1989 after meeting at a party in Toronto.
“We were always very supportive of one another,” Bullen said. “When we had Quincy, she knew I wanted him to get a good musical upbringing and supported that. She did his hair and got his clothes together to ensure he was presentable on stage. When he did his first show with The Quintessential Boys, she rented a limousine for the group to go to the gig. We were both on the same page regarding our sons.”
In June 2023, Bullen and two-time Juno Award nominee Belinda Brady, who migrated from Jamaica in 1993, tied the nuptial knot.
She paid tribute to her husband in song – The Impossible Dream – that he arranged and produced.
“I just thought this piece would be very fitting for this occasion,” said Brady whose father, Carl Brady, was a founding member of Byron Lee & the Dragonaires. The awards ceremony was preceded by the screening of ‘Iconography: Mungal Patasar’ which is part of the 19th annual CaribbeanTales Film Festival.
Augustine presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Patasar, an eminent sitarist and musical fusionist. He and pannist Harold Headley were in Toronto for a special performance.
Awards named for late Ethiopian marathoner
remote areas like in the North, and its capabilities will be developed with input from many stakeholders to make sure it’s flexible and versatile enough to handle an even wider range of research needs.
“When MAPLE enters into service, it will be equipped to study climate change, air quality, cloud systems and severe weather, all of which will help prove out new solutions for green aviation, space-based observation and so much more.”
On September 21, the eminent atmospheric scientist was honoured for Professional Excellence at the 10th annual Bikila Awards at The Carlu in Toronto.
The awards honour the memory of Abebe Bikila who was the first Black African to win an Olympic gold medal.
“To be honoured by your own is gratifying,” said Wolde who is a member of the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) Atmosphere Observing System (AOS) Suborbital Working Group. “To get an award in Bikila’s name is very special. Abebe was revered in Ethiopia when I was growing up. He inspired many people of my generation. I grew up idolizing him.”
He dedicated the award to his mother who single-handedly raised five children. Forced to marry as a teenager to a husband twice her age, she died 11 years ago.
“I still get emotional when I talk about her,” Wolde said. “My parents separated when I was young and she was left to take care of us. Very smart, she never complained about anything and approached everything she did with confidence. She was my role model. Mom never went to school, but she has a PhD in my book.”
Professional Excellence Awards were also presented to Tewodros Kassahun, Tirusew Asefa, Paul VanderVennen and Meseret Haileyesus.
After 20 months at Jhpiego – an international health non-profit organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University – leading the development, conceptualization and implementation of evidence-based Maternal Child Health & Nutrition and public health programs to inform decision-makers, Haileyesus arrived in Canada 12 years ago.
She spent three years in British Columbia and Alberta, working in the health sector and pursuing higher education before relocating to Ottawa.
respectively.
To help pay his living and university expenses, Tesfaye was a part-time parking lot attendant in downtown Washington, DC.
By age 24, he had saved enough money to rent a lot in a challenging urban neighbourhood.
Eight years after migrating to the United States, Tesfaye and his brother – Yared Tesfaye – started U Street Parking (USP) in 1998 which is now one of the largest minority-owned parking businesses in America with over 200 locations.
Nearly 80 per cent of the staff are of Ethiopian heritage. Parking Services are part of USP Holdings which provides several other services, including janitorial at the two major airports in Metropolitan DC, shuttle bus, limousine, security and curbside management at New York and New Jersey’s major airports.
In addition, Tesfaye and his brother co-founded DC General Construction and the Potomac Managing Group which manages over 500 units in the Washington DC area.
Globally recognized, the thriving business leader does not take success lightly.
“I went to the United States with nothing and followed my dreams,” said Tesfaye who is a partner and co-founder of United Investments whose real estate projects include a $564 million, 1.2 million square foot mixed-use development in Hill East that sits between Capitol Hill and the Anacostia River. “It took 26 years to get to where I am. I worked hard and smart without using shortcuts. If I can do it, most young people can do the same.”
Le’ul Ras Mengesha Seyoum, a former Ethiopian government minister who lived in exile for 17 years until 1991, was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement
“The awards honour the memory of Abebe Bikila who was the first Black African to win an Olympic gold medal”’
In 2017, Haileyesus founded the Canadian Centre for Women’s Empowerment which addresses economic abuse and economic injustice.
“More than just celebrating my accomplishments, this recognition highlights my resilience and persistence in fighting for economic justice,” said the Maternity Today founder and Canadian Institute for Research on Economic Justice member. “It is not easy to dismantle barriers that Black women and women of colour face. I know what those systemic barriers are because I face them.”
Growing up in Ethiopia which has been ravaged by war and drought, Haileyesus aspired to be a changemaker wherever she is.
“I just wanted to do things to make a difference in the lives of others,” she added. “In Canada, I am fighting for equality and equitable policies. I don’t believe we live in poverty as immigrants. Systems must be broken down and people have a right to access safe economies.”
Haileyesus has spoken to the Parliamentary Committee on various policy recommendations to advance women’s economic security, financial inclusion, the federal budget and legislative change and appeared at the Ontario Legislative Assembly, advocating for Bill 41 which protects human trafficking victims from coerced debt.
For nearly three decades, the majority of VanderVennen clients have been of Ethiopian heritage.
“It began with a handful who did referrals and it just mushroomed from there,” said the 1985 Osgoode Hall Law School graduate who has extensive experience in representing clients in immigration law matters, including applicants for immigrant visas as refugee claimants in refugee determination hearings, appeals to the Refugee Appeal Division and Federal Court of Canada and sponsorship applications and appeals.
Starting his law firm primarily dedicated to Canadian immigration law practice shortly after being called to the Ontario Bar in 1987, VanderVennen has worked exclusively in immigration law since 1995.
He and his family visited Ethiopia in 2007. Kassahun, also known as Teddy Afro, is a renowned singer/songwriter, and Asefa chairs the Florida Water & Climate Alliance.
Retired Canadian civil servant Ambaye Kidane, who founded the People to People Aid Organization that raised substantial funds to assist vulnerable children in Ethiopia, and entrepreneur Henok Tesfaye were the recipients of Community Service and Business Excellence Awards,
Award. Ethiopia’s last surviving Ras was unable to make the trip to Toronto because of health challenges. He is 97.
Hakim Workneh Eshete was posthumously honoured with the Order of the Shining Star of Ethiopia Medal.
Ethiopia’s first medical doctor served as Burma’s Medical Officer and his country’s ambassador to the United Kingdom.
In the confusion after the Battle of Magdala in 1868, Eshete was captured by Anglo-Indian troops and taken to India as they thought he was an orphan. His wealthy family was, however, imprisoned during the battle.
Passed on to Colonel Charles Martin whose name he adopted, the trailblazer died in 1952.
Nuhamin ‘Nunu’ Mequanint, Rebecca Girma and Yetbarek Asrat were recognized for Academic Excellence.
Enrolled in the dual degree Business & Law Program at Western University’s Ivey Business School, Mequanint interned this summer at Borden Ladner Gervais.
The Dean Honours List student leads the Ivey Community Engagement Club curriculum development and is the President of Beyond the Books and ACE Western.
Completing high school at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga, Girma is pursuing Mechanical Engineering Studies at the University of Toronto.
The former Study Circle program’s math tutor is the Chief Operating Officer of Alumnex which is a St. Joan of Arc graduates social networking platform.
On the Dean’s Honours List in 2023-24 at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Ted Rogers School of Management, Asrat aspires to make a mark in Canada’s financial sector.
“I have a lot of ideas about what I want to do,” said the second-year Business Management Studies student who was born and raised in the Greater Toronto Area. “The end goal is to own my business.”
Asrat teaches Ge’ez to young people and is a Deacon at Debre Genet St. Teklehaymanot Orthodox Church.
Ge’ez is an ancient language used primarily for liturgical Christian services.
Yohannes Alonzo was honoured for Community Service.
“I was shocked when I was notified about this recognition because I never expected something like this,” said the Calgary-based WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineer apprentice who is an ordained member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. “However, it is a good feeling to be recognized by a community that embraces you.”
Alonzo is proficient in traditional Ethiopian instruments, including the kebero, krar and masenqo.
Special Recognition awards were presented to the Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration (TAAAC), Jesuits of Canada and the U of T Faculty of Arts with whom the Bikila Awards committee has a longstanding and fruitful relationship.
At the second annual Bikila Awards in 2015, Michael Gervers, who teaches an Ethiopian cultural history course at the U of T Scarborough campus, pledged $50,000 to promote the study of the Ge’ez language.
The university matched the donation, the Ethiopian community in Canada raised $20,000 at a community forum a few months later and Toronto-raised rhythm & blues artiste and high school dropout, Abel Tesfaye, also known as ‘The Weeknd’ – the son of Ethiopian immigrants – made a $50,000 donation.
With a $500,000 endowment that included a further $30,000 from ‘The Weeknd’, the university launched an Ethiopic program in 2020, the first of its kind in North America.
Three years earlier, the university offered an introductory Ge’ez course.
U of T is the only university in North America and one of the very few in the world that regularly offers a course on Ge’ez. It’s part of the Semitic group of languages, including Hebrew, Arabic and Aramaic and remains a fundamental language for classical studies such as Latin and Greek.
The Faculty of Arts & Science’s Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations and the Centre for Medieval Studies jointly run the program.
“Now, we are teaching introductory and intermediary courses,” said Gervers who is working with U of T Librarian Paulina Rousseau on a project that will make the entire manuscript collection of the 15th-century Ethiopian monastery at Gunda Gunde (Tigray Province) available online. “The Ethiopian community is well ensconced in the university right now, and we are hoping to go further. The expectation is for us to get a professorship, but that is much more expensive and could cost nearly $5 million. Once you have it, it is there forever.
“The university is very open to supporting communities and the Ethiopian community is very strong.”
The trained Medievalist has made about 25 visits to Ethiopia, the first in 1982.
“For someone like me, life in Ethiopia is quite recognizable,” said Gervers who has been teaching History & Art History at U of T since 1976. “The predominance of the presence of the church is somewhat similar to what it is like in Europe. There is also a rich material culture that I have been documenting for many years. I have gone to monasteries and churches and photographed church paraphernalia. That goes into a database for anyone to consult. That makes Ethiopia more accessible.”
Ethiopia’s relationship with the Jesuits of Canada goes back to 1945 when Emperor Haile Selassie sought their expertise to modernize the country’s educational system after World War II. They restructured Teferi Mekonnen School – founded in 1925 and a heritage site – the following year, introduced a secondary curriculum and founded the University College of Addis Ababa in 1950.
“Recently, we had an exhibit about the Jesuit’s historical documents and the Ethiopian community came out,” said Dr. Gordon Rixon, the President of Regis College and a literary trustee for Canadian Jesuit philosopher and theologian Bernard Lonergan. “We were so pleased to renew our relationship with that community.”
Since 1995, Regis College has received students from 63 countries, including Africa.
The keynote speaker at the Bikila Awards, Rixon took Kenyans Bernard Adika and Remy Niyiteka and Ugandan Robert Sekyanzi to the event.
Sekyanzi is pursuing a PhD. and Adika and Niyiteka are preparing for ordination as Jesuit priests.
Running barefoot at the 1960 Rome Olympics which was his first competitive race outside Ethiopia, Bikila won the marathon in a record time of 2:15:16.2.
Successfully defending his title four years later in Tokyo running with shoes, he was denied the hat-trick at the 1968 Mexico City Games when a right knee injury forced him to quit after 17 kilometres. His countryman, Mamo Wolde, won the gold medal.
Bikila died in October 1973 of a brain hemorrhage, a complication from a single-vehicle accident four years earlier that left him paralyzed.
The Bikila Awards Board of Directors comprises Tessema Mulugeta, Birku Menkir, Dr. Haregua Getu and Behailu Atnafu.
In 2018, they – along with the organization’s co-founder Tamrat Gebeyehu who died six years ago – were honoured with Arbor Awards that recognize U of T volunteers.
