Convenience Is Control

Canada’s Leading Caribbean Newspaper

Volume 14 • Issue 24

Wednesday, December 31 2025

“Rueben stands under the flickering fluorescent lights of a convenience store on Eglinton West, Toronto. He is trying to send a remittance to his mother in Kingston, a ritual of survival he has performed for twenty years. Today, the screen on his phone demands a facial scan he didn’t sign up for...”

FULL STORY - PAGE 8

PAGE 2

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 31, 2025

PAULETTE J. STERLING

Photo Credit: Kofi Asem Photography

The Woman Who Found Her Voice

To look at Paulette J. Sterling today— a global leadership professional with twenty-five years of international experience spanning Jamaica, the UK, and Canada—is to see a portrait of absolute composure and strategic authority. She is the founder of Sterling Business Management, a visionary recognized for stabilizing organizations during highstakes transitions and embedding resilience into the very fabric of corporate governance. Yet behind the “Sterling Edge” and the prestigious M.Sc. in Organizational Leadership lies a narrative of profound silence that once threatened to swallow her whole.

The story of Paulette Sterling begins on a crowded bus in Jamaica. As a young girl attending the prestigious St. Andrew High School, Paulette was a “late comer,” but not by choice or sloth.

She had entered high school early, having passed her Common Entrance exams in the fifth grade and skipping her final year of primary school. In the corridors of that all-girls institution, she was a child among teenagers, gripped by a paralyzing shyness.

“I grew up actually being afraid of my voice,” she recalls, the vulnerability of that memory still palpable. “I just was afraid of speaking out loud… because in my mind, if I say ‘bus stop’ or ‘one stop,’ somebody would say, ‘Why does she sound like that?’ or ‘She didn’t say it correctly.’” Rather than utter the two words required to signal the driver, Paulette would sit in silent, sweating agony as her stop drifted past. She would wait for someone else to call the stop— often miles away from her school—and then walk back in the heat, arriving late only to have her name highlighted as a “late comer.” She accepted the shame of the “late” mark beside her name as a fair price for the safety of her silence.

This was the raw, unpolished beginning of a woman who would eventually lead the global RESPECT Campaign and manage multi-year transition mapping for major financial institutions. Her journey is a testament to the truth that leadership is cultivated courage.

By the age of twenty-one, the girl who could not hail a bus was sud-

denly thrust into leadership roles. The transition was jarring. “The minute I entered the work world, I entered in a leadership role,” she says. “How am I leading people? How am I going to lead people?” In those early years, she felt the crushing weight of needing to belong. Surrounded by colleagues discussing their teenagers and mortgages, the twenty-one-year-old Paulette felt like an imposter. She began a performance of a different kind: pretending to be older to gain credibility. She masked her youth, fearing that her true perspective as a twenty-one-year-old would be dismissed.

It was through this struggle that she discovered the foundational pillar of her current philosophy: authenticity.

She realized that the mask of age was as restrictive as the silence on the bus.

Her evolution as a leader was marked by a shift from trying to be a “better version” of her boss to becoming a “better version” of herself. She began to understand that leadership was a movement rooted in conviction.

Drawing inspiration from the likes of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, she began to examine the internal mechanics of influence. She admired Garvey’s belief in self-reliance and his ability to create a movement through sheer conviction, even when the world told him he was “less of a person” because of the colour of his skin. Like Garvey, Paulette realized that influence begins with convincing yourself first. You must believe so deeply that you can bring others past their own limitations.

Her resolute nature was further sharpened by the writings of Jack Welch, specifically his book Winning.

From Welch, she adopted the metaphor of the leader as a gardener. “He saw people—his work as leader—as a gardener… where he was there to prune people to help them grow,” she explains. This perspective allowed her to see organizational development as the nourishment of human potential. It also gave her the resolve to handle the pruning—the difficult decisions required to maintain organizational health.

Throughout her career, from her time as Territory Manager in the

UK to her role as Chief Representative Officer at JN Bank Canada, Paulette has treated resilience as a muscle. “If you want to be a leader, you have to have courage, and resilience needs to be handled like a muscle,” she insists. “You want good abs, you need to exercise. Even when you’re not seeing the two-pack, the four-pack, the six-pack as quickly as you would have wanted, you still have to get at it.”

Today, Paulette’s mission has culminated in the launch of Sterling Business Management and her signature event, Transform to Lead: The Sterling Edge. Scheduled for January 27, 2026, this virtual experience is her way of offering the leadership development she wished she had as a young woman—development that is relatable, accessible, and rooted in lived realities. She is intentionally keeping the barrier to entry low, charging a mere $25 to ensure that emerging leaders in the Caribbean and the diaspora can access high-impact tools without being overwhelmed by the high costs or theoretical noise of traditional corporate training.

She wants people to stop waiting until retirement to think about legacy. “If your legacy is to transform ten leaders, then how you lead today would have to have a bearing on that,” she argues. Her own legacy is being written in real time, as she helps others find the voice she once feared to use.

Paulette J. Sterling’s life story is a narrative arc from the back of a bus to the front of a global movement. She has moved from being a girl who would walk miles to avoid being heard to a woman who advises senior executives on how to lead with purpose.

She remains a becoming—a daily commitment to growth—proving that the most powerful leaders are often those who had to fight the hardest just to speak their own names. Her journey reminds us that leadership is about the refusal to let fear drive the bus.

Written by Simone J. Smith Toronto Caribbean News

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NEWS & VIEWS

PAGE 3

Victor Bowman held while father’s legacy faces silence SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Victor Bowman sat inside the McAllen Immigration Detention Center in Texas during the closing weeks of 2025. He is a Honduran national who lived in the United States without legal status. Outside, the world remembered his father, Alfredo Bowman, the herbalist known as Dr. Sebi.

Inside, Victor faced a reality of physical violence. He reported physical beatings and witnessed the sexual assault of another detainee. These accounts reached the public through recorded calls shared by activist Scott Burnhard.

The machinery of the state moved against him in late November 2025. This movement mirrored an older pattern of institutional pressure. His father, Dr. Sebi gained fame in the 1980s for promoting an African Bio-Mineral Balance diet. This regimen used alkaline, plant-based foods to claim cures for diseases like: AIDS, cancer, and diabetes.

The elder Dr. Sebi faced constant legal challenges from the state. In 1987, New York authorities charged him with practicing medicine without a license after ads promised AIDS cures. He was acquitted after presenting 77 patient affi-

davits. However, a 1993 civil suit resulted in a consent decree that fined him $900 and banned him from making specific therapeutic claims.

History began to repeat itself in the detention cells. Alfredo Bowman died on August 6th, 2016, while in Honduran custody on money laundering charges. His death from pneumonia at age 82 fueled theories of assassination due to his stance against the pharmaceutical industry. Now, his son faces a similar confinement. For 17 days, Victor remained in what supporters described as kidnapping-like captivity. This was followed by an additional 14 days in the detention facility.

The detention sparked an immediate outcry among African and Caribbean diaspora groups. These communities revere the elder Dr. Sebi for his naturalistic approach to health. They see the detention of his son as a continuation of perceived targeting against holistic healers and an example of immigration overreach. Activists are monitoring the ICE Online Detainee Locator and contacted the McAllen facility directly to inquire about his welfare. They called for legal and media support to prevent Victor from meeting his father’s fate in jail.

The evidence of mistreatment was documented in social media updates and community recordings shared across platforms like Instagram and YouTube.

Despite the gravity of the allegations, official ICE records and recent news lacked public confirmation of the ongoing abuses. Even posthumous probate battles,

Photo Credit: Victor Bowman - Facebook

such as Bowman v. Dr. Sebi’s Office in 2022, showed that the family’s struggles with legal systems were far from over.

The state maintained its silence while the individual suffered.

Eventually, the pressure of public awareness shifted the situation. After a total of 31 days of detention, Victor Bowman was freed. He was deported back to Honduras. No confirmed updates place him in custody as of December 28th, 2025. The cycle ended

with his removal from the country. The institutional power that detained him remained intact, while the family’s legacy continued to face systemic friction Institutional power is like a heavy stone in a shallow stream; it does not need to move to change the water’s course, it simply exists until those in its path are washed away or diverted.

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Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 5

Entering a New Year, and a Milestone... as a Community As the calendar turns and we step into a new year, I always find myself reflecting not only on what lies ahead, but on the journey that brought us here. The space between the holidays and January has a way of slowing things down just enough to think clearly, to feel deeply, and to appreciate the community that continues to carry us forward.

For the Caribbean community across the Greater Toronto Area, this past year — like many before it — has been filled with both challenge and resilience.

Rising costs, uncertainty, and change have touched many households. Yet, through it all, our community has continued to do what it has always done best: support one another, uplift one another, and move forward together.

That spirit is exactly what Toronto Caribbean Newspaper was built on.

As we move into 2026, we also mark a major milestone — 15 years of Toronto Caribbean Newspaper. Fifteen years of telling stories that matter. Fifteen years of amplifying Caribbean voices in the GTA. Fifteen years of creating space for conversations that don’t always find a home in mainstream media.

From the beginning, this paper was never intended to simply repeat official narratives or echo those in positions of power. It was created to reflect the people it serves. To ask questions. To highlight stories that deserve attention. To be accountable to community first.

Because the role of the media was never meant to be to speak for government — it was meant to speak for the people, and to keep a watchful eye on power.

And when journalism stops asking hard questions, stops challenging decisions, and stops holding leadership accountable, it stops serving its true purpose.

That responsibility matters now more than ever.

As we enter a new year, I think it’s important to recognize that community media doesn’t survive on words alone. It survives because readers choose to engage. Because advertisers choose to invest locally. Because community members understand that supporting Caribbean-

owned and Caribbean-focused platforms helps protect our voices, our perspectives, and our representation.

Every time you pick up this paper, share an article, or support one of the businesses advertising within these pages, you are helping sustain something bigger than any one issue. You are helping ensure that Caribbean stories in the GTA continue to be told — honestly, independently, and with care.

The new year often arrives with pressure — pressure to change, to resolve, to reinvent. But not everyone steps into January with excitement. Some do so quietly, still carrying the weight of the year behind them. That reality deserves space too.

What I’ve learned over these past 15 years is that progress doesn’t always come from dramatic shifts. Often, it comes from consistency. From showing up week after week. From continuing to ask questions. From remaining rooted in the community, even when it would be easier not to.

Our Caribbean community has always been built on strong foundations — family, culture, faith, resilience, and shared responsibility. Those values are what have carried this paper forward, and they will continue to guide us into the years ahead.

To our readers, thank you for trusting Toronto Caribbean Newspaper and welcoming it into your homes. To our advertisers, thank you for believing in community-based media and investing in platforms that serve our people directly.

And to everyone who makes a conscious effort to support Caribbean businesses — your choices strengthen the entire community.

As we step into this new year, and into our 15th anniversary, my hope is simple: that we continue to stand together, speak truthfully, and support one another with intention.

Here’s to the year ahead — grounded in who we are, proud of where we come from, and committed to protecting Caribbean voices across the GTA. Happy New Year.

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

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The statements, opinions and viewpoints made or expressed by the writers do not necessarily represent the opinions and views of the Toronto Caribbean, or the publishers. Toronto Caribbean News Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for claims, statements, opinions or views, written or reported by its contributing writers, including product or service information that is advertised.

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PAGE 6

NEWS & VIEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 31, 2025

The truth about sending humanitarian relief to Jamaica SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

In the parish of Westmoreland, a family waits for the arrival of basic necessities, unaware that their relief is caught in a web of shipping manifests and customs codes.

The “Shirt off My Back” campaign was born from a desire to bridge the gap between Canadian abundance and Jamaican need, but the path is littered with administrative landmines. What begins as a gesture of kindness often ends in a shipping yard, where uncoordinated private shipments are flagged as commercial cargo, or rejected outright.

The illusion of a simple donation vanishes at the shoreline. Humanitarian aid is a rigorous exercise in state-managed logistics. To avoid the creeping dread of

unexpected taxes and rejected goods, every item must funnel through the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM). Without this coordination, the risk of duplication and politicization rises, and the very people meant to be helped are left watching their supplies sit in a warehouse.

Evidence shows that the bureaucratic machine demands precision. Individuals must secure a Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN) and a special disaster relief declaration form (C204 variant) for even small shipments to clear customs on the same day. The Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) maintains a sharp eye for expired food and medications, which are strictly banned. For those acting as organizations, the stakes are higher. Failure to register under Jamaica’s Charities Act means forfeiting duty and tax exemptions, leaving donors to face full costs once disaster waiver deadlines, like the December 31st cutoff for Hurricane Melissa, have passed.

The process requires a paper trail that would exhaust the uninitiated. A detailed packing list must specify values and expiry dates, accompanied by a donation

letter on official letterhead. This letter must explicitly state the shipment’s humanitarian purpose and non-commercial intent.

Proving coordination is the final hurdle; a pre-approval letter from ODPEM is the only way to confirm that the goods align with verified needs on the ground.

The “heavy lifting” of this initiative revealed a grim reality: benevolence is a profession, not a hobby. It involves coordinating volunteers, sorting inventory, and managing delivery schedules across borders. On January 2nd, 2026, the final shipment of the Shirt off My Back Campaign will finally depart for Jamaica. This includes eight barrels heading to ODPEM. This milestone was reached only through the grit of a dedicated network.

Roger Mooking and the team at Rocklands Market, Twist by Roger Mooking, and HMS Host Toronto Pearson International provided the foundational support needed to move goods. Air Canada and ambassador Donovan Bailey lent their reach to the cause, while the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper and Brothers Who Care ensured the message reached the community.

The warehouse work (the physical

labour of sorting and organizing) fell to individuals like Joylyn Smith, who managed the constant flow of calls and volunteers to meet deadlines. Financial stability was provided by Mr. Guy Steer and Tyrone Steer from Steer to Home, who offered both funds and the physical space required to house the initiative. Even the youngest citizens stepped up; the students and faculty from The Mabin School demonstrated that a voice for the unknown is a powerful tool for change.

For those in Canada looking to follow this path, the warning is clear. Do not send “unsolicited” goods. Instead, leverage diaspora networks, or official diplomatic missions like the Jamaican Consulate in Toronto or the High Commission in Ottawa.

Use platforms like supportjamaica.gov.jm to pledge cash or in-kind donations, ensuring that ODPEM can verify and coordinate the follow-up.

Navigating the logistics of international aid is like trying to sail a ship through a narrow strait during a storm; without the right charts and a disciplined crew, you will likely run aground on the rocks of bureaucracy before you ever reach the shore.

Public alarm over TDSB leadership; what is happening in our school systems?

PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

There has been widespread concern and strong public reaction following the provincial government’s dismissal of Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Director of Education Clayton La Touche, only six months into his tenure. Education unions and multiple stakeholders have expressed alarm, characterizing the move as an intervention in the democratic governance of public education.

One visible response is a petition launched by KA on Change.org titled “Reverse the Unjust Dismissal of TDSB Direc-

tor of Education Clayton La Touche.” The petition outlines what it describes as key facts and contextual information intended to support the claim that the dismissal was unfair and unwarranted.

The petition opens with a forceful statement, “The abrupt and unfair dismissal of TDSB Director of Education Clayton La Touche by the Ontario government is a significant infringement on democratic rights and an evident abuse of power.”

It further argues that the decision has destabilized Ontario’s education system and raised broader concerns about the integrity of democratic processes governing educational institutions.

Numerous individuals have posted personal messages in response. Charlotte of Aurora wrote, “Another political hot potato for Education Minister Casandra and the Ford government. Who are these supervisors such as Gupta, former advisor to Metrolinx, including projects such as the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, and also involved with mergers and acquisition? Do

they have any experience, or qualifications whatsoever in education?”

The petition concludes with a call to action, stating, “Reversing this decision is not only imperative for restoring stability within the TDSB, but also crucial for setting a precedent that democratic principles and justice are upheld in our society.”

It urges community members, educators, parents, and students to demand transparency, accountability, and reinstatement of the director.

Additional commenters echoed similar concerns. Joan of Brampton wrote, “The recent dismissal of Clayton La Touche highlights how justice appears to be just a word when we consider the treatment of certain individuals within the TDSB, the province, and Canada as a whole.”

Lucy, also from Brampton, emphasized process issues, “A transparent process is needed. Over the past five years, at least four directors have been terminated. Now we are bringing in managers, not educators, to lead school boards.”

Others focused on La Touche’s character. Saundra wrote, “I have known this man personally for over 40 years. His integrity, loyalty, and love for people, community, children, and family is superior.”

Gloria stated, “I am very disturbed by the unjust dismissal of a qualified, intelligent TDSB educator.”

Some comments raised broader social concerns. Eitel wrote, “Why is it that every time a Black man steps up, he is brought down?”

Robert questioned the timing and fairness of the decision, “How can it be fair, or just, to terminate this man after a few months? This is egregious in its injustice.”

Another commenter warned, “This thinly veiled attack on public education and the deliberate destabilization of school boards will only serve to hurt students.”

Those interested in reviewing or signing the petition can find it on Change. org.

A citizen’s warning about technological power STEVEN KASZAB steven@carib101.com

TC COLUMNIST

A coup of sorts may be unfolding right before our eyes, not with tanks or ballots, but through convenience. Technology is steadily reshaping humanity while presenting itself as our helper: the assistant in our homes, the babysitter for our children, the manager of our money.

Speech recognition has advanced dramatically. Today’s systems can process dozens (and in some cases hundreds) of languages, adapting to accents and correcting errors mid-sentence. Meta has publicly acknowledged training voice models on religious texts to expand linguistic reach across

more than a thousand languages.

Large language models have also transformed voice assistants. They are no longer experimental tools struggling through scripted commands; they can now hold conversations that feel fluid, responsive, and increasingly human. Even consumer technologies like Alexa have evolved to sound less mechanical and more conversational.

This progress is impressive. It is also consequential.

Your phone, watch, earbuds, car, television, and household appliances now contain microphones. These listening capabilities make technology useful: hands-free navigation, accessibility tools, emergency response, but they also normalize constant data capture.

The issue is not that devices can listen. It is that they do so quietly, continuously, and at scale.

Technology is advancing at a pace that would have been unimaginable a few decades ago. The smartphone has become essential: a mental-health aid, locator, trans-

lator, GPS, financial tool, photo archive, memory bank, and social companion.

At what point does essential become inseparable?

In some mental-health contexts, apps and devices are now used to track moods, behaviours, and needs offering automated responses that simulate friendship, or professional care. These tools can be helpful and cost-effective, particularly where access is limited.

They also raise an uncomfortable question: when human care is replaced with scalable technology, what is lost in the process?

A phone is always available. A human professional is not. That reality is shaping decisions, not always in ways that prioritize dignity, nuance, or accountability.

Even if you dismiss science-fiction scenarios like Skynet, religious traditions have long warned about systems of control that precede social collapse. The Book of Revelation describes a moment when participation in economic life requires compliance, a mark that determines who may buy

or sell.

This passage is not evidence of modern technology, but for many readers, it functions as a moral metaphor: a warning about centralized power, enforced conformity, and the erosion of personal agency.

The parallel is caution echoed.

Imagine a world where cash disappears entirely. You no longer present a card, or money; your identity alone authorizes transactions. Personal, corporate, and government data flow instantly between institutions.

In many respects, this world already exists.

Your identity is tracked, verified, shared, and often monetized by both public and private entities. Artificial intelligence expands while personal and financial privacy quietly contracts.

In the wrong hands (or under the wrong political conditions) such systems could be abused. Accounts could be frozen.

Services restricted. Access delayed or denied.

These are risks inherent in centralized, automated systems.

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

NEWS & VIEWS

PAGE 7

How Jamaica heals beyond the shimmering tourist numbers SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The air in Jamaica carries a specific weight this December, a mixture of salt spray and the rhythmic thrum of reconstruction. To the casual observer, the narrative is one of triumph, written in the ink of high-performance statistics. We are told that within the first seven days of the winter season, over 70,000 visitors stepped onto the tarmac, or descended the gangplanks of cruise ships. These are the numbers that “manufacture” our sense of stability. We see the USD 331.2 million earned since Hurricane Melissa and we feel a sense of relief, but I have learned that statistics are often a veil, a linguistic tool used by those in power to simplify the complex, messy reality of human survival into a digestible success story.

When we speak of “recovery,” we often focus on the external; the 46,000 stopover visitors filling hotel rooms and the 30,000 cruise passen-

gers wandering the markets. We celebrate being ranked the #13 Best Honeymoon Destination and the #24 Best Cultural Destinations in the world.

These accolades are the skin of the industry, polished and bright, but if we look deeper, we see that an island is not a product; it is a living organism.

The psychology of a “strong start” to a season is found in the collective nervous system of a people who have just weathered a storm.

There is an inherent power imbalance when we discuss tourism.

There is the “destination” (a curated, static image) and then there are the people who breathe life into it. It is a delicate dance to maintain one’s position while respecting the institutional power that earmarks $2 billion for worker relief. The Minister notes that the strategy extends beyond statistics, focusing on the “men and women who power our tourism industry.”

This is where the emotional work of journalism begins: in the space between the official press release and the quiet reality of a worker in Montego Bay. The “confidence” cited by the Director of Tourism is a psychological state of being. It is the belief that the “self” and the “environment” are not separate. When a tourist arrives,

they are stepping into a recovery process. This is the subtle truth we often overlook: the visitor’s leisure and the worker’s labour are two sides of the same coin, inseparable and mutually dependent.

We are led to believe that the success of the winter season is for the benefit of the traveller, a chance for them to escape the cold and enjoy the “World’s Leading Family Destination”. We assume the $331 million is the end goal. However, the true turn in this story lies in the departures, the departure from old ways of ignoring the backbone of the industry.

The real victory isn’t the 70,000 arrivals in seven days. It is the Tourism Housing Assistance Recovery Programme (THARP), which quietly aims to mend the homes of 5,000 workers damaged during that dark day on October 28th, 2025. The “strong start” to the season is actually a silent engine for domestic healing.

The tourists think they are coming here to be served, but in a beautiful, unrecognized twist, their presence is providing the psychological and physical bricks for a waiter to finally fix his own roof. Recovery is the quiet work of mending spirits.

Traditional eyeliner poses hidden lead risks SYDNEE WALCOTT sydnee@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

For centuries, people have used makeup to enhance appearance, build confidence, and express creativity. While cosmetics can offer personal and cultural benefits, testing over time has shown that some products contain hazardous ingredients that are not safe for routine use. Recent testing suggests that certain eyeliners should be added to the list of products consumers may wish to avoid.

Pure Earth, an international environmental health nonprofit, recently conducted a small pilot study examining Kohl, Kajal, and Surma eyeliners. The organization tested 56 eyeliners from 39 different brands, without publicly identifying the manufacturers. Samples were sent to an independent laboratory for analysis.

The results were concerning.

More than half of the 56 samples contained elevated levels of lead. Several products tested at more than 10% lead by weight, and one sample contained 38 percent lead. Previous research has also documented cases of lead poisoning associated with exposure to these types of eyeliners.

In the United States, cosmetic companies are advised by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) not to use more than 10 parts per million (ppm) of lead in cosmetic products. According to Pure Earth’s findings, more than half of the tested eyeliners exceeded this advisory threshold.

The study also examined product labeling. Of the 17 eyeliners marketed as “lead-free,” lead was detected in two. Among the remaining products (including some marketed for infants) lead levels ranged from 7.4 ppm to 380,000 ppm.

Lead exposure, even at low levels, is widely recognized as unsafe. It can affect the bloodstream and is associated with fertility challenges in both women and men, abdominal pain, irritability, and hyperactivity. In children, lead exposure can impair growth and neurological development.

These products (often referred to as traditional eyeliners) have been used for thousands of years by people of many genders and ages, particularly within South Asian, Middle Eastern, and African communities. Historically, their use has extended beyond cosmetics to include cultural, religious, and perceived health practices.

Although certain traditional eyeliner materials and colour additives are restricted or banned in countries such as Canada and the United States, these products remain accessible through online marketplaces and small retailers. They are frequently ad-

vertised as “lead-free,” despite laboratory testing showing detectable lead in many samples.

While avoiding traditional eyeliners that contain lead may appear to be a straightforward solution, it is not simple for individuals and families for whom these products hold deep cultural, religious, and generational significance.

However, alternatives do exist.

Culturally informed education about product safety, ingredients, and labeling can play a meaningful role in reducing risk without dismissing tradition.

A 2025 study published in PLOS Global Public Health found similarly elevated lead levels in traditional eyeliners purchased in Washington State’s King County and in products collected from users’ homes. Importantly, researchers also interviewed community members and found that 90 percent of traditional eyeliner users were willing to switch to safer, comparable products when informed of the risks.

Consumers can also take steps to reduce potential exposure. These include thorough handwashing after application, understanding eyeliner terminology, prioritizing ingredient transparency, avoiding reliance on “lead-free” claims alone, exercising caution with powder-based eyeliners, and, where appropriate, creating safer alternatives using verified recipes.

PAGE 8

NEWS & VIEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 31, 2025

2025 in Review; Digital ID Exposed for What it Is SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Rueben stands under the flickering fluorescent lights of a convenience store on Eglinton West, Toronto. He is trying to send a remittance to his mother in Kingston, a ritual of survival he has performed for twenty years. Today, the screen on his phone demands a facial scan he didn’t sign up for. The app, part of a new interoperable framework, tells him his identity cannot be verified. He tries again; the camera lens stares back, cold and indifferent. Rueben is now a ghost in the machine, his hardearned money frozen by an algorithm he cannot argue with…

Across the ocean, in a humid office in Port of Spain, a young Indo-Trinidadian woman named Priya is told her new passport application requires a biometric link to a national digital ID, a system backed

by World Bank initiatives. She is told this is for efficiency and “inclusion. She is not told that her data will be stored in databases accessible to a consortium of global banks and tech oligarchs. She feels a tightening in her chest, a sense that her private life is no longer her own, but a commodity to be traded…

As 2025 draws to a close, these stories are not isolated incidents; they are the opening movements of a global symphony of manufactured consent.

The rollout of digital ID systems in

2025 has been masked by a glossy marketing campaign. Governments and corporations have spent millions to frame these systems as tools for security and financial inclusion. In the European Union, the eIDAS 2.0 framework promises a secure way to store credentials, while China has launched a National Online Identity Authentication Public Service integrated with state databases. The narrative sold to the public is one of empowerment: digital ID will unlock access to healthcare, education, and finance.

However, the reality is a reversal of democratic norms. These systems shift the burden of proof onto the individual, requiring citizens to constantly verify their status and identity to participate in basic society. This is a form of coercion that forces submission to ever-increasing levels of surveillance. For the Afro/Indo Caribbean diaspora, this inclusion often means being funneled into a system that tracks their movements, their work permits, and their family support networks across borders.

The infrastructure of this new era is built on a Mission Creep that began over a decade ago. Consider India’s Aadhaar system. Launched in 2010 for simple welfare subsidies, it ballooned by 2016 into a mandatory requirement for banking, taxes, and mobile services. By 2025, it was processing billions of authentications, moving from aid delivery to debt recovery and state surveillance. What starts as a voluntary convenience quickly becomes a mandatory gatekeeper for survival.

In the United Arab Emirates, the digital ID was repurposed during the COVID-19 pandemic to enforce lockdowns through geolocation and contact data. It was a clear transition from identity verification to real-time behavioral control.

This same pattern is now creeping into

the West. Canada has standardized its approach via the CAN/DGSI 103-0:2025 code, aiming for interoperable credentials across provinces. By 2026, Canadians will face national standards for digital wallets, and by 2027, biometric requirements for citizenship grants will be collected at Service Canada.

The driving force behind this rollout is a merger of state power and corporate profit, surveillance capitalism in its purest form. In Canada, a $150 million national digital ID system is backed by a consortium of the nation’s largest banks: RBC, BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC, and TD. These financial giants, under the Digital ID & Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC), are partnering with tech firms to integrate fingerprinting and automated identity services into federal workflows.

This is a global network of control. Mastercard has inked deals with the Ukrainian government; Microsoft Entra is streamlining verifications across North America; and companies like Socure and Trinsic are centralizing data in corporate hands. For marginalized communities, this means their most intimate biometric data is now a monopoly held by the very institutions that have historically excluded them.

When data is centralized, a single breach or a “biometric mismatch” can result in total social exclusion.

As these systems become mandatory for accessing employment, healthcare, and social protection, a two-tier society is emerging. The wealthy, with passive income and private resources, may find ways to opt out or navigate the system with ease, but for the working poor and recent immigrants (particularly Afro/Indo Caribbeans) the digital ID is a digital cage.

In the Caribbean, nations like Jamaica and Trinidad are under intense pres-

sure from the World Bank to align with these global models. They are told this will help manage remittances and immigration. In reality, it turns the identity of the diaspora into an oligarchic lever of exclusion. If an immigrant’s digital ID is flagged, their ability to send money home, or renew a visa can be frozen instantly, without recourse or human intervention.

The year 2025 has seen Brazil connect all 27 states to a blockchain-based ID, and Nigeria upgrade its NIN platform to register 59 million more people by 2026.

These are the construction of a global panopticon.

The creeping dread is no longer a shadow on the wall; it is the device in your pocket. The end-of-year reports for 2025 show a world where privacy is evaporating in favour of state-corporate trust frameworks. The erosion of truth and humanity is nearly complete when a person’s right to exist in the economy is contingent on a biometric scan that feeds into a central database.

For Rueben on Eglinton West, the convenience of the app has become a wall.

For Priya in Port of Spain, the inclusion of the passport is a leash. The propaganda tells us we are being brought into the future, but the evidence shows we are being locked into a system where our movements, our finances, and our identities are no longer ours to own.

As we move into 2026, the mandate is clear for those who still value freedom: demand audits, demand the right to opt out, and reject the Orwellian blueprint before the digital cage is permanently locked. The stakes are not just about data, hell! We wish that is all it was. Nah. This is about who owns your life

Global markets brace for an AI-Led shift STEVEN KASZAB steven@carib101.com

TC COLUMNIST

The coming year is expected to mark a period of moderating global GDP growth, settling near 3%. Despite this deceleration, equities may continue to post strong gains, with forecasts pointing to double-digit growth for the S&P 500, while gold prices could approach $4,500 per ounce amid continued macroeconomic uncertainty.

Bitcoin technology, meanwhile, is likely to move more quietly into the mainstream, driven less by speculation and more by gradual governmental acceptance and regulatory integration. At the same time, clean power agreements are poised to accelerate, expanding in both adoption and practical application across markets.

Geopolitically, China is expected to become increasingly dependent on exports to sustain growth, while India is emerging as a standout global growth engine, supported by demographics, industrial expansion, and technological investment.

Investment attention is rapidly shifting toward agentic artificial intelligence, which is becoming a major magnet for large-scale capital. AI-powered cybersecurity is gaining traction as digital threats

grow more sophisticated, while data center buildouts are solidifying into a defining macroeconomic theme.

Across sectors, AI-driven applications are transforming marketing and personalization, reshaping how businesses engage consumers. Financial markets themselves are evolving AI-enabled trading systems are accelerating capital movement, increasing both the speed and volatility with which corporate fortunes rise and fall.

The expanding acceptance of artificial intelligence across private and governmental sectors is placing the global system in uncharted territory. Equities, communications infrastructure, and decision-making processes are increasingly influenced by algorithmic systems.

As AI capabilities expand, the hu-

man touch risks being diminished, particularly in areas such as: warfare, security, intelligence, finance, and public administration.

In many cases, technology now undercuts human labour on cost, prompting deeper reliance on automated systems and, potentially, further corporate and government layoffs.

The concern is not a dystopian “Skynet” scenario, but something more subtle and arguably more consequential: a gradual erosion of human oversight. Systems designed to serve humanity may begin to operate according to a narrower logic (efficiency, optimization, profitability) raising a fundamental question about control, accountability, and values in an increasingly automated world.

NEWS & VIEWS

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

Corporate greed silences the sound of cultural history, goodbye MTV SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

In 1981, Rick James campaigned for a seat at a table that did not want him. He presented “Super Freak” to a new televised frontier called MTV, only to be met with a cold rejection. Executives maintained that their young, white, male audience preferred rock music, effectively sanitizing the airwaves of African American artistry. This was the first brick in a wall of systemic exclusion that would take years of internal and external pressure to dismantle.

The wall began to crumble in 1983 through a high-stakes ultimatum.

CBS Records threatened to withdraw its entire roster unless MTV placed Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” into heavy rotation. The success of that video forced a pivot, yet the underlying motivation

remained purely transactional. As the channel expanded, it weaponized visual storytelling to dictate global fashion and pop culture, turning the music video from a promotional afterthought into a cinematic marketing powerhouse.

By 1988, the Bronx-born sounds of hip-hop were still dismissed by rockradio veterans as a “fad”. Despite this skepticism, the commercial potential of the genre became undeniable. The launch of Yo! MTV Raps shattered ratings records, proving that the audience’s appetite was far broader than the narrow vision of the boardroom.

For a brief window, the broadcast medium acted as a unifying cultural force, exposing suburban audiences to the realities of urban life and propelling artists like Public Enemy and N.W.A. into the mainstream.

However, the architecture of power is rarely static. By the early 1990s, the focus shifted from the art of the music video to the low-cost, high-yield allure of reality television. Programming like The Real World began to cannibalize the music blocks that built the network’s foundation. The brand began to dilute, drifting from a pioneer of sound

to a purveyor of generic entertainment.

The final phase of this erasure is now unfolding in the ledger books of global conglomerates. Following a merger with Skydance Media in 2025, Paramount Global has identified a need for $500 million in global savings. To satisfy this financial target, the corporation has marked five legacy channels for execution: MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live. By December 31st, 2025, the 44-year era of music television will reach a silent conclusion.

The disappearance of these channels is a calculated abandonment of cultural infrastructure in favour of algorithmic efficiency. As music discovery shifts entirely to platforms like TikTok and Spotify, the shared cultural moments that once defined generations are being replaced by fragmented, ondemand consumption. The gatekeepers are retreating behind code. For the independent artist and the marginalized voice, the end of these broadcast pillars means one less platform for unified visibility, leaving the future of musical discovery to the cold, profit-driven logic of the machine

Digital ID, power, and public consent MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Long before the world we are living in today, the Apostle John warned of a system that would control access to daily life: work, commerce, and survival itself.

In Revelation, he describes a structure of power so pervasive that participation in society becomes conditional, “So that they could not buy, or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.”

This passage has been interpreted for centuries in different ways: spiritual, symbolic, political. I am not offering it here as prophecy fulfilled, but as a framework that many people instinctively recognize when power, identity, and compliance begin to converge.

Yes, I know what some readers may be thinking, “Here we go, religion.” This is not about religion. It is about receipts.

The UK Precedent The British government has announced that Digital ID will soon be mandatory for the right to work. This is not speculative; it is policy direction. Sir Keir Rodney Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, stated plainly, “Today I am announcing that this government will make a new free-of-charge Digital ID mandatory for the right to work by the end of this parliament. Let me spell that out. You will not be able to work in the

United Kingdom if you do not have a Digital ID. It is as simple as that.”

This marks a significant shift: employment access tied directly to a centralized digital identity system.

Why this matters for Canada When asked what this has to do with Canada, the answer is simple: trajectory.

According to The Global Digital Identity Index, Canada ranks in the Very High category for digital identity readiness, with a score of 81.5 out of 100. The report cites Canada’s advanced digitized identity records, online authentication systems, and integration across public and private services.

Efficiency is the headline. Control is the footnote. The unanswered question is not whether digital identity systems work, but who governs the governors of that data.

What civil liberties experts are warning The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has raised substantive concerns about Digital ID systems and their implications for privacy, autonomy, and dignity. Their analysis emphasizes that digital identity technologies enable the collection, tracking, and profiling of citizens’ personal data, often without meaningful consent or transparency.

Privacy, the report notes, is not cosmetic; it is foundational to security, freedom of expression, and human dignity.

When privacy erodes, so does autonomy. The report also highlights scale: approximately 2.3 billion digital ID applications are currently in use worldwide, with projections rising to 4.1 billion by 2027. Despite this expansion, the public is repeatedly assured that digital IDs pose no greater risk than traditional

identification documents. Risks, when acknowledged, are framed as manageable by the state.

The transparency gap Governments promote the benefits relentlessly: enhanced security, economic efficiency, intergovernmental coordination, and seamless service delivery.

What is far less visible are the structural downsides.

According to the Justice Centre, some governments already use digital identity systems to restrict access to information, track behavior, and construct detailed personal profiles. These systems may impact freedom of expression, mobility, equality, and privacy, especially when developed through partnerships with entities outside Canada’s accountability frameworks.

When individuals do not know when their data is collected, where it is stored, or how it is used, informed consent becomes impossible. Combined with insufficient privacy laws and institutional indifference, the power imbalance grows.

The question Canadians must ask This is about resisting unquestioned compulsion. When access to work, movement, or participation in society becomes conditional on compliance with opaque systems, citizens have a responsibility to pause, not panic, but interrogate.

• • •

Who benefits most from this control?

Who bears the risk when safeguards fail?

Who decides when participation becomes permission-based?

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NEWS & VIEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 31, 2025

The Massive Cashless Push Is On; Are Canadians Told the Whole Truth?

MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Recently, the European Union officially passed legislation that reshapes financial freedom as we know it. Here is what some of these laws will entail.

As of March 2028, cash purchases over €10,000 would become illegal. By 2027: • All European exchanges will require full KYC. • No more self-hosted or anonymous crypto wallets.

• Any crypto transaction over €1,000 must be state-approved.

• Every transaction tracked, traced, and monitored.

By 2029, the Digital Euro (CBDC) is rolled out, with complete surveillance infrastructure already prepared. This is now written into European law.

Sweden is now closest to the cashless ideal. Cash is used in less than 15 percent of transactions in that country. The value of cash in circulation has declined significantly in the 21st century, now accounting for approxi-

mately 1 percent of GDP. Swedish retailers and restaurants are permitted to refuse cash payments simply by posting a sign, and more than half of all Swedish bank branches no longer handle cash.

The transition away from cash to programmable money has already begun, and while most people are distracted by other happenings of the day, the majority remain unaware of what this means for their privacy, autonomy, and financial control.

Supporters of a cashless society argue that digital transactions are more convenient for both customers and businesses, and that going cashless would reduce many criminal activities. They believe the trend toward a cashless economy is unstoppable, given the increasing digitization of economies and consumers’ growing preference for conducting daily business on mobile devices.

However, this trend has also been pushed by banks that have intentionally made cash transactions less convenient for customers—by closing branches and removing ATMs—to encourage the use of digital services that are more profitable.

What is most troubling is the potential for serious breaches of privacy, because purchases and sales made with digital currency are not anonymous. Technological glitches could block access to funds, while systemic failures caused by natural disasters or largescale hacking could make all purchases and payments impossible.

During an economic crisis threatening the solvency of major banks, depositors would be unable to rescue their money by withdrawing it in cash. Depositors would also

be unable to prevent troubled banks from taking a portion of their deposits in “bail-in” scenarios, under which the institution’s shareholders and creditors—including depositors—are held responsible.

Presently in the U.S., up to $250,000 of each deposit is protected from such seizures. This would not happen with programmable currency.

Most importantly, ordinary depositors would not be able to protect themselves from negative interest rates, which central banks in some countries (such as Japan) have implemented to combat recession or deflation.

Canada is a leader in the cashless race, as revealed since 2024. Only 10 percent of transactions in Canada today are done using cash, according to Carlos Castiblanco, an economist with the group Option Consommateurs. “There is a need to protect cash right now before more merchants start refusing it,” Castiblanco said recently on a radio show.

It is critical to act now, he added, before retailers begin removing all the infrastructure required to store and maintain physical money. “They are already used to dealing with cash,” he said. “So this is the moment to act, before it becomes more complicated.”

Canadians have always had a lovehate relationship with cash. Here are some findings from a report by Payments Canada: • 31 percent of Canadians use cash for dayto-day purchases.

• 49 percent believe Canadian stores will be completely cashless within the next 10 years.

• 52 percent feel concerned about the pros-

• • •

• •

pect of cashless stores.

26 percent of Canadians feel the need to wash their hands after handling cash.

Canadians are divided on embracing digital currency: 36 percent find a digital dollar appealing, while 30 percent do not.

Key motivators for using cash include speed (38 percent), wide acceptance (38 percent), and the ability to use one’s own funds rather than borrow (25 percent).

15 percent of Canadians use cash to make “under-the-table” payments.

One in 10 Canadians feels more “spend guilt” when using cash.

Payments Canada also reported that while cash use has significantly declined over the last six years (2017–2022), there has been a 59 percent decrease in the volume of cash payments and a 41 percent decrease in the value of cash purchases.

Of the 87 percent of Canadians who still use cash, nearly one in three (31 percent) use it for day-to-day purchases, such as making small purchases, paying expenses, or paying friends or family members.

Nearly one in four (37 percent) use cash not only for day-to-day payments but also to hold onto it for emergencies. Older Canadians (55 years or older) are significantly more likely than other age groups to use cash in this multi-purpose way.

A further 32 percent of Canadians report mainly holding onto cash for emergencies but have stopped using it for day-to-day payments. New research suggests Canadians have no intention of ditching their physical wallets just yet.

Healing our Black communities through rhythm and wisdom SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

There is a specific kind of silence that happens just before the beat drops; a heavy, expectant pause where the air feels thick with everything, we haven’t said yet. In our communities, that silence often surrounds the plant. It is a silence built from decades of “social and legal context” that didn’t always have our best interests at heart. When we talk about cannabis, we are talking about a lens through which we have been watched, judged, and sometimes, misunderstood.

I sat down recently to process the weight of a new initiative, “High Notes, Clear Minds.” It’s a project born from a partnership between the Institute for Sustainable Health and Social Impact (ISHSI), Hip Hop Healing (HHH) Global, and Kopius Records. As I looked over the editorial direction, I felt that familiar tug, the responsibility of community journalism. It’s the emotional labour of ensuring that when we speak of “harm reduction” and “responsible consumption,” we are speaking to the soul of the person listening.

The project has just received funding from the Ontario Cannabis Store’s (OCS) 2025 Social Impact Fund. There is a delicate dance in acknowledging this power. They recognize the resources provided by the OCS, a central pillar in the province’s landscape, yet we maintain our position as the experts of our own lived experiences. It is a collaborative effort to bridge “knowledge gaps” and “generate shared social value” without losing the heartbeat of the streets in the process.

As Jermaine Henry, the lead for the

Community Mental Health Network (CMHN) project, shared with me, there is a “Complex relationship with cannabis use and marginalized communities.” This isn’t something you fix with a brochure. You heal it with a vibration.

Over the next twelve months, this initiative will travel to eight cities: from the high-rises of Toronto to the quiet corners of Sudbury and the vibrant pulses of Peel and Durham. We are reaching out to those often left in the shadows of the mainstream narrative: our Black youth, our Afro-Indigenous kin, the Rastafari faithful, and the seasonal workers who keep the wheels turning.

The philosophy here is simple but deep: we are not separate from the environment we navigate. If the system has historically used the plant as a tool for exclusion, we use the rhythm as a tool for reclamation.

By grounding the program in Canada’s LowerRisk Cannabis Use Guidelines, they provide “evidence-informed education,” but they wrap it in the power of music and cultural expression. It’s about meeting our communities

where they are.

I think about the 300 participants they expect to reach. I think about the psychological safety required to sit in a workshop and talk about safer consumption methods when, for so long, any mention of the plant felt like a risk. This is the “emotional work” the team does behind the scenes; debating every word in their digital resources and virtual Q&A sessions to ensure they feel like a conversation with a trusted cousin rather than a lecture from an institution.

They are building a portrait of health that is: clear, powerful, and real. It’s a groundbreaking project that looks at the social and legal context as a map we are redrawing together. This is the start of long-term partnerships and sustainable health practices that will outlast any single document. They are finding the high notes, keeping minds clear, and finally, letting the beat drop on a future where we are truly seen.

Canada tightens borders to prioritize economic strengthening and infrastructure recovery

BY ADRIAN REECE TC REPORTER Canada’s immigration rate has been a controversial topic for the last few years. Exploding under the last Prime Ministers’ rule in Canadian politics, we have seen our country change visibly in economics and housing.

Foreigners have made it difficult for citizens to continue to operate the way we are accustomed to in the country.

Lately Canada has slowed the rate at which newcomers can come into the country through school visas and work permits.

According to Canada’s immigrations states, we have let in 155,000 students on visas this is 49% less than last year and new temporary workers are down 37% from last year at 230,000. While these numbers are large, we are reducing the number of foreigners who are entering the country all at once. This allows Canada to improve its infrastructure and

create more jobs and more housing for the increase in population.

Canadians themselves are feeling overwhelmed even with the decrease in number of foreigners entering the country. Many believe immigration should be completely halted until the economy recovers to a place where Canadians aren’t living paycheck to paycheck anymore. This is great news for Canadians, and they are hoping immigration takes a back seat to economic strengthening for the next few years.

Canada has also started cracking down on illegal immigration, deporting immigrants back to their home countries after discovering falsified documents, fake school acceptances and work permits. So far over 18,000 people have been sent back to their home countries, and Canadian citizens are hoping to see these numbers increase as they feel that the immigration has drastically affected the country’s standard of living.

New laws have been implemented as well that will dissuade immigration, one of those is a new law surrounding drivers licenses and foreigners. Now anyone who comes into the country must wait a minimum number of months before being eligible for a class A license. They will also need to accumulate a minimum of 12 months driving experience in order to qualify for a commercial license. This will make it more difficult for foreigners to come over and jump right into a higher class of license without going through the proper channels and gaining the right amount of driving experience as required by Canadian standards. They must now also provide proof of legal presence in Canada in order to apply and obtain a commercial license. Visitors will no longer be able to obtain a commercial license, this includes tourists, or anyone who is not a permanent resident or citizen.

Moving forward Canada will cap the number of immigrants coming in to Canada to

380,000 between 2026-2028. A slowdown in immigration will greatly help the cost of living, the housing shortage and the ability to obtain jobs and consistent income in 2025.

Immigrants who are let in will also need to demonstrate some sort of usable skill that will benefit the Canadian economy in some way. This will interest business owners, as they will have more qualified candidates to choose from, and Canada will get a boom to the workforce and economy that it desperately needs.

Canada will finally transition over 100,000 protected persons to permanent resident status between 2026-2027, recognizing their contributions to the economy. Immigration will need to be based on how can someone make the country better instead of simply entering our home with no ability to pour into the viability of the country.

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

NEWS & VIEWS

PAGE 11

Toronto’s Caribbean Community Highlights: Fireworks, Fashion, Culture, Vibes; Toronto’s Ultimate New Year Lineup Revealed SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Toronto, get ready to glow! New Year’s Eve 2026 brings castle parties, waterfront fireworks, luxe galas, DJ skate nights, and a full cultural warmup with Jamaica in January. Whether you want elegance, energy, or island vibes, the city is serving unforgettable moments all season long.

Step in and shine.

Voyage Lumière: New Year’s Eve 2026 Casa Loma Toronto, ON Dec 31st, 2025, 9:00 PM Exclusive for 21 “Someday perhaps the inner light will shine forth from us, and then we will need no other light…”

This New Year’s Eve, step into a world of illumination as one chapter ends, and another begins. Celebrate renewal through the unifying power of the dance floor inside the city’s most iconic castle, where music, art, and fashion converge.

Experience a world-class nightlife production, a midnight countdown crowned by fireworks, and an atmosphere of pure elegance and transcendence.

Your ticket includes: • Event access • Complimentary hors d’oeuvres from 9:00 PM–11:00 PM • Complementary toast Music by: Dennis Rojas & DAF Dress Code: Chic couture with iridescent accents Curated by: La Haute Society, Logic of Sound, AWKN & NJ In partnership with: Liberty Entertainment Group, Dom Pérignon, Belvedere 10 Vodka & Lapsoflux Magazine For bottle service reservations: info@ lahautesociety.com All sales are final.

Ring in the New Year along the Waterfront Join us for a free and festive celebration as we ring in 2026 along Toronto’s stunning waterfront, spanning from Sherbourne Common to the Toronto Music Garden.

From 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., enjoy lively entertainment, exciting pop-up performances and a spectacular 10-minute midnight fireworks display that will light up the city skyline.

This event is free and open to everyone. Come together with friends, family and neighbours in person, or tune in online for a celebration you won’t want to miss. Please note that there will be no fireworks at City Hall, or Nathan Phillips Square.

Get ready to light up the night, Toronto! Harbourfront Centre is thrilled to host the city’s biggest and brightest New Year’s Eve celebration, and we’d love for you to join us.

Our festivities kick off on December 31st, 2025, with DJ Skate Nights, where DJ Smartiez heats up our rink with a mix of chart-topping smash hits. We’re proud to partner with CBC for a free live broadcast hosted by Adrienne Arsenault and Jann Arden. On our Concert Stage, enjoy a powerhouse headlining music performance

by Lu Kala, along with opening sets from indie-electronic sensation cootie catcher and modern groove act Kalisway.

At midnight, the City of Toronto will launch a dazzling 10-minute fireworks show from the inner harbour, synchronized to music and visible across the central waterfront, creating an unforgettable countdown to 2026.

To ensure a safe and easy celebration, public transit is completely free. Ride the TTC, GO Transit or UP Express from 7:00 pm December 31st, to 8:00 am January 1st. Simply tap as usual — no fares will be charged.

We can’t wait to celebrate with you, welcoming 2026 with joy, connection and the magic of Toronto’s waterfront!

Celebrate New Year’s Eve in true Prestige style — luxury atmosphere, top DJs, and a night designed to impress.

Step into a New Year’s Eve experience designed for mature, stylish guests who want more than just another party. The Prestige NYE Gala blends elegance, energy, and unforgettable moments inside the beautifully appointed National Event Venue.

Enjoy premium music all night long — R&B, hip-hop, reggae, soca, and slow jams — delivered by top club and radio DJs. A curated tasting experience will be served between 9:30 PM and 10:30 PM, followed by a midnight champagne toast to welcome 2026 in style.

The venue features free parking, a spacious dance floor, VIP booths, reserved tables, and an atmosphere created for celebrating the past and present with class. Whether you’re coming with friends, or your partner, Prestige offers the perfect mix of comfort, excitement, and sophistication.

This event is 19+. No food is included with general admission. Reserved tables and VIP booths include a complimentary bottle and a midnight champagne toast.

What to expect • A Refined New Year’s Eve Atmosphere • A Curated Music Experience • A Tasting Experience Included with Admission • From 9:30 PM to 10:30 PM, guests will enjoy a selection of curated appetizer bites and savoury favourites. This tasting hour is included with your ticket and sets the tone for the night.

• Midnight Champagne Toast - Every guest will receive a complimentary champagne toast as we welcome 2026 together on live TV. • VIP and Reserved Seating Options • Free Parking on Site • A Polished, Upscale Celebration Ticket Options: Prestige Main Floor Pass Your pass into the Prestige New Year’s Eve Gala with full main-floor access to the music, atmosphere, and midnight celebration. Includes a champagne toast at midnight.

Food not included. Does not include access to the VIP Lounge or Sky Box. To order tickets, visit the link below: www.ticketgateway.com/new-yearseve-2026 or avoid service fees by sending email money transfers to events@firstfridays.ca and text/whatsapp your name, security answer & event name to 416-8829863 or email events@firstfridays.ca call/ text 416-882-9863 for more info You are cordially invited to the 1st Fridays Health & Fitness Edition Friday, January 2nd, 2026 7:00 pm-10:00 pm Featuring: • Terry Provost, Owner - Manager CHOJU Juice Co. Inc. • Dwight Townsend, Founder - Gomedics Health • Shanna-Kay Stephens, Mental Health

•

Counsellor Desmond Brown, The Road Orthopedics - We’re here to deliver to you!

Venue: The REAL JERK Legacy Restaurant, 842 Gerrard St. E., Toronto ON Registration: ff-jan-2026.eventbrite.ca Vendor opportunities are available through the registration link.

Jamaica in January 2026

By Passport to Caribbean Food/JamaicanEats magazine STACKT market, Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, Canada January 17th from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm EST Come for the Vibes. Stay for the Memories. Jamaica in January is a winter ritual, cultural celebration, & a reminder that joy is communal.

NEW IN 2026 • Bingo Jamdown Style: A Jamaican twist on the classic game, packed with prizes and crowd call-and-response fun and shenanigans to keep you on your toes.

• A Playful Scavenger Hunt spotlighting Jamaican science, innovation, and inventions. Mind blown with this celebration of Jamaican innovation and contribution to the world—sports, arts politics, science, food, history and religion. If you think you know ‘bout Jamaica, come play dis game.

• Special appearance by Mrs. Jamaica World Shannon Green who will represent the island at the Mrs. World competition in Las Vegas later in January.

• Food Demo 2026 - Ol’ time Jamaican favourite called Blue Draws, also known as Dukunoo and Tie-a-Leaf.

A delicious treat of cornmeal, sweet potato, green banana, freshly grated coconut, coconut milk and a blend of spices wrapped in green banana leaf and boiled for a moist and incredibly tasty pudding. This dish hearkens back to West African traditions.

People come back year after year.

Admission is Free. Everyone is welcome.

(Food and other items from vendors for sale.)

2026 is themed An Anthem to Jamaica. The Oak fought the wind and was broken. The Willow bent when it must and survived. JAMAICA, WE are the Willow! On Saturday, Jan. 17th, 2026, we dance again.

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NEWS & VIEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Ten ways to help care for a parent with dementia W. GIFFORDJONES MD DIANA GIFFORD-JONES TC HEALTH COLUMNIST

Last week I shared thoughts on aging parents. Many of you wrote asking for more, particularly about the challenges of caring for a parent with dementia. It’s not an easy assignment, but here is a list of practical advice.

1. Start legal, financial, and medical planning now, not later. The experts are emphatic on this: early planning reduces crisis-driven decisions. You need powers of attorney, advance directives, and banking access. Be aware of recurring bill payments. Have access to medical files.

Have future care options written down.

2. Establish routines and simplify daily life. Studies on “person-centred dementia care” show that routine lowers confusion and distress. Keep meals, medications, bathing, and bedtime at consistent

times. It can help to use consistent cues when adjusting to new routines, like the introduction of a walker. “The doctor asks you to use this new walker…” to which you’ve attached soft handgrips, a favourite photo, a name tag, or anything (safe) they suggest making it their own.

caregivers who “go it alone” burn out first. Ask siblings, cousins, neighbours, or friends for help with specific tasks: a meal, an hour of supervision, a ride to an appointment. If people say, “Let me know how I can help,” respond with a concrete request. Use respite programs.

ent refuses to change clothes daily, but is otherwise calm and safe, let it go. Save energy for the things that truly matter, like wandering, falls, medication, financial risk, or self-neglect. Support groups have experience identifying tips and tricks for solving the serious problems.

3. Modify the home for safety before problems escalate. Homes aren’t designed like care facilities, take steps to remove tripping hazards, add grab bars, and improve lighting. Use medication organizers. If wandering is a risk, use alarm or monitoring systems.

6. Keep medical professionals looped in, and don’t downplay symptoms.

Studies find that adult children often minimize behavioural or functional declines when speaking to doctors. Be factual and detailed: “When I visited last week, Mom left the stove on twice.” This allows physicians to adjust care, medications, or supports earlier, improving outcomes.

9. Prepare emotionally for “role reversal.” Adult children struggle most when they become the decision-maker for a parent who once taught them independence.

Acknowledge this shift. Talk about it with family or support groups.

It’s not a failure. It’s a transition the disease eventually demands of almost all families touched by dementia.

4. Learn how to respond to behavioural changes. Caregivers in multiple studies reported less stress once they learned strategies for redirecting instead of arguing. That can include offering choices (not commands), using a calm voice and simple instructions, and knowing how to step back from power struggles. When caregivers know that behaviour is disease-driven, not intentional, then it’s a matter of training, not stressful relationships.

5. Share the load, formally and informally. Research consistently shows

7. Monitor nutrition, hydration, and medication adherence. Refusal to eat, dehydration, or skipped medications are common and linked with hospitalizations. Try smaller, more frequent meals, finger foods, hydration through soups, fruit, herbal teas, and even musical or lighting cues to announce meal and medication times.

8. Decide early which battles matter.

Caregivers reduce problems when they prioritize safety over perfection. If a par-

10. Protect your own health as rigorously as you protect your parent’s.

Caregiver stress and depression are among the strongest predictors of poor outcomes for both caregiver and parent.

Self-care is not indulgence. It’s prevention. Get your own regular medical checkups. Prioritize sleep, exercise, and social contact by having regular, dependable backup support.

Oil, power, and pretext in Venezuela PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

There has been significant international media attention on the U.S. seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.

President Donald Trump has accused the Nicolás Maduro government of involvement in drug trafficking, alleging that it has facilitated the shipment of illicit drugs destined for the United States. He has also announced what he described as a targeted blockade of oil tankers traveling to or from Venezuela that fall under existing U.S. sanctions.

Trump has argued that the loss of U.S. investments in Venezuela justifies what he characterized as a preemptive campaign against the Venezuelan leadership. Disputes over oil investments, combined with allegations of drug trafficking,

have been presented by Trump as central rationales for these actions. However, legal experts and international observers have raised questions about the legality of tanker seizures, particularly amid reports of a U.S. military buildup in the region.

According to a report by AP News, a second oil tanker was seized by the U.S. military on Saturday, December 20th, 2025. The report follows earlier coverage analyzing the broader implications of U.S. actions toward Venezuela.

In an AP News article published December 17th, 2025, journalists David Klepper and Aamer Madhani examined Trump’s statements and policy posture.

Trump was quoted as saying, “We’re not going to be telling anybody going through who shouldn’t be going through.

You remember they took all of our energy rights. They took all of our oil not that long ago, and we want it back. They took it; they illegally took it.”

The article noted that U.S. companies once dominated Venezuela’s petroleum industry in the 1970s and early 21st century. These companies suffered significant economic losses after the in-

dustry was nationalized under President Hugo Chávez. In 2014, an international arbitration panel ordered Venezuela to pay ExxonMobil $1.6 billion in compensation, a judgment Venezuela did not fulfill.

Trump further escalated his rhetoric in a post on Truth Social (@realDonaldTrump), writing, “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. It will only get bigger and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before, until such time as they return to the United States all of the Oil, Land and other Assets that they previously stole from us.”

He continued by accusing the Maduro government of using oil revenues to finance what he described as “Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder and Kidnapping,” and stated that the Venezuelan government had been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization. (This designation is not universally recognized and should be clearly framed as Trump’s claim, or policy stance, not as an internationally accepted legal classification.)

Parallel to these developments, a webinar titled “No War on Venezuela” was

held as part of Hands-Off Venezuela Week of Action (November 15th–23rd). The event featured speakers: Ricardo Vázquez, Jorge Sorger, María Pérez Víctor, and Clau O’Brien Mascosco. Panelists discussed what they characterized as U.S.-led imperialist aggression toward Venezuela and emphasized the need for continued resistance to expanding militarization in Nuestra América.

Several advocacy actions have since been promoted by LatinXPalestine, including: • Writing to Members of Parliament to denounce Canadian arms and components allegedly used against Venezuela, using a template from the Arms Embargo Platform.

• Signing a petition drafted by Dr. Jorge Sorger.

• Supporting efforts to expose Canadian complicity in imperialism by engaging with the No More Loopholes campaign and contacting MPs. • Encouraging labor unions to oppose Canadian involvement in Caribbean military actions.

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

NEWS & VIEWS

PAGE 13

When Cash Becomes a Crime: How Ottawa Is Squeezing Small Business

BY GRANT BROWNING For generations, cash has been the backbone of small business in Canada. More importantly, cash is government-issued legal tender — created, backed, and circulated by the state itself. It is not a loophole, not an underground system, and not an alternative currency. It is the official money of the country, intended to be accepted and used freely for lawful transactions.

That distinction matters, because once limits are placed on how governmentissued currency can be used, something fundamental changes. When legal tender comes with usage caps, prohibitions, or conditions, it stops being a neutral medium of exchange and starts becoming a regulated privilege. At that point, the issue is no longer simply about crime prevention. It becomes a question of whether Canadians are truly free to use the very money their government issues.

For small businesses, this is not an abstract debate. Cash has always been a practical, reliable, and accessible tool of commerce. Tradespeople, contractors, farmers, and independent retailers relied on cash long before digital terminals, real-time transfers, and compliance software became standard. Cash is how suppliers are paid on short notice, how emergency repairs are handled, and how businesses keep operating during power outages, banking delays, or system failures.

Yet today, that same governmentissued currency is being quietly reframed — not as a legitimate tool of everyday business, but as a risk to be managed, restricted, and increasingly discouraged. That is why Bill C-2, and similar policies being advanced in Ottawa, deserve far more scrutiny than they are currently receiving, particularly from the small business community.

Canada has long had rules requiring the reporting of large cash transactions. Most business owners understand that transactions exceeding $10,000 trigger reporting requirements under anti-moneylaundering legislation. That framework has existed for years and, while not universally popular, was largely accepted as a compromise aimed at preventing organized crime.

Bill C-2, however, goes further. It moves beyond reporting and into prohibition, making it illegal to accept, make, or deposit cash payments of $10,000 or more, with exemptions and details left to be defined later through regulation.

This shift is not trivial. Reporting says the government is watching. Prohibition says certain transactions are no longer permitted at all. For small businesses that legitimately handle larger cash payments — whether for equipment purchases, construction work, seasonal inventory, or private sales — this represents a fundamental change in how they are allowed to operate.

Large corporations will barely notice this change. They already function almost entirely within digital payment systems, supported by teams of accountants, lawyers, and compliance officers designed to absorb regulatory shifts. Small businesses do not have that cushion. Every new restriction adds paperwork, increases audit exposure, and gives financial institutions another reason to label a business as “high risk.” Many cash-heavy businesses already face delayed deposits, account closures, or outright derisking by banks despite having done nothing wrong. When the law itself treats cash transactions as inherently suspicious, small operators are pushed even closer to the margins.

Supporters of these measures often respond by saying that it is not illegal to hold cash, and technically, that is true. There is no explicit law stating that Canadians cannot possess large amounts of physical currency.

But legality is not determined solely by what is written in legislation; it is shaped by how laws are enforced. When holding or using cash above a certain threshold triggers suspicion, demands justification, invites investigation, or risks seizure, possession becomes conditional. The burden quietly shifts from the state proving wrongdoing to the individual proving innocence.

That shift is not minor. If a business owner must justify why they are holding their own money, ownership begins to resemble permission rather than a right. Once ownership becomes conditional, economic freedom erodes — not dramatically, but incrementally, through friction, fear, and compliance pressure.

What makes the current moment especially concerning is that this direction did not emerge overnight. Years ago, Canadians were already being introduced to the idea that physical cash might one day become unnecessary. Around 2018 and 2019, public discussions — including coverage in mainstream media — explored the future of money in Canada. Government institutions and financial authorities openly discussed declining cash usage, digital alternatives,

and long-term contingency planning for a world where physical currency might play a reduced role. At the time, Canadians were reassured that cash was not going anywhere.

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic.

Almost overnight, cash was rebranded — not merely as outdated, but as unsafe. Physical money was suddenly described as “dirty,” something that could carry the virus, despite limited evidence that cash posed a greater risk than countless other commonly touched surfaces. Businesses were encouraged, and in some cases pressured, to refuse cash altogether. Signs appeared on storefronts requesting card or tap payments only. Contactless transactions were promoted as the responsible and hygienic choice.

Within less than a year of public discussions about a future beyond cash, a global health crisis had normalized avoiding it entirely. Tap payments, once a convenience, became the default. Daily habits changed quickly, not through legislation but through messaging and necessity. What might have taken a decade to normalize happened in a matter of months, and many businesses never returned to cash acceptance the way they once had.

This matters because policy change rarely happens in isolation. Crises often act as accelerants, pushing societies toward solutions that were already being discussed.

Cash was not eliminated during the pandemic, but its decline was rapidly normalized. Once behaviour changes, regulation tends to follow. What was once optional becomes discouraged, then restricted, then regulated out of practical use.

This is where the conversation is often dismissed as alarmist, so precision matters. No one is claiming that Canada is banning cash tomorrow. What is happening is a steady policy direction that discourages physical money while encouraging centralized digital systems. Digital payments are undeniably convenient — until they are not.

Anyone who has experienced a system outage, a frozen account, a delayed transfer, or a bank refusing service understands that digital systems are permission-based. Cash is not. That independence is precisely what makes it inconvenient for centralized oversight.

Small businesses are not merely another segment of the economy; they are its stabilizing force. They employ locally, serve communities that large institutions often

overlook, and keep money circulating close to home. Cash plays a critical role in that resilience, particularly in rural areas, immigrant communities, and among trades and service providers. When policymakers restrict cash use, they are not simply fighting crime. They are reshaping who can participate in the economy easily and who cannot.

A fully digital financial system allows for real-time transaction monitoring, spending pattern analysis, and immediate enforcement through account restrictions or freezes. Once that infrastructure exists, the temptation to use it for broader policy objectives becomes difficult to resist. History shows that powers introduced for safety or emergencies rarely disappear once the precedent is set.

At its core, this issue is not about left versus right, or honesty versus crime. It is about choice. Do Canadians get to choose how they transact? Do small business owners get to decide what works for their operations? Or is that choice being quietly removed in the name of efficiency and control?

Once cash is no longer a viable option, there is no fallback and no opt-out — only compliance.

In the end, this is not just a policy debate; it is a practical decision Canadians still get to make — for now. Using cash is lawful. Accepting cash is lawful. Paying with cash is lawful. It is government-issued currency, and choosing to use it is a legitimate form of participation in the economy. When people choose cash, they support small businesses, preserve privacy, and help maintain a resilient economic option that does not depend on permission, connectivity, or centralized approval.

Encouraging the continued use of cash is not about rejecting technology or progress. It is about balance. Digital payments can coexist with physical money, but only if people continue to use and defend the option. Once cash disappears from daily life, it does not quietly return. Convenience should never come at the cost of choice.

If Canadians are concerned about where this path leads, the response does not start in Ottawa. It starts at the counter. It starts by asking businesses if they still accept cash. It starts by choosing to use it while it remains legal, practical, and accessible. Because once cash becomes optional in theory but impossible in practice, the decision will no longer be ours to make.

A manufacturer’s warning from the shopfloor STEVEN KASZAB steven@carib101.com

TC COLUMNIST

I have been a manufacturer in Ontario for more than thirty years. For most of that time, the prospects for our industry (and for my business) seemed stable, even hopeful. That has changed rapidly.

With the advent of tariffs, our business is now floundering. Sales to the United States are nearly nonexistent, and profitability within the Canadian marketplace is increasingly difficult to find. Many Canadian manufacturers, no longer able to compete in the U.S., are now chasing the same limited pool of domestic projects. The result is a race to the bottom.

Competition has become a form

of economic limbo: quotes going lower and lower, with little regard for sustainability. Several of my competitors are pricing jobs at cost (or below cost) simply to keep their employees busy and generate shortterm cash flow. I understand the desperation, but this is not a viable path forward.

We are currently bidding on a project with only a modest profit margin built in. Even so, we are not competitive. Our bid came in at $13,995. Two competitors submitted bids around $6,000, less than half our price. I spoke with both firms directly.

They confirmed what the numbers already suggested: they knowingly priced the work below cost, prepared to take losses in exchange for immediate cash and continuity of work.

This approach will lead to disaster.

Canadian manufacturing is a small, interconnected sector. We know each other. We rely on each other. When pricing collapses to this extent, it destabilizes the entire ecosystem.

As if this were not enough, American investors have begun approaching Canadian manufacturers with buyout offers.

In several cases, these approaches have been informal, but deliberate. One firm I know (currently doing well) received an unsolicited visit from three investors. After a tour of the facility and a brief conversation, an offer was made. The plan was clear: retain a small staff in Canada and relocate the rest of the operation to Milwaukee.

Other firms are actively exploring relocation to the United States. They are scouting locations, assessing incentives, and recruiting skilled American workers in advance. If these moves proceed, Canadians will lose good-paying manufacturing jobs and face a difficult labour market with few comparable alternatives.

Canadian nationalism may sound admirable in theory, but when manufacturers are faced with losing their investments and, in many cases, their life savings, principle alone is not enough. Survival forces choices, and right now, there are alternatives in the United States that simply do not exist here.

As the new year approaches, I do not know what decision lies ahead for us.

Do we continue to fight in Canada? Do we

relocate? Or do we do what some of our colleagues have already done and close our doors entirely? Several manufacturers across Canada are reaching that point as 2025 draws to a close.

I am a fighter, as are my employees, but resilience has limits.

The federal and provincial governments (particularly in Ontario) have offered little meaningful support to manufacturers like us. Public investment and attention are focused on energy, mining, critical minerals, and electric vehicle technologies.

These sectors matter, but they do not employ nearly as many workers as traditional manufacturing does. Still, manufacturing remains largely invisible in policy conversations.

Manufacturers are used to being ignored.

So, I ask this of Canadian citizens: keep your eyes open. If governments can overlook the sector that builds, fabricates, and employs at scale, what does that mean for you? When conditions change, will your needs be met by the same administrations that have left manufacturing behind?

PAGE 14

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 31, 2025 Photo Credit: Deijaumar Clarke

CHEF BRIAN LUMLEY A Culinary Ambassador Rediscovering His Tribe and Truth There is a specific vibration in the kitchen of Brian Lumley. It isn’t just the clink of stainless steel or the hiss of a reduction; it is the sound of a man attempting to translate the soul of a nation into a language the world can finally understand. To meet Brian is to meet a revolutionist, a man who refuses to dance for algorithms or bow to the fleeting whims of culinary trends. Though in the eyes of his elders, he remains the child prodigy who shattered expectations before he could legally toast to his own success.

Brian Lumley’s narrative begins in the quiet, unsupervised freedom of a childhood home. With a Lauryn Hill soundtrack playing on loop, a nineyear-old Brian found his first laboratory. “My childhood cooking was free,” he recalls. “I had the chance to come home from school and cook for my sister and for myself, and it was happy. It was happy and free.”

It was here that he discovered the power of the plate through an improvised pizza. Using French bread, minced franks, tin cheese (the one that melted), and a sprinkle of oregano—the spice he realized made pizza, pizza—he created something that drew a grown neighbour to his back door. When that neighbour began cussing him for more, the realization hit home: “Food is a very powerful thing. They (people) are dependent on you. This is the only place they can get this.”

There is a vulnerability in how Lumley discusses his craft, particularly when nostalgia hits the hard wall of cor-

porate efficiency. He speaks with a resolute, almost painful frustration about the changing formulation of Tastee Cheese, a staple of his youth that no longer melts the way it did when he was ten.

“It’s annoying,” he says, his voice capturing the raw edge of a chef who sees the erosion of quality as an erosion of memory. “What I suspect is whatever made that cheese soft and malleable and meltable was more fat or more cream. They probably cut it out and think, ‘Oh, Jamaicans don’t melt it anyway.’ Somebody made that decision, and I was very disappointed by that.”

For Lumley, this is about a world that prioritizes profit over the tasty tastee of heritage.

By 21, Lumley was the youngest-ever Chef of the Year in Jamaica, a title he reclaimed at 25. He was groomed by the likes of Novia McDonald-White, who saw what this young man could become before he fully saw it himself. Yet, despite the trophies—Caribbean Chef of the Year, the Hans Schenk Prize, and the founding of his own restaurant, 689

By Brian Lumley, at age 26—he remains a man seeking something deeper than accolades.

Lumley is on a mission to dismantle the world’s narrow view of Jamaican cuisine. If you ask him what to serve a foreigner to introduce them to the island, he won’t reach for jerk chicken. He reaches for mackerel rundown.

“That is a dish that shows the complexity and uniqueness of Jamaican food,” he explains, describing the coconut milk

reduction, boiled dumplings, and the intense umami, sweet-savoury profile.

To him, Jamaican food is like its people: “Even though we look dressed up and sophisticated, underneath is such a deep layer of flavours and complexity— just like our people.”

His leadership in the kitchen reflects this philosophy: militant but fair, disciplined and dedicated. He draws a sharp line between a “cook” and a “chef.” A chef, he argues, has the discipline to hit the flavours every single day, regardless of whether their personal life is in shambles. “It doesn’t matter if your girl broke up with you last night—you need to hit those flavours every day,” he says. “Discipline is what separates us.”

Currently, Lumley’s heart is navigating the African continent. He describes himself as a son of the soil on a mission to rediscover his lost tribe. This journey is both personal and professional; he is searching for the habitual behaviours and flavours that survived the Middle Passage.

This search for connection culminated in his humanitarian work and the founding of Ubuntu Outreach. Inspired by a visit to the South African township of Langa, he became obsessed with the concept of Ubuntu—I am because you are. He saw communities where no one was left behind, where accountability was a town-hall affair, and where people chose to stay in the “ghetto” because the community was too rich to leave.

“Imagine if we were to take

this model and bring it to Tivoli Gardens,” he muses, envisioning a Jamaica where history is honoured and the community propels itself forward. His work with World Central Kitchen and his own outreach programmes are the physical manifestations of this spiritual conviction.

Chef Brian Lumley is conducting culinary diplomacy. He is an American Culinary Federation–certified Executive Chef who believes that every plate is a deliberate act of cultural identity.

Whether he is in Uganda, South Africa, or Kingston, his goal remains the same: to ensure the world doesn’t just taste Jamaica, but understands its brilliance.

He remains a man who prefers the citrusy oils of a cracked Scotch bonnet pepper over any modern trend—a man who will choose a mackerel rundown conversation over a liked Instagram post every time. Brian Lumley is a chef who has found his voice by listening to the ghosts in the pots of his ancestors and the needs of the standing Photo Credit: Sanjpeople P Photography right in front of him.

Written by Simone J. Smith Toronto Caribbean News

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HEALTH

PAGE 23

Family history remains one of the most powerful predictors of future health W. GIFFORDJONES MD DIANA GIFFORD-JONES COMMON SENSE HEALTH

How many of us can recall our grandfathers leaning back in a favourite chair, saying, “Let me tell you something you should remember.” What followed was usually a story that had grown larger with time, about hardship, happenstance, or a decision made when the stakes were high.

On the other hand, if your grandmother was anything like one of mine, the stories amounted to a different kind of education. Hers were stories that began with confidence and ended in laughter. “I never worried,” she’d say, before describing in detail how she worried about everything. F u n n y

at the time. Instructive in retrospect.

At the turn of a new year, when families gather and time loosens its grip just a little, stories come out naturally. It’s a great time of year to be paying closer attention, and perhaps asking for, the stories we haven’t heard.

I’m talking about the stories buried in the family tree.

Norman Cousins, the longtime editor of The Saturday Review, remarked, “History is a vast early warning system.” It is as true for kings and queens as for each one of us. Royal families once reshaped nations through ignorance of genetic disease, and when inherited risks for disease go unrecognized in our own families, we are missing the chance to avoid them and to change the life course for ourselves and those who follow.

Factual stories are important in the family tree. You may ask, “Could you remind me, how did Uncle Frank die?” To which the response might be, “Oh, a heart attack.” Followed by, “No, it was a stroke.” That correction matters. A lot.

Family history remains one of the most powerful predictors of future health

problems. Long before genetic tests and predictive algorithms, doctors relied on family stories to identify patterns: heart disease, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune conditions, mental health challenges. Here’s the truth: even today, many people walk into a doctor’s office with no idea of their family medical history.

That’s a mistake. Studies show that people who know their family health history are more likely to get screened earlier, take preventive steps, and give their doctors the information needed to make better decisions. Knowledge doesn’t guarantee good health, but ignorance almost guarantees missed opportunities.

Children and grandchildren benefit the most. Understanding health patterns in the family gives them power. “Your grandfather ignored high blood pressure for years, and that’s what caught up with him.” Knowledge becomes the motivation needed for prevention.

Many families avoid these conversations. They feel awkward. It’s too personal. Or people assume “Someone else knows.” Then the memories fade. Details disappear, and

before long, no one remembers who had what, or when.

It need not feel like a medical interrogation. The conversation can start with the spark of a story. “What do you remember about how your father’s health changed as he got older?” “I remember great-Aunt so-andso, but whatever happened to her?”

If you are the source of family knowledge, use the holidays to share what you know. Laughter about good memories can be interspersed with important details about family health history and advice to avoid preventable problems.

If you are the recipient of the stories, let them unfold. Then write things down.

As we edge into a new year, people love to make resolutions: eat better, exercise more, stress less. Fine goals, all of them. Here’s another one to consider: resolve to preserve the family story.

How many heart attacks, strokes, or cancers could be delayed (or prevented) if warning signs are recognized earlier? We’ll never know, but it’s worth a good story.

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

FOOD

PAGE 25

Caribbean Black-Eyed Peas: Why We Start the New Year This Way The New Year does not arrive loudly in many Caribbean homes.

It does not announce itself with countdowns, fireworks, or glasses raised in the air. It arrives quietly — through familiar smells drifting from the kitchen, through a pot that has been simmering patiently on the stove, through food that carries memory rather than spectacle.

In Caribbean households, the transition from one year to the next has always been marked less by the clock and more by the table. Long before calendars were common, long before dates were written down and resolutions were expected, people marked time through ritual, repetition, and survival. Food played a central role in that rhythm, not simply as nourishment, but as meaning.

Black-eyed peas are one of those foods. Across the Caribbean and throughout the African diaspora, they have held a place at the table at year’s end and year’s beginning for generations. Not because they were luxurious. Not because they were fashionable. But because they endured — just like the people who carried them forward.

Their story begins long before the Caribbean itself. Black-eyed peas originated in West Africa, where they were cultivated for centuries as a reliable, resilient crop. They thrived in difficult soil, required little maintenance, and provided essential nutrition. They were, quite literally, a food built for survival.

That resilience is what carried them across the Atlantic during one of the darkest chapters in human history. During the transatlantic slave trade, black-eyed peas were loaded onto ships as cheap, durable rations meant to sustain enslaved Africans during the Middle Passage. What was intended as fuel for captivity became, over time, a thread of cultural continuity — one of the few familiar elements in an otherwise violent and disorienting world.

Once in the Caribbean, black-eyed peas took root in plantation societies where food scarcity was deliberate and control was absolute. Enslaved people were given the bare minimum to survive, often forced to supplement their diets through provision grounds, fishing, or hunting. Blackeyed peas, easy to grow and capable of feeding many, became a cornerstone ingredient. They stretched meals. They filled stomachs. They sustained life.

But food does more than keep the body alive. It carries memory.

Over generations, black-eyed peas became embedded in Caribbean kitchens not just as necessity, but as reminder. To cook them was to remember where you came from. To eat them was to acknowl-

edge survival in the face of systems designed to erase identity and dignity.

This is why black-eyed peas were never simply “poor people food,” despite how they are sometimes dismissed today.

They were strategic food. Intelligent food.

Food that reflected an understanding of endurance, patience, and preparation.

As time passed, black-eyed peas also became associated with prosperity and good fortune. In many cultures across the African diaspora, legumes symbolize coins. Their shape resembles money, and eating them at the start of the year came to represent hope for financial stability. But in Caribbean homes, the symbolism runs deeper than money.

Here, black-eyed peas represent continuity. They represent the belief that no matter what the year ahead holds — uncertainty, hardship, or change — there will be enough. Enough food. Enough strength. Enough community.

That belief is not superstition. It is lived experience. Across the islands, the way black-eyed peas are prepared reflects local history, geography, and necessity. In Jamaica, they often appear alongside rice, sometimes lightly stewed, sometimes folded into more substantial dishes. In Trinidad and Tobago, they are frequently simmered with coconut milk, fresh herbs, and aromatics, creating a dish that is rich without being heavy. In Guyana, black-eyed peas reflect a blending of African, Indigenous, and Indian culinary traditions, finding their way into stews and rice dishes that are practical, filling, and deeply comforting.

There is no single “correct” version of Caribbean black-eyed peas, and that is exactly the point. The dish adapts. It always has. Each version reflects what was available, what could be afforded, and what a household had learned to make work. In that sense, black-eyed peas mirror the Caribbean experience itself — shaped by resilience, improvisation, and survival.

In many homes, the preparation is deliberate and unhurried. Dried peas are rinsed and soaked, sometimes overnight, softening gradually rather than rushed.

Onions, garlic, scallions, and thyme are gently sautéed to build flavour slowly. Coconut milk is added not for indulgence, but for nourishment and balance. A whole hot pepper may be dropped into the pot — lending warmth without overwhelming the dish. The peas simmer until the liquid thickens, until the flavours settle, until the pot feels ready.

This is not food meant to be rushed. It is not eaten standing up. It is not consumed alone. Caribbean black-eyed peas are served with rice, with ground provisions, with fried plantain or dumplings,

and most importantly, with people. Conversation is part of the meal. So is reflection.

That is why this dish belongs at the start of the year. New Year’s food in Caribbean culture has always been about grounding. It is about beginning the year fed, steady, and aware of what carried you this far. Black-eyed peas remind us that abundance does not always look like excess. Sometimes it looks like a pot that can feed everyone at the table. Sometimes it looks like food that stretches, that sustains, that refuses to waste.

In a modern world obsessed with speed, spectacle, and consumption, dishes like this quietly resist. They remind us that there is wisdom in simplicity, strength in repetition, and value in traditions that were never written down but always remembered.

For older generations, black-eyed peas are inseparable from memory — of grandparents who cooked without measuring, who understood flavour by instinct, who believed food should feed both the body and the spirit. For younger generations, the dish becomes a bridge, connecting them to a past they did not live but still carry.

Especially in the Caribbean diaspora, cooking black-eyed peas at New Year is an act of remembrance. It is a way of recreating home, even when home is far away.

It is proof that culture does not disappear when borders change. It travels quietly, persistently, through kitchens and shared meals.

To cook black-eyed peas at the start of a new year is not about guaranteeing luck. It is about intention. It is about acknowledging survival, honouring those who came before, and beginning the year with gratitude rather than excess.

That is why this dish endures.

Not as superstition.

Not as nostalgia.

But as legacy.

Caribbean-Style Black-Eyed Peas (Traditional New Year Preparation) While every household prepares blackeyed peas a little differently, the method remains remarkably consistent across the Caribbean. The ingredients are simple, the pace unhurried, and the result is meant to nourish rather than impress.

Ingredients • 2 cups dried black-eyed peas (or about 3½ cups cooked) • 1 medium onion, finely chopped • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 2 scallions, chopped

• • • • • •

1 sprig fresh thyme 1 small Scotch bonnet or hot pepper (left whole) 1 cup coconut milk 2 cups water or light stock 1 tablespoon vegetable or coconut oil Salt and black pepper to taste

Optional additions used in many homes: Smoked turkey, saltfish, pigtail, diced pumpkin or squash, bay leaf, or a pinch of allspice.

Method Dried black-eyed peas are rinsed thoroughly and soaked overnight in cold water.

The next day, they are simmered in fresh water until just tender, then drained and set aside. The peas should be soft, but still hold their shape.

In a heavy pot, oil is warmed over medium heat. Onion is added and sautéed slowly until translucent, followed by garlic, scallions, and thyme. If using smoked meat or saltfish, it is added at this stage to allow the flavour to develop into the base.

The cooked peas are added, followed by coconut milk and water or stock.

A whole hot pepper is placed into the pot — not pierced — allowing it to perfume the dish without overwhelming it. The mixture is brought to a gentle simmer and cooked uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirred occasionally, until the liquid thickens and coats the peas.

Salt and black pepper are added near the end. The thyme sprig and hot pepper are removed before serving.

Serving Caribbean black-eyed peas are traditionally served with steamed white rice or coconut rice, alongside boiled ground provisions such as yam, cassava, or green banana.

Fried plantain, dumplings, or bread are often added, depending on the household.

This dish is meant to be shared, eaten slowly, and enjoyed together — especially at the start of a new year.

Why This Recipe Matters This is not a dish built around precision or perfection. It is built around instinct, patience, and care. Every pot tastes slightly different, shaped by the cook’s hand and the ingredients available. That flexibility is not a flaw — it is the tradition.

Including this recipe ensures the story does not remain abstract. It allows readers to participate, to recreate the ritual, and to carry it forward into their own kitchens.

LIFE

PAGE 26

BY GEORGE SHEPPARD The holiday season arrives wrapped in glitter, lights, and well-worn phrases about joy and goodwill. We are told it is a time of cheer, rest, generosity, and togetherness—a collective pause where worries are supposed to soften under the glow of decorated trees and twinkling storefronts. For many people, that story mostly holds. Bellies are full, loved ones gather, schedules slow just enough to promise relief. Even if it’s absolute madness, there is still something comforting in the chaos.

For a significant number of people, this season is anything but easy.

While celebrations hum along, others are quietly bracing themselves. For them, the holidays amplify thoughts and feelings they work hard

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Triggers Do Not Take Vacations.

Grief Does Not Respect Calendars

to manage the rest of the year. Triggers do not take vacations. Grief does not respect calendars. Trauma does not check whether the house is decorated before showing up.

In the middle of a family gathering, surrounded by laughter and noise, someone may feel overwhelmed rather than grateful. The pressure to be cheerful can become suffocating. A comment meant to be lighthearted—“Sure, what do you have to be sad about?”—can land like a slap. Those words assume that sadness needs permission, that pain must justify itself, and that joy is mandatory simply because it is December.

Many people carry the quiet weight of missing someone who should be there but is not. A parent.

A partner. A child. Sometimes it is not the absence itself, but a smell, a song,

Why People Should Avoid Creating a Relationship That Is Built on the Heartbreak of Another Person SYDNEE WALCOTT sydnee@carib101.com

VARIETY CORNER

As we all know, a relationship that is built on someone else’s heartbreak normally won’t last—and even if it does, the relationship is typically far from healthy. This is a lesson that rapper and former professional basketball player LiAngelo “Gelo” Ball and reality television personality and influencer Rashida Nicole had to learn the hard way.

On February 8, 2025, Ball’s exgirlfriend, socialite and reality television personality Nikki Mudarris, who goes

by MissNikkiBaby, revealed that their three-year relationship had come to an end just two months after she gave birth to their second child, a daughter named LaNiyah Nicole Ball. According to Mudarris, the breakup was due to infidelity on Ball’s part, including fathering a child with another woman. The former couple also share a son, LaVelo Anthony Ball, born in July 2023.

Shortly after their split was announced, Ball confirmed that he was in a relationship with Nicole, with the pair secretly tying the knot at a Los Angeles courthouse shortly afterward.

Four months later, in June, Nicole announced that they were expecting their first child together, Ball’s third child overall. Just under two weeks after Nicole shared her pregnancy announcement, news broke that Ball had filed for divorce.

Fast forward to early December 2025: after Nicole gave birth to

their daughter, Lilo Legacy Ball, she made multiple posts calling out Ball for not being present during the final five months of her pregnancy. She shared that she went through everything on her own—from appointments to challenges—and claimed that he has yet to meet their daughter.

Nicole also apologized to Mudarris for their past feud, explaining that it stemmed from Ball allegedly being dishonest about his relationship status with Mudarris. She also thanked Mudarris and her family for being there for her throughout her pregnancy.

“Thank you to her and her family for supporting me during this pregnancy; your grace means more than you know,” Nicole wrote in an Instagram post.

Ball also shared his regrets on a podcast episode of Ball in the Family regarding his split from Mudarris. “I don’t got no excuses for that s*** or nothing, but yeah, if I could re-do it, I wouldn’t do that s***,” Ball said.

This situation highlights why people should avoid creating relationships that are built on the heartbreak of another person. Relationships formed on such rocky foundations often crumble months—or even years—down the line. The person who threw their original relationship away usually ends up with regret, while the new partner often realizes they received the same version of that person as the one before them.

Mudarris handled the situation with grace by stepping up and being there for Nicole despite everything that had occurred. That kind of compassion is not something we hear about often, which is understandable, as building a relationship at the expense of another person can cut deeply.

or a familiar sound that unlocks a memory they did not ask for. Trauma can surface without warning, and no amount of tinsel can cover it up. These reactions are not exaggerations. They are not weakness. They are real.

We like to repeat “peace on earth” as though saying it often enough will make it true. Yet the world remains fractured. There are families displaced by conflict, adjusting to new lives far from home. There are communities grappling with poverty, housing insecurity, and uncertainty. Addiction does not pause for the holidays; if anything, it tightens its grip. The expectation to celebrate can intensify relapse, loneliness, and shame.

The stigma surrounding incarceration does not magically disappear in December either. Families with loved ones in prison, or carrying the long shadow of past involvement with the justice system, often feel it more acutely during the holidays. Absence is louder when the table has an empty chair.

For far too many children, the holidays are not a time of safety.

Domestic violence does not stop because it’s Christmas. For some kids, a single day without screaming, threats, or fear would feel like a gift. We rarely picture that reality when we talk about

“the most wonderful time of the year,” but it exists alongside the lights and music.

Mental health struggles and lingering trauma are not choices.

They aren’t switches that can be flipped on or off because company is coming. They are part of lived reality.

Some people cope by leaning into the noise and activity. Others survive by stepping back, keeping things quiet, or spending time alone. Neither approach is wrong.

What matters most is how we treat one another.

The greatest gift we can offer someone who is struggling—whether we understand their struggle or not—is acceptance. Not advice. Not comparisons. Not judgment disguised as encouragement. Just acceptance.

Space to feel what they feel without being told they should feel differently.

As you celebrate, remember that people do so in different ways.

Some of us find meaning in reflection rather than festivity. Some of us are simply trying to get through the season intact.

Be gentle. Be patient. Be kind.

Sometimes that’s the closest thing to peace on earth we can manage, and it matters more than we realize.

LIFE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 27

Can three minutes really rewrite you?

SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

HUMAN SPECIALIST

Every December, people go hunting for magic.

New planners, vision boards, “proven” morning routines, and now, al‑ legedly, a three‑minute CIA‑backed ritual that will reprogram your brain overnight.

The promise is always the same: no mess, no history, no context, just a quick men‑ tal jailbreak from a life you no longer rec‑ ognize as yours.

That promise is a lie. Real change is allergic to shortcuts. You are not broken hardware waiting for a software patch.

You are a walking story layered with history, migration, racism, class, family secrets, and all the ways your ancestors learned to survive when the world made survival a full‑time job.

So, when someone tells you, “Re‑ peat this line three times and your whole life will reset,” they are essentially saying: forget the weight you’re carrying; the problem is just your attitude.

It is not. If you grew up in the African Caribbean community, you in‑ herited a double vision: the public face (“I’m good, holding it down”) and the private storm (debt, grief, burnout, fear

that you’re already behind and there’s no catching up). Changing how you see your life is about telling a truer story about who is standing in the rain.

Still, the idea that what you fo‑ cus on shapes what you notice, that part is real. The brain is a prediction machine, not a camera. It looks for what it expects, and it tends to ignore everything that doesn’t fit the script.

So, if you want a ritual for the New Year, try one that respects both your biology and your culture: • Write one honest line for tomorrow Not a fantasy. Not “I will make six fig‑ ures by March.” Something small and real: “Tomorrow, I will look for one sign that I am not stuck.” Or: “Tomor‑ row, I will act like someone whose work matters.” Pen, not phone. You are telling your brain, “This is what to look for.”

•

•

Say it out loud in your own tongue Read that line three times, but not like a spell. Say it the way your favou‑ rite elder talks when they are done with nonsense: slow, grounded, with a little side‑eye. That rhythm, that tone, that is what your nervous sys‑ tem understands as serious.

Ask one question before you sleep “Where did I already see this today?”

Maybe it was the one email you fi‑ nally sent. The friend who still checks on you. The idea you couldn’t shake.

You are training your brain to scan for evidence that the story “I’m stuck and hopeless” might not be the full picture.

This doesn’t “reprogram” you in 24 hours.

It just tilts the camera by a few degrees.

Keep tilting, night after night, and sud‑ denly the same life starts showing you details you were too tired, too scared, or too busy to notice.

Here is the other scam baked into New Year culture: if you really want‑ ed it, you would have changed by now. If you haven’t, you must be lazy, weak, and unserious.

No. Most people fail because they are trying to drag a mountain while insulting themselves the whole way up.

Try this 24‑hour experiment: Pick one small action that actually mat‑ ters; emailing a recruiter, booking a ther‑ apy intake, walking ten minutes, updat‑ ing a portfolio. Do it once in the next day.

Every time your mind whispers, “What’s the point, you always fall off,” answer with one pre‑loaded line, “Not today. Today I move quietly and consistently.” That tiny rebellion is where genuine self‑respect starts.

African Caribbean survival has never been a solo sport. We have always made something out of nothing togeth‑ er: partner, cousin, prayer circle, sound system, church basement, WhatsApp group.

Instead of building a massive ac‑

countability tribe that dies by February, build a micro‑circle: • •

•

Two people you can be ugly‑honest with.

One focus for the next 30 days: “I’m rebuilding my mornings,” “I’m facing my money,” “I’m taking my mental health seriously.”

One 60‑second voice note every Sunday: What I tried, what got in the way, what I’ll try next.

You are letting yourself be witnessed, not judged. The moment you realize, “I am not the only one fighting this,” the whole thing gets lighter by a few invisible kilos.

You don’t need ten resolutions.

You need one question that follows you around. Something like: • • •

“Does this honour or drain my future self?”

“Is this fear, or is this freedom?”

“Would I be proud if my younger cousin copied this move?”

Write that question somewhere you can’t avoid. Let it annoy you. Let it interrupt bad decisions. Let it drag you, slowly, to‑ ward a life that actually feels like yours, because the truth is, you don’t need a se‑ cret CIA file to change your life. You need a truer story, a three‑minute nightly tilt of attention, one day without self‑insults, a tiny circle of witnesses, and one sharp question that refuses to leave you alone.

A Society Governed Primarily by Fear Will Accept Measures It Would Otherwise Reject

BY HERBERT HILDEBRANDT POLITICAL PARLEY The recent attack at Bondi Beach in Aus‑ tralia was evil—plain and undeniable— a violent rupture in a place associated with light, ease, and ordinary human joy, and the lives lost there deserve to be mourned without qualification or agenda. Families were shattered, a pub‑ lic space was violated, and a nation felt the familiar shock that follows when bru‑ tality intrudes where it does not belong.

Any honest response must begin there, with grief grounded in the shared under‑ standing that human life is sacred and its loss carries real and lasting weight.

Grief, however, is not a govern‑ ing philosophy, nor should it be treated as a lever for immediate political certain‑ ty. It is a human response that requires time, reflection, and restraint if it is not to be exploited by impulse or authority. The desire to protect in moments of shock is understandable, even commendable in our society, but history repeatedly shows that when protection is pursued without patience by governments and bureau‑ crats, it generally mutates into some‑ thing far less noble. Grief invites pause, while power, almost without exception, seeks momentum and fills a vacuum.

What now deserves examina‑ tion is not the sincerity of public mourn‑ ing in Australia, but the speed, confi‑ dence, and predictability of the political response that followed. Before the facts had settled and before the public had

time to reflect, solutions were already circulating—not solutions aimed at un‑ derstanding what had occurred, but solutions designed to reshape what would be permitted going forward. This sequence is not accidental, nor is it new.

Tragedy shocks the public, fear narrows debate, and institutional machinery moves with remarkable efficiency.

In the days following the Bondi attack, Australia moved quickly toward expanded police powers, tighter restric‑ tions on protest, renewed gun buyback initiatives, and broader measures framed as unavoidable requirements of pub‑ lic safety. Each proposal, when viewed alone, was presented as reasonable, measured, and necessary, yet taken to‑ gether they revealed a clear and consis‑ tent direction of travel in which civil lib‑ erties were treated less as foundational rights and more as adjustable variables, contingent on circumstance and compli‑ ance. The response arrived fully formed, confident in its moral framing, and large‑ ly insulated from challenge.

This pattern has been reinforced globally in recent years, perhaps most starkly in the aftermath of October 7th in Israel—an event that was immediately presented to the world through tightly controlled narratives of horror, urgency, and moral absolutes. What occurred that day, in its full detail and complexity, re‑ mains obfuscated by competing claims, restricted investigations, and media cov‑ erage that largely mirrored official gov‑ ernment framing, with major questions

left unanswered. Yet certainty was de‑ manded almost immediately, and from that certainty flowed an open-ended mandate for action that expanded rap‑ idly beyond initial claims of necessity or proportionality.

What followed was not a careful, restrained response shaped by verified facts and transparent accountability, but an ongoing campaign justified by per‑ petual emergency and a bombardment of propaganda—one in which civilian devastation became normalized and en‑ tire populations were subjected to con‑ sequences far removed from the original event itself. The lesson is not about the legitimacy of defense, but about how quickly defense becomes doctrine once shock is allowed to override skepticism and once uncertainty is treated as disloy‑ alty rather than prudence.

This is not a comparison of trag‑ edies, nor an overt assertion of hidden coordination, but an observation about mechanism. I will let the reader investi‑ gate and decide whether correlation is causation in these cases. When societ‑ ies are confronted with sudden violence, moral clarity is often replaced by moral urgency, and urgency compresses de‑ bate until questioning itself is framed as dangerous. Emergency language creates permission, and permission, once grant‑ ed, rarely contracts back to its original scope. This is not an accident, in my view.

What makes this dynamic espe‑ cially troubling is how prepared the so‑ lutions appear to be when the moment

arrives. Policies that would normally require prolonged debate, legal scru‑ tiny, and public consent surface almost instantly, complete with enforcement frameworks, media narratives, and mor‑ al framing already in place. They are not improvised in response to a crisis, but ac‑ tivated by it. Over time, this creates the unsettling impression that tragedy func‑ tions less as disruption and more as trig‑ ger, because institutions have learned how to convert fear into authority.

A society governed primarily by fear will accept measures it would oth‑ erwise reject, gradually recalibrating its understanding of rights, responsibility, and obedience. Freedoms become con‑ ditional, dissent becomes suspect, and compliance is reframed as virtue rather than submission. Emergency powers in‑ troduced as temporary safeguards de‑ velop a habit of permanence, lingering long after the initial crisis has faded from public memory. The danger is not that these measures arrive suddenly, but that they remain quietly.

Tragedy demands justice, truth, and accountability, and it demands gen‑ uine care for the innocent whose lives are irrevocably altered by violence, re‑ gardless of the perpetrator. What it does not demand is reflexive surrender of lib‑ erty, nor unquestioning acceptance of authority cloaked in urgency. A free so‑ ciety must retain the capacity to grieve without abandoning its judgment, and to respond without forfeiting its princi‑ ples.

PAGE 28

LIFE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Beyond the New Year: Why Real Change Is Personal, Not Seasonal treated as an invitation to intentional reflection.

DANIEL COLE

Pause and ask yourself, honestly and without self-deception:

daniel@carib101.com

•

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

•

As one year draws to a close and another approaches, society collectively pauses— reflecting, resolving, and hoping that the mere turning of the calendar will usher in transformation. Yet a sobering truth confronts us: the new year itself changes very little.

The seasons will remain the same.

Winter will follow autumn; summer will return after spring. Global uncertainty will persist. Economic instability, geopolitical tension, and social divisions—racism, discrimination, and inequality—are unlikely to vanish simply because we have entered a new year.

This observation is realism grounded in historical pattern. History itself tends to move in cycles, old challenges repackaged in new language, familiar problems resurfacing under different names. So what, then, is genuinely new about a new year? You. The most significant—and often the only—new element that enters a new calendar year is the person who steps into it. Lasting change is rarely environmental; it is behavioral, cognitive, and moral. Studies in behavioral science reveal that people overestimate the power of time-based milestones (like January 1st) and underestimate the power of sustained self-awareness and disciplined action.

The new year, therefore, should be

• • •

What did I do this past year that clearly did not work?

What patterns—emotional, relational, professional—kept repeating themselves?

What fears, habits, or beliefs quietly held me back?

What caused me the greatest pain, and what was that pain attempting to teach me?

What systems will I put in place to ensure I do not repeat the same mistakes?

History teaches us a difficult lesson: we do not repeat the past because it is inevitable, but because it is unexamined. Ten years of repeated behavior does not equate to ten years of experience; it is often one year of experience recycled across ten calendar years. Socrates’ enduring assertion remains relevant: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Reflection is not indulgent; it is foundational to growth.

The following principles are not new.

Their power lies not in novelty, but in application.

1. Practice Deliberate Goal-Setting Goals function as cognitive anchors. Neuroscience shows that the brain prioritizes information aligned with defined objectives.

Without goals, attention disperses; life becomes reactive rather than intentional.

To set goals is to decide in advance what matters. It is to refuse to leave life outcomes to chance, habit, or external pressure. Enter the new year with clarity—

not vague wishes, but defined direction.

2. Defeat Procrastination Through Priority Time is the most democratic resource—we all receive the same twenty-four hours— yet it is the most unevenly used. Procrastination is rarely about laziness; research shows it is often rooted in fear, perfectionism, or decision avoidance. The solution is not to do easy things first or hard things first, but important things first. Progress belongs to those who act before they feel ready. Delayed discipline always produces compounded regret.

3. Accept What You Cannot Control— and Master What You Can There are forces beyond your influence: economic shifts, political decisions, global crises. Complaining about these drains emotional energy without producing leverage. Stoic philosophy and modern psychology agree on this point: peace and progress emerge when focus shifts from control to response. As Jim Rohn wisely stated, “Don’t wish things were easier; wish you were stronger.” Strength is developed through adaptation, not resistance to reality.

4. Invest Intentionally in Relationships Intelligence alone does not determine success. Research consistently demonstrates that relational capital—the quality of one’s relationships—predicts opportunity, resilience, and long-term success. You do not rise merely to the level of your intellect; you rise to the quality of your associations. Value everyone, but invest deeply in relationships that are mutual, growth-oriented, and purpose-driven.

Kwanzaa Is the Healing Practice Our Caribbean Community Desperately Needs

BY ANYA NICOLA Back in high school during the ’90s, I thought Kwanzaa was just something cool that Black people made up—and honestly, it is something extraordinary that Black people came up with. My teenage understanding stopped at the beautiful kente cloth displays and African pendants I coveted at the mall. What I didn’t understand then—what school never taught me—was that Kwanzaa isn’t just a “Black Christmas” alternative. It’s a healing practice disguised as a holiday, and our Caribbean community in Toronto needs it now more than ever.

Dr. Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 after the Watts riots, seeking ways to bring African Americans together as a community. Think about that timing: in the aftermath of violence and division, he designed a framework for healing. The seven principles, the Nguzo Saba, are a prescription for everything that’s broken in our communities.

Let’s break down these principles, because each one speaks directly to what we’re struggling with as Caribbean people in the diaspora: • •

Umoja (Unity) calls us home to each other in a city where Caribbean families are scattered across the GTA. Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) reclaims our power to define and name

• •

• • •

ourselves rather than letting others tell our stories.

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) means your struggle is my struggle; your success is my success.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) validates what we already know works—think of every Caribbean business on Eglinton West.

Nia (Purpose) focuses our collective vocation on building community and restoring our people to greatness.

Kuumba (Creativity) shows up in every steelpan orchestra and jerk chicken festival.

Imani (Faith) means believing in our people beyond religion, a deep trust in each other.

These principles mirror Ubuntu, the African philosophy that says, “I am because we are.” Kwanzaa provides a structured way to practice Ubuntu each year, intentionally focusing on values that heal collective trauma.

Here’s how your family can start this year: You don’t need expensive artifacts. Create a simple kinara from materials you have on hand. Each night, light a candle and discuss that day’s principle. Share how it shows up in your family’s Caribbean heritage. Let your kids research how their grandparents embodied these principles in Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Guyana—

wherever home was before Toronto.

On Ujamaa Day, support Caribbean businesses. On Kuumba Day, showcase Caribbean creativity. On Ujima Day, check on your neighbours. The symbols matter less than the practice.

What struck me most when I finally understood Kwanzaa was realizing how much healing lives within these principles.

Every Caribbean family I know is dealing with something: intergenerational trauma, economic stress, disconnection from culture, young people struggling with identity. Kwanzaa offers us a framework to address these wounds collectively.

The beauty of celebrating Kwanzaa as Caribbean people is that we’re reclaiming our African inheritance. The same values that created thriving communities across the continent are encoded in our DNA, expressed in how we gather for dominoes and curry goat, how we send money home, and how we raise each other’s children.

This year, don’t let December 26 pass as just another day after Christmas.

Light that first candle for Umoja. Gather your people. Start the healing—because, as our ancestors knew and as Ubuntu teaches us, we need each other to survive, but we need these principles to thrive.

The time for surface-level cultural celebration is over. The time for deep, intentional healing practice has begun.

LIFE

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 29 Photo Credit: Frankie Cordoba

How comparison quietly shapes our self-worth

BY AMARI SUKHDEO Comparison is sneaky. It doesn’t announce itself like, “Hello, I am here to ruin your confidence.” It slips in quietly while you’re scrolling, chatting, or casually observing someone else’s life, and suddenly you’re questioning your own.

One minute you’re fine. The next, you’re wondering why everyone else seems to be doing better, faster, and with better lighting.

So… what is comparison, really?

At its core, comparison is just how humans make sense of themselves. We look around to understand where we stand socially, professionally, and emotionally. It’s part of being human. The problem isn’t that we compare, but that we often tie our sense of worth to the outcome. We don’t just notice differences. We quietly decide what those differences mean about us.

The everyday moments where comparison shows up Comparison rarely arrives dramatically.

It lives in the small, familiar moments: being genuinely happy for a friend’s promotion while quietly wondering why you’re still where you are; seeing someone your age hit a milestone and suddenly questioning your own timeline; scrolling past glowing faces, perfect holidays, and curated lives while sitting in yesterday’s hoodie, feeling oddly inadequate. Nothing about your life actually changed in those moments, but how you felt about it did.

How comparison quietly affects us Comparison doesn’t just stay in our thoughts. It seeps into how we feel and how we relate to others. Mentally, it fuels that inner voice insisting we should be further along or doing more. Emotionally, it brings a tangled mix of envy, self-doubt, pressure, and guilt, especially the guilt of feeling jealous when you think you shouldn’t. Socially, it can make us withdraw, feel silently competitive, or struggle to fully celebrate someone else’s success, even when we genuinely want to. Over time, this constant measuring leaves us more anx-

ious, less confident, and oddly disconnected, because comparison convinces us they are. often, this mental strain shows up physically too, tight shoulders, restless sleep, or that heavy feeling after one scroll too many.

Why social media makes it worse Comparison existed long before social media, but social media gave it a megaphone. We’re constantly exposed to carefully selected moments, achievements without setbacks, joy without context, confidence without doubt.

We end up comparing our behind-thescenes to everyone else’s highlight reel, forgetting that what we Are seeing is edited, filtered, and incomplete. Even when we know this logically, our brains still absorb it emotionally, quietly reinforcing the idea that everyone else is moving forward while we’re somehow falling behind.

Changing our relationship with comparison The goal isn’t to eliminate comparison.

That’s unrealistic. It’s to change how much power it has over us. That starts with noticing it in the moment, naming it, and pausing before letting it spiral into self-judgment. It means learning to tell the difference between inspiration and self-criticism and gently stepping back when something makes us feel smaller instead of motivated. It also means curating our digital spaces, taking breaks when needed, and reminding ourselves that worth isn’t measured by timelines, milestones, or productivity. When we reconnect with our own lives, noticing growth we forget we made and progress that doesn’t always look impressive online, comparison loses its grip.

The quiet truth about comparison Comparison whispers and slowly shapes how we see ourselves. Your life doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s to be meaningful. You are not late. You are not behind. You are not failing because someone else is succeeding. You are just living, in real time, unfiltered, imperfect, and human, and that is more than enough.

PAGE 28

REAL ESTATE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 31, 2025

From Bidding Wars to Breathing Room: Ontario Real Estate in 2025 JAY BRIJPAUL brijpaul@carib101.com

REAL ESTATE PRO

If there’s one word that keeps coming up in conversations about Ontario real estate in 2025, it’s balance. After years of frantic bidding wars, overnight price jumps, and buyers feeling like they had no chance, the market has finally slowed down enough to breathe.

Buyers are no longer rushing into offers after just one viewing. Sellers are adjusting their expectations, and conversations that used to start with “How much over asking do we go?” now begin with “How much lower can we go?”

Interest Rates: No Longer the Wild Card When the Bank of Canada started lowering rates in mid-2024, it brought some relief. By mid-2025, the benchmark rate had settled around 2.75%, and for the first time in a while, buyers could breathe a little easier.

Most economists now believe the Bank of Canada has finished cutting rates for the foreseeable future, possibly until 2026. While rates aren’t expected to rise sharply again, they also aren’t dropping quickly enough to significantly improve affordability.

I often hear buyers say, “Rates are better, but homes still feel expensive.” Lower borrowing costs help, but they haven’t eliminated the fact that owning a home still takes up a large part of household income in much of Ontario.

Affordability: Some Relief, Lots of Reality Even with lower prices and interest rates, affordability remains one of the province’s biggest challenges. Inventory has increased, competition has cooled, and genuine negotiations are resuming. For many first-time buyers—especially those looking for freehold homes—the financial aspect remains difficult. Detached, semidetached, and townhomes continue to carry high price tags.

Freeholds are still selling faster than condos, even in this slower market.

Although there are more listings than a few years ago, supply remains relatively balanced. Families and move-up buyers continue to compete for these properties, helping their values remain more resilient than those of other segments.

Condos: A Very Different Story If freeholds are holding their ground, condos are experiencing pressure. In the GTA, condo listings have risen, leading to months of inventory exceeding historical averages. I’ve noticed condo buildings where several units are for sale on the same floor—something quite rare a few years ago.

A significant part of this change is due to investors pulling back. Restrictions on foreign buyers, higher financing costs, and softer rents have reduced the appeal of pre-construction and investment condos. As a result, resale units are taking longer to sell, and prices have declined. Condos—once highly competitive—are now some of the most accessible options for homeownership.

Regional Differences Still Matter Ontario, of course, isn’t a single market.

The GTA and Central Ontario remain pricey despite modest price declines. Eastern and Northern Ontario, including areas like Ottawa and Sudbury, have shown more stability, with some regions even posting yearover-year gains driven by local demand.

Western Ontario continues to be relatively affordable, with smaller fluctuations than the GTA. Looking Ahead to 2026 As we look toward 2026, expectations remain cautious. Most indicators point to continued moderation rather than a sharp rebound. If interest rates stay steady, affordability won’t improve much unless incomes rise—and that is a slow process.

Prices are expected to remain stable or rise slightly, with condos likely continuing to lag behind freehold homes. For buyers, this

creates opportunities. For sellers, it emphasizes the importance of strategy and fair pricing more than ever.

A Market That Rewards Patience and Knowledge Ontario’s 2025 real estate market isn’t booming, and it isn’t crashing. It’s adjusting. Inventory is higher, prices are softer, and the gap between freeholds and condos has never been more evident.

As 2026 approaches, the market appears set for cautious, steady growth rather than fireworks. In this environment, the winners won’t be those who rush, but those who understand the market, time their moves carefully, and make informed choices.

THE MICE WON’T DO THE DISHES. If your landlord isn’t addressing pest problems, RentSafeTO can help.

Talk to your landlord. No change? Contact 311. toronto.ca/RentSafeTO

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

FUN

PAGE 31

PAGE 32

FUN

YOUR HOROSCOPE

for the week of December 28, 2025 – January 3, 2026

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 31, 2025

CROSSWORDS

PUZZLE NO. 147

THE LUCKIEST SIGNS THIS WEEK: CAPRICORN, SCORPIO, AND SAGITTARIUS

ARIES: This week feels like a reset button. You’re done dragging old baggage into new chapters. Take a breath, make a quiet plan.

TAURUS: You’re craving stability, but something inside knows change is overdue. This is a good week to simplify — your schedule and finances.

GEMINI: Conversations hit deeper than expected this week.

You may hear something that sticks. Listen carefully — not everything needs a response.

CANCER: The year ends with emotions close to the surface.

Family, memories, and unfinished feelings show up to clear space.

LEO: You’re thinking bigger than usual, and that’s a good thing. The next chapter requires courage, not comfort.

VIRGO: You’re tying loose ends, even if no one notices. This quiet productivity sets you up strong.

LIBRA: Balance returns when you stop trying to please everyone. This week asks you to choose peace.

SCORPIO: You’re shedding a layer, whether planned or not.

Secrets and realizations surface, and they’re freeing.

SAGITTARIUS: Optimism returns, but it’s more grounded now. You’re dreaming with intention instead of impulse.

CAPRICORN: Your season brings clarity. You see what worked this year — and what didn’t.

AQUARIUS: Your mind is buzzing with ideas for the future.

Write them down, even strange ones.

PISCES: You’re feeling sensitive, but also strong. This week reminds you how much you’ve grown.

PUZZLE NO. 857

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

Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line. You already have a few numbers to get you started.

Remember: You must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column, or 3x3 box.

ACROSS 1. Trout, e.g.

5. Influence 9. Family member 12. Feel a dull pain 13. Coffeehouse 14. Exercise 15. Colorer 16. Breezes 17. Green soup 18. Hobby wood 20. Bosc, e.g.

21. Accumulate years 24. Turn in 26. Frank 28. Unleash 32. Gnomes 33. String instrument 34. Studio couch 36. Jump the track 37. Not level 39. Have a look-see 40. Grocery vehicle 43. Screens

45. Mine product 46. Pleasant 47. Dude 51. Eye cover 52. Domain 53. Station wagon, e.g.

54. Promos 55. Better than better 56. Require DOWN 1. Style 2. Wintry 3. That woman 4. Thyme, e.g.

5. Climbed 6. Midriff 7. Spooked 8. Affirmative vote 9. Hoodwink 10. On the water 11. Expensive 19. Up and about 20. Actor Ustinov 21. Did well on 22. Festive party

23. Jealousy 25. New 27. Coming-out 29. Word of woe 30. Fastener 31. Devout 35. Craving 36. Conquer 38. Bad habits 40. Pop flavor 41. Like the Sahara 42. Scarlet and crimson 44. Read rapidly 46. Snatch 48. Tint 49. Enjoyed a pizza 50. Seed holder

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Toronto Dufferin & Eglinton | (416) 787-8890 Dufferin Mall | (416) 530-0005 Queens & Lansdowne | (416) 530-1800 China Town Spadina | (416) 315-4243 Sherbourne & Isabella St | (647) 533-7291 Jane & Wilson | (416) 300-0538 Scarborough Peanut Plaza | (647) 719-1999 Parkway Mall | (416) 666-6197 Woodside Square | (647) 719-3418 Brimley & Eglinton | (416) 269-0685 Offer is subject to change without notice. Taxes extra.

Kingston Rd & Poplar Rd | (416) 282-600 Agincourt Mall | (647) 351-3966 Brampton & Mississauga Derry & McLaughlin | (905) 795-9541 Bovaird & McLaughlin | (905) 497-6661 Springdale Plaza | (905) 515-9201 Hamilton, St Catharines & Niagara Eastgate Square | (905) 560-4869 Mountain Plaza | (905) 387-3030 Jackson Sqaure | (905) 523-1525 The Pen Centre | (289) 362-3839 McLeod & Dorchestor | (289) 783-9007