Digital Control Expands

Canada’s Leading Caribbean Newspaper

Volume 14 • Issue 23

Wednesday, December 17 2025

“Yes! You read that correctly.

Canada has begun laying the groundwork for a national Digital ID system, quietly framed as a matter of safety, efficiency, and modernization. While public debate remains limited, implementation has already begun....”

FULL STORY - PAGE 8

PAGE 2

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 17, 2025

MARIAM OYINLOYE

Photo Credit: Kofi Asem Photography

The deep truth found in young, healing hands The first time I heard Mariam Oyinloye speak, it wasn’t about her awards, though she has plenty, from being named the 2025 Rotman Family Entrepreneur of the Year to landing on Canada’s Top 100 Black Women to Watch 2024 list. It was about the physical ache, the profound vulnerability of being a young teenager dealing with a deep, persistent pain in silence. We talk a lot about ‘purpose-driven business’ now, but Mariam’s journey began with a question mark hanging over her own body. That, for me, is the real pulse of community journalism: finding the human truth hidden in the accolades.

It is easy to look at the CEO of Abimbola, a vibrant, Toronto-based brand focused on eco-friendly, sustainable menstrual care, and assume a smooth ascent. To understand the true resilience required, you have to slow down and trace the outline of that initial discomfort.

Mariam grew up in Toronto, and like millions of others, navigated the confusing, often painful reality of early menstrual health. It was during these formative years, specifically around ages 13 or 14, that her personal pain intersected sharply with two enormous systemic crises: period poverty and the overwhelming environmental toll of traditional products.

Imagine, as a young teen, the discomfort you feel is compounded by the gnawing knowledge that the solutions available are generating mountains of waste that “will outlive most of us,” and may also be exposing you to undisclosed chemicals. This exposure shaped her early commitment to social justice, environmental sustainability, and the critical need for honest menstrual health education.

The transition from personal problem to entrepreneurial solution was accelerated by the hyper-speed urgency of the digital age.

She found herself scrolling, learning rapidly about the reality of conventional pads and tampons. “I learned pads and tampons had chemicals, there was a lawsuit that was ongoing, and there was a lot of distrust,” she shared.

This was information that generated profound anxiety about what she had been putting in her body. The realization, the

sudden, sharp fear that the products designed to help were actually harmful, was the catalyst.

Suddenly, the timeline sped up.

Her mother, seeing the research and the frustration, dropped the challenge, “Why don’t you start your own business?”.

It was an immediate call to action that demanded an equally immediate, intense response. Mariam had to jump from worrying about her own period to deep diving into the world of forensic research and business development.

She leveraged programs like the Social Venture Zone with TMU for data access, alongside her own rigorous internet searches. Her mission had become clear; to build something different.

She named it Abimbola, a name resonating with legacy, purpose, and power. It is both her middle name and her mother’s first name, meaning “born to wealth”. The wealth she is building, however, is health-based and communitycentered.

Mariam views Abimbola as “more than just a brand.” It is a commitment to positive change built on the bedrock of chemical truth and radical equity.

This focus on truth is where her entrepreneurial edge truly shines. She recognized a glaring gap in the market: accessibility and equity, particularly for Black women. She notes, “One thing I have seen is that companies don’t make health-based menstrual products accessible to minority communities. My company makes it equitable, so that Black women can afford it.”

Affordability isn’t enough without accountability. Abimbola sells reusable menstrual products like pads and cups, explicitly framed as both healthconscious and eco-conscious, reducing the mountains of waste headed to landfills. What truly sets her product apart, however, is the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification.

OEKO-TEX 100 is a globally recognized, third-party label that signals profound trust. It means every component (from the yarn to the dyes) is tested for over 1,000 harmful substances, including heavy metals, formaldehyde, and pesticides. It is a rigorous, science-based process that often surpasses legal requirements. Mariam points out, “I notice

that many other companies don’t use this when creating tampons and pads.” By using it, she is fulfilling her promise of providing chemical-conscious options, building loyalty, and standing out as responsible in a world increasingly worried about product safety.

This level of maturity and dedication has earned her recognition, including the Sisters in Sync Entrepreneurship 2024 Award. She actively uplifts local youth through community events like a Diversity Talent Show. She speaks nationally at forums such as GLOBExCHANGE, sharing her vision for advancing wellness solutions for Gen Z. She is weaving her personal journey into a powerful fabric of collective empowerment.

Of course, being a pioneer, especially one so young, comes with resistance, and that requires a different kind of emotional stamina.

Mariam admitted that she has “Only gotten negative reactions from teens who have not done the research on the work I do.” She views this as a “maturity thing,” but understands it.

This is why her final advice, distilled down to its core necessity, feels so resonant and powerful. She is focused on the future: exposing the research, ensuring her products become the “new normal” for young women, and achieving significant environmental change. For any 13-year-old girl feeling too young to act on an idea, Mariam’s message is clear and real, “You need a team.”

She urges young people to find a trusted mentor: a parent, teacher, guest speaker, or even a LinkedIn connection, and ask questions. She knows firsthand that this entrepreneurial journey cannot be done alone.

Mariam Oyinloye is crafting a legacy born from vulnerability, built on chemical truth, and designed to uplift the next generation, one reusable, independently tested product at a time. It’s a powerful lesson: when we choose to transform our personal aches into public purpose, we change the world.

Written by Simone J. Smith Toronto Caribbean News

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NEWS & VIEWS

PAGE 3

Obedience is the elite’s fragile shield SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

We often mistake silence for stability. We accept the weight of corruption and economic instability, assuming the systems controlling our lives are too robust, too ingrained, to truly falter. This normalization, this collective psychological surrender, is perhaps the greatest power wielded by any administration, but what happens when the people collectively decide the toll of compliance is higher than the risk of defiance?

The recent forced resignation of the Bulgarian government offers a profound, if subtly chilling, answer.

Bulgaria’s prime minister stepped down amidst sustained mass protests, unable to manage public dissatisfaction over corruption and controversial economic strategies. This event, culminating in an anticipated no-confidence vote, was a psychological rupture, a concrete example of power dissolving when public obedience is withdrawn. When citizens unite and refuse to comply with corrupt systems, fundamental change becomes possible.

This dynamic reveals a critical truth about governance: governments and elites rely entirely on public adherence. Their grip loosens the moment citi-

zens withdraw their compliance, whether through grassroots activism, strikes, or widespread protests. It is a powerful lesson in collective agency, framed by observers like David Icke as a victory against elite control and a rejection of traditional top-down governance. It serves as a stark reminder that while those in power may seek to control our destiny, we are often the ones giving that power away every minute of our lives.

This withdrawal of consent is the shift that threatens centralized power structures worldwide.

Yet, this victory in Bulgaria, this temporary reclamation of agency, exists within a larger narrative of escalating global control. The pressure points that caused Bulgaria’s government to fall economic dissatisfaction and accountability demands, are symptoms of systemic instability that some predict will be exploited to accelerate the centralization of global authority.

For marginalized communities, particularly racialized populations like Afro and Indo Caribbean Canadians, understanding these global shifts is a matter of future security. As calls for accountability rise, so too does the push toward systems of heightened surveillance, digital control, and technocratic rule.

We are seeing frameworks, like the UN’s 2030 Agenda (viewed by some as a “Totalitarian Trojan Horse”) that aim to implement Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), social credit scores, and increased surveillance under the guise of sustainable development. These changes including engineered economic crashes and the expansion of AI into daily life, are predicted to restrict personal autonomy and could dis-

proportionately intensify systemic barriers related to job security, access to credit, and digital privacy for those already vulnerable.

This is the subtle burden; when freedom and economic stability are increasingly conditional, the cost of noncompliance rises dramatically.

To resist this path, we must look to the blueprint laid out by those who challenge authority in the immediate act of protest, and also in the sustained refusal to grant consent. The Bulgarian example inspires us to foster civic engagement, build broad coalitions, and engage in mass non-compliance and peaceful protests to challenge policies linked to concentrated power.

Our clarity, our collective power, and our sustained vigilance are the only tools we have to dismantle the fragile shield of elite control. We must reclaim our agency, realizing that the solution to societal dissatisfaction lies in demanding transparency and accountability and ensuring marginalized voices are central to decision-making processes. We must reject the instinct to look for someone else to blame and instead embrace the power inherent in collective action.

The choice is ours: Will we continue to give away our power, or will we harness the reality that authority, devoid of consent, is merely an empty room?

BLUE BINS: NO LONGER CITY-RUN January 1, 2026: Private company takes over residential recycling collection (provincial requirement).

MANAGED BY THE CITY OF TORONTO

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Toronto.ca/Recycling

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Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 5

The Quiet Work of Christmas As we reach the final edition before Christmas and the holidays, this always feels like a natural moment to pause.

Not just to look ahead, but to look back — at the year behind us, the people who walked it with us, and the quiet moments that reminded us what community truly means.

Christmas, especially within our Caribbean community, has never just been about what’s under the tree. It’s about who’s around the table. It’s about checking in on elders, sharing food even when cupboards aren’t full, and making sure no one feels forgotten. These traditions didn’t come from abundance — they came from understanding, resilience, and care that has been passed down through generations.

Living in a city as fast-paced and expensive as Toronto, it can sometimes feel like those values are being tested.

Many families are working longer hours, juggling multiple responsibilities, and still finding ways to show up for one another.

This year, in particular, has asked a lot of people — emotionally, financially, and spiritually.

And yet, even in the midst of all of that, I continue to witness something remarkable. People showing up quietly, without applause or recognition. That, to me, is the quiet work of Christmas.

It’s seen in the neighbour who checks in on an elder, the volunteer who gives their time without needing credit, and the family that stretches a meal to include one more person. These are the small acts that never make headlines, but they are the ones that hold our community together.

I want to take a moment to acknowledge those who may be carrying more than they let on this season.

If you’re feeling tired, overwhelmed, or missing someone you love, please know you are not alone. The holidays can bring joy, but they can also bring reflection, and both are allowed to exist at the same time. There is no single way to experience this season, and however you are feeling is valid.

This time of reflection is also

an opportunity to say thank you. To our readers — thank you for trusting us and for welcoming this newspaper into your homes, your workplaces, and your daily lives. Your continued support reminds us why community-based storytelling matters, especially in times when so many voices feel unheard or overlooked. We do not take that trust lightly.

To our advertisers, thank you for believing in community-focused media.

Every advertisement placed in this paper represents more than a business decision; it is a commitment to visibility, connection, and collective growth. Your support helps ensure that stories from our community continue to be told, shared, and preserved.

And to those who go out of their way to support the businesses advertised in this paper, thank you. Choosing to support Caribbean-owned and communitysupporting businesses strengthens more than the local economy. It strengthens families, livelihoods, and futures. Those choices matter more than you may realize, and they help keep our community vibrant and resilient.

Community does not survive on good intentions alone. It survives on action — on people making conscious decisions to support one another, even when it is not convenient. Especially when it is not convenient.

As we move into the holidays and toward a new year, my hope is that we carry this spirit forward. That kindness doesn’t end on December 25. That patience extends into January and beyond.

That we continue to look out for one another in ways big and small, seen and unseen.

May this season bring moments of peace, warmth, and connection — whether through family, friends, faith, or quiet reflection. And may the year ahead find us still standing together, still caring, and still choosing community.

From my heart to yours, thank you for being part of this journey with us.

Wishing you and your loved ones a safe, peaceful, and meaningful holiday season.

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

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Dave Rankin AFRICAN HISTORY dave@carib101.com

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NEWS & VIEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Action is the purest form of kindness; The Mabin School students show up for Jamaica SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

There exists a pervasive, often paralyzing narrative that global crises, be they geopolitical or climatic, are too vast, too complex, for the average individual to influence. This cultivated sense of systemic powerlessness often breeds apathy, a psychological defense mechanism against the overwhelming scale of suffering, but…

What happens when that imposed detachment is shattered by the stark, observed reality of human need? The story of the Grade 5 class at The Mabin School, leveraging their “Change for Change” initiative to support Hurricane Melissa relief in Jamaica, offers a powerful counter-analysis.

It is an empirical demonstration of how moral clarity can emerge from meticulously structured education and empathetic exposure.

The students’ action was triggered by the profound experience of viewing the damage Hurricane Melissa inflicted. The devastation was transformed from a headline into an internalized, personal metric of loss.

One student articulated this precise psychological jump, “I saw the destruction... I thought about how it would feel to lose the place that you feel safe, loved and a place that you feel comfortable.” This cognitive act (placing oneself within the victim’s context) is the essential prerequisite for genuine action. It collapses the artificial boundary between ‘us’ and ‘them’. One student observed, the victims in Jamaica “Are people, just like us. They deserve to have homes, food, water and all the natural necessities they deserve to live.” The moral imperative becomes inescapable when humanity is recognized as universal.

This sudden, clear-eyed recognition of shared experience spurred an

immediate organizational response.

Inspired by our “Shirt Off My Back” initiative led in part by Roger Mooking, the students alongside their teachers Mrs. Sue Ball, Mrs. Jackie MacPherson, and Principal Simone Gravesande developed their own localized structure, mobilizing the entire school community, from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6, to collect funds. The stated goal was 300.The outcome $560.00 was a measurable affirmation of collective power and amplified commitment. These students moved beyond individual intent and harnessed collective action.

What is most compelling is the profound internal transformation observed in the students after the action was complete. The initial step unlocked a realization of self-efficacy that had previously been dormant.

One student confessed, “I used to just think I wasn’t able to do anything, but now I see that everyone can do something to help the people who need it.” This shift from a state of perceived powerlessness to one of activated moral agency is the core of true education. For the educators at Mabin, who emphasize teaching empathy and fostering caring citizens, this process brings their mission to life.

The experience immediately raised the students’ own standards of moral obligation. Students reflected that despite their efforts, they “Could have still put in more effort,” noting they should have implemented a cookie stand, or other advanced fundraising methods.

Leadership, too, was redefined through the process. Students learned that being a changemaker is “For everyone and not to leave all the important stuff to the grownups.” Leadership moved past the abstraction of “just leading people” to become synonymous with tangible kindness, respect, and generosity enacted worldwide. Kindness is enacted through direct, measurable actions: donating, helping, and ensuring wellbeing.

In an era where systemic failures often overshadow individual

efforts, these Grade 5 students demonstrated that the capacity for meaningful, coordinated action remains potent. They refused the convenient psychological retreat of inertia, choosing instead the demanding path of empathy and material support.

The “Change for Change” initiative is a clear portrait of activated

citizenship, illustrating how nurtured moral consciousness can translate into real-world change, proving that even minor initial efforts, when galvanized by collective purpose, are powerful enough to challenge the perception of global powerlessness.

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

NEWS & VIEWS

PAGE 7

Recent technology in Canada masks our systemic failures SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

In the machinery of the modern state, there is a recurring tendency to substitute technological efficiency for rigorous human judgment. When institutions buckle under systemic pressure (like chronic understaffing) the solution often involves automating critical processes, thereby obscuring institutional failure behind the sheen of progress.

This managerial impulse, which Noam Chomsky would recognize as the powerful prioritizing expediency over authentic democratic or security diligence, is currently playing out at Canada’s borders with the rollout of the Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) “One Touch” intake system for asylum claimants.

This is a shift in how we validate human stories. For years, individuals seeking asylum completed forms in the presence of a border services officer.

This interaction was the critical opportunity for officers to ask follow-up questions, verify genuineness, and detect signs of human smuggling, or coaching.

Under One Touch, however, claimants deemed “low risk” following a “very

cursory” initial assessment are allowed entry into the country, relying on them to complete their full security screening and required forms online within 45 days.

The spin of this streamlined process is subtle but devastating it exchanges human insight for algorithmic assessment. While the CBSA defends the system by pointing to “multiple layers of defence,” including running biometric data against law enforcement databases, the union representing border officers warns that the ability to confirm if a story is genuine has been fundamentally “removed.” When meaningful interaction is reduced, so is the capacity for observation, the intuition necessary to discern authenticity from artifice.

We treat human lives as low-risk inputs, diminishing the officer’s professional capacity for subtle psychological assessment.

This outsourcing of security diligence carries tangible risks that cannot be dismissed as mere teething problems.

The system allows claimants to enter before full security screening is complete.

Worse, an estimated 10% of claimants fail to submit the required forms, making it challenging for inland agencies to locate them for removal. Customs and Immigration Union president Mark Weber is clear: those with the “Greatest motivation to not self-declare” are the ones who subsequently “Disappear into Canada.” The risk compromises national security by creating demonstrable gaps that allow individuals who may pose a

threat to vanish without full scrutiny.

The core issue, utilizing a critical lens, is that the government is choosing speed to manage high volumes and backlogs over the security and stability that robust human screening provides. This prioritization of facilitation transforms a humanitarian and security process into a cold logistical problem.

The CBSA assures the public that all claimants receive an initial assessment and that high-risk individuals are still processed traditionally. Yet, relying on a preliminary assessment that is admittedly “very cursory” to determine eligibility for reduced scrutiny is inherently problematic when the consequence of error is public safety.

We must recognize the damage done when a nation substitutes genuine engagement for convenience.

The true measure of a robust system is its insistence on human accountability, not its reliance on a “flawless” algorithm, which, as the CBSA concedes, does not exist. The pursuit of expediency, driven by understaffing, forces us to accept structural compromises that erode public trust and ignore the vital importance of human dialogue in the pursuit of security. The silence around this systemic choice, this reduction of complex human migration to a ‘one touch’ entry, is deafening. We must demand that our systems honor the necessary burden of rigorous human connection, rather than allowing technology to automate away our ethical responsibilities

Words shape lives: Dr. Palmonia Gordon’s message PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Dr. Pal Palmonia Gordon is an author, speaker, and women’s empowerment coach who has built a reputation for helping people move from survival to intention. Through seminars, workshops, and coaching, she guides individuals toward clarity, confidence, and personal agency. As founder of ORDER IT Coaching Academy and Palmonia Gordon Ventures Inc., Dr. Gordon focuses on transformation that begins with mindset and shows up in action.

On Saturday, November 29th, 2025, in Mississauga, Dr. Gordon launched her third book, Words Matter.

The event marked another milestone in a body of work grounded in faith, resilience, and practical self-development.

She previously authored ORDER IT: A Guide to Manifesting Your Dreams and holds an honorary Doctor of Humanity in recognition of her long-standing commitment to self-preservation, restoration, and empowerment.

Words Matter builds on a principle Dr. Gordon lives by: words carry weight. The book challenges readers

to recognize how everyday language shapes belief, behaviour, and outcomes.

Her call to action stays simple and direct; remember who you are, speak life into your future, and use your words with intention to build the life you were meant to live.

During the launch, Dr. Gordon shared personal stories that anchored her message in lived experience. Born in Jamaica, she spoke openly about abandonment, abuse, and hardship.

She framed these experiences as chapters rather than conclusions. The room responded to her honesty, her grit, and her emphasis on spiritual grounding as a source of strength.

One scripture captured the heart of her philosophy: Matthew 7:7 “Ask, Seek, Knock.” Dr. Gordon described these three words as both spiritual instruction and life strategy. They reflect her belief that progress requires clarity, persistence, and action. Through discipline and reflection, she learned how to turn pain into purpose, then teach others to do the same.

According to the book’s description on Bookshop.org, Words Matter asks a simple, but confronting question: what if the fastest way to change your life starts with the next sentence you speak? The book shows readers how to align thoughts, words, and actions so results follow by design rather than chance. Drawing on vivid storytelling and accessible psychology, Dr. Gordon explains how the mind processes lan-

guage and meaning.

Her approach rests on a structured, practical system. Readers learn how to shape thoughts, choose precise language, and act with intention. The book outlines key lessons, including why doubt stalls progress, how to direct both the thinking and producing parts of the mind, and how to plant phrases that grow into long-term opportunity.

The benefits extend beyond insight. Readers learn how to upgrade self-talk, so it supports the outcomes they want. They explore how gratitude and expectation influence momentum.

The book also addresses how to break unconscious patterns and reframe language around abundance, health, money, and relationships.

Following the launch, Dr. Gordon shared a message of gratitude on Facebook. She wrote that Words Matter grew from her valleys, victories, and quiet moments of spiritual reflection.

She thanked attendees for bringing the book to life through their presence, whether in person, online, or in spirit.

Words Matter stands out for its focus on application. Rather than theory alone, it offers tools readers can use immediately. For those seeking language that empowers rather than limits, this book delivers clarity, direction, and purpose.

Copies of Words Matter are available at drpalmoniagordon.com

PAGE 8

NEWS & VIEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Canada Moves Forward With Digital ID Programs MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Yes! You read that correctly. Canada has begun laying the groundwork for a national Digital ID system, quietly framed as a matter of safety, efficiency, and modernization. While public debate remains limited, implementation has already begun. The question Canadians now face is simple: do they understand what is being built, and how quickly?

Governments around the world have embraced digital identification systems, and Canada has joined them.

The rollout has not arrived all at once.

Instead, it has taken shape province by province, policy by policy, and budget line by budget line.

At the federal level, the government has signaled its intent clearly. Anyone seeking federal benefits, including seniors receiving Old Age Security, will soon require digital identification. That shift alone places millions of Canadians on a new track, whether they asked for it or not.

In Prime Minister Mark Carney’s 2025 budget, Employment and Social Development Canada confirmed proposed amendments to the Department of Employment and Social Development Act. According to the department, these changes aim to “Enable the delivery of more integrated and efficient services across government.” Efficiency has become the watchword. Oversight has not.

As of late 2025, several provinces already operate advanced digital ID systems. British Columbia and Quebec lead the pack. Alberta follows closely behind. Ontario remains in development, though policy frameworks and

consultations continue.

British Columbia operates one of the most mature systems in the country. Residents use the BC Services Card and BC Driver’s Licence through the eIDMe mobile app. The province supports digital ID use across public and private services and has eliminated physical stickers in favour of digital credentials.

B.C. has positioned itself as a national leader in government-integrated digital identity.

Quebec passed Bill 82 in 2025, establishing the legal framework for a government-backed digital ID and digital wallet program scheduled for launch by 2028. The law emphasizes privacy protections and user control. It also mandates public consultation before biometric data collection. Quebec’s system will allow residents to access government services securely and may integrate with federal and private platforms.

Alberta’s MyAlberta Digital ID already functions as a trusted identity for federal government services. The program allows secure authentication and aligns with the national interoperability framework.

Ontario’s Digital ID program remains under development. The province has stated that participation will remain voluntary and privacy-focused, though no public rollout date exists. Officials continue consultations with both public and private stakeholders.

Municipal governments have entered the picture as well. Vancouver has begun piloting digital credentials for business licences and municipal services. The city works with provincial partners to expand credential use across sectors.

Taken together: British Columbia, Quebec, and Alberta already operate digital ID systems recognized for federal use. Ontario continues planning.

Municipal pilots now fill in the gaps. The infrastructure exists. Expansion no longer appears hypothetical.

Before examining develop-

ments abroad, Canadians need clarity on what Digital ID actually means. In practice, a digital ID consolidates identity verification into a single credential.

Often stored on a smartphone, that credential verifies access to services, benefits, financial platforms, and official records.

Critics raise concerns about scope. A single scan could expose personal data to government systems, including birth records, medical history, financial activity, and participation in public programs. Once centralized, access control becomes a policy decision rather than a personal one.

Globally, governments present Digital ID as a solution to fraud and inefficiency. Technology companies echo that message. Trinsic, a major digital identity platform, promotes “faster verification, reduced fraud, and smoother user experiences,” claiming digital IDs cut verification times from minutes to seconds.

What the pitch leaves out matters just as much. Marketing language rarely addresses denial of service, transaction restrictions, travel limitations, or financial controls. Programmable systems allow permissions to expand, or contract without user consent.

The global spread has accelerated. North America now tracks 48 digital ID schemes covering roughly 177 million adults. In the United States, mobile driver’s licences already operate in dozens of states. Europe tracks 89 systems serving about half its adult population, with the EU Digital Identity Wallet shaping the next phase.

Asia leads in scale. India’s Aadhaar system alone serves more than 1.3 billion users. Africa, the Middle East, South America, and Oceania continue rapid adoption. Global platforms now operate beyond national borders, including decentralized and Web3-based identity systems.

Trinsic plays a central role in this ecosystem. The company enables busi-

nesses to accept digital IDs, configure verification requirements, and comply with regional rules through a single platform. In effect, it simplifies global identity management at scale.

In Canada, the Digital ID & Authentication Council of Canada confirms the direction. The public-private coalition advances a “trusted Canadian digital economy” through industry-driven identity frameworks. It stewards the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework™, designed to align with global standards and support interoperability across sectors and borders.

That language signals intent.

Digital identity serves as an optional convenience, and also functions as economic infrastructure.

Former Pfizer vice president Dr. Michael Yeadon has issued blunt warnings. In a recent interview, he argued that Digital ID reshapes the relationship between individuals and power. “If you sign up for Digital ID, it will be the last really important decision you will ever make,” Yeadon said. “Your digital ID will become the only way power recognizes you. You will exist as a QR code.”

He warned that programmable systems allow authorities to restrict access based on behaviour, movement, or speech. “You are not a number,” he said.

“You are an address to resources, and those resources remain editable.”

Whether one agrees with Yeadon’s conclusions or not, his remarks underscore the stakes. Digital ID systems change how access works. They centralize control. They scale quickly.

Canadians now face a choice point. Digital ID operates inside provincial systems, federal programs, and municipal pilots. The debate has arrived late. The rollout has not.

The issue is governance, consent, and limits. Canadians must decide whether convenience outweighs constant verification, and whether a digital key should unlock every door of civic life.

Small businesses need protection in changing neighborhoods STEVEN KASZAB steven@carib101.com

TC COLUMNIST

Have you heard of the Small Business Anti-Displacement Network? Founded during the pandemic by Willow Lung, the organization exists for one clear reason: to help small businesses survive and thrive in neighborhoods that keep changing around them.

The pandemic made one truth unavoidable. The idea of a predictable “normal” no longer exists. Economies shift. Demographics change. Government policies evolve. The backbone of local economies (small businesses) must evolve too.

Today’s policymakers, social

commentators, and lobbyists talk endlessly about housing, urban development, and inequality. Too often, they overlook the small business owners whose work gives neighbourhoods their character and stability. These entrepreneurs may seem small, but their impact runs deep. They needed support, not sympathy. The Small Business Anti-Displacement Network stepped into that gap.

The organization connects: financial, technical, local, and federal assistance agencies to tackle the biggest threat facing small businesses: soaring commercial rents. It also creates space to confront the broader inequalities that leave immigrant- and minority-owned businesses especially vulnerable. This work recognizes that displacement rarely happens by accident. It follows patterns of exclusion, speculation, and unchecked development.

The network focuses on what hurts small businesses most. Access to capital remains limited. Commercial

leases often favour landlords. Zoning rules ignore lived realities. Private ownership can shut out long-standing businesses overnight. Rather than treating these issues in isolation, the organization views neighbourhoods as sociocommercial ecosystems. When predatory pressures appear, it plans for survival and resistance.

Developers often pour resources into new commercial zones while ignoring a basic question: who will shop there? Businesses need nearby residents to survive. Communities need local businesses to remain livable. Sustainable development demands equal attention to commercial and residential priorities.

Today, more than 180 organizations belong to this growing network.

Members share seminars, education, research, and advocacy across the system.

The goal remains difficult, but achievable: help neighbourhoods function in displaced economies where rising costs push out the very businesses that built

the community.

Through local and national connections, the organization communicates with, challenges, and confronts private, or corporate threats when necessary. It addresses gentrification and corporate takeovers openly, and it pursues legal action when required.

Community organizations bring landlord and developer missteps into public view, where accountability begins.

The network’s greatest strength lies in its members. Collective action drives real change. Small businesses can thrive (and multiply) through shared research, solid management practices, and practical financial guidance. Since its founding, the organization has attracted support from allied industries and governments across North America.

A small business is only insignificant if it accepts that label. Strong plans, smart alliances, and collective power point toward a future where local economies remain rooted, resilient, and alive.

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

NEWS & VIEWS

Canadian prisons cannot hide institutional cruelty SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

When a system designed for containment is forced to answer for decades of documented abuse, we must look past the legal jargon and examine the institutional logic at play.

A class action lawsuit against Correctional Services Canada (CSC) is a formal indictment of systemic failure, demanding that the operational architecture of the Canadian state account for the abuse of African ancestored inmates. This is how power works: creating conditions where violence is normalized, then hiding the resulting trauma behind bureaucratic layers.

The evidence meticulously collected paints a portrait of calculated control.

The lawsuit alleges that CSC negligently permitted, or failed to prevent the abuse of Black inmates, including unauthorized physical force and racialized verbal abuse by staff. Crucially, the sources highlight that this mistreatment is systematic. African ancestored prisoners are consistently and disproportionately subjected to harsher punishments and longer periods in segregation or isolation units. We understand segregation as a powerful mechanism of deprivation and control, a tool disproportionately wielded against individuals based not on

subjective staff judgment.

The psychological architecture of containment relies heavily on the language of dehumanization. Reports detail that African ancestored inmates endure racialized verbal abuse, including being called slurs such as the n-word and being labeled with harmful stereotypes by correctional staff.

Staff have reportedly used slurs like “monkeys,” made derogatory comments labeling African ancestored inmates as “lazy,” a stereotype rooted in slavery. Such language serves a clear function in a controlled environment: it is psychological warfare designed to strip the individual of their dignity and simultaneously justify the institution’s subsequent maltreatment.

When correctional staff dismiss African ancestored prisoners with comments such as, “all you guys look alike,” or label them as “gang members” based solely on appearance or associations, the system signals that individualized humanity is irrelevant. This erasure of identity makes it psychologically easier for staff to enact disciplinary bias, which manifests in racial disparities in risk assessments, access to prison employment, personal care items, and early release opportunities.

Adding to this institutional trauma is the chilling reality that seeking recourse is often futile. Reports indicate that complaints about racism, or mistreatment are often ignored or met with intimidation.

When an institution cultivates a culture described by external reviews as defensive, secretive, and characterized by intimidation, it ensures that victims are psychologically silenced. The internal environment actively discourages the pursuit of redress, reinforc-

ing the inmate’s isolation and powerlessness.

In response, CSC has launched initiatives, including the Black Offender Strategy and the new ARDEI (Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). Framework. Recommendations include setting multi-year hiring and promotional goals for racialized employees and implementing specific training on anti-Black racism. Yet, the sources underscore the gap between rhetoric and reality: advocates argue these measures have not resulted in significant improvements, and external audits continue to reveal that anti-Black racism remains rampant. These reforms risk becoming mere institutional theatre, a strategic move to signal compliance while minimizing meaningful structural change.

The class action fundamentally alters the relationship between the state and the abused. All eligible African ancestored persons who experienced abuse between 1985 and late 2023 are automatically included in the lawsuit. This automatic inclusion is a silent acknowledgement of the widespread nature of the alleged systemic trauma.

Individuals may opt out by February 20th, 2026, a choice that forces a profound internal calculation: accepting a collective pursuit of justice, or choosing to pursue a singular legal claim, navigating the weight of that systemic trauma alone. The lawsuit, led by representative plaintiff Abel Araya, puts the spotlight on the institutional violence that has long been masked, forcing the observer to confront the uncomfortable truth about who the system protects, and who it sacrifices.

Taxes remain the largest single expense for Canadian families MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

They say the only two sure things in this life are death and taxes; well, Canada sure has an abundance of the latter. Here are some of the taxes Canadians are saddled with daily: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Federal Personal Income Tax Ontario Provincial Income Tax Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Contributions Employment Insurance (EI) Contributions Harmonized Sales Tax (HST – 13% in Ontario) Federal Excise Tax Federal Carbon Tax (Fuel Charge) Municipal Property Tax Ontario Land Transfer Tax Toronto Municipal Land Transfer Tax Non-Resident Speculation Tax (NRST) Gasoline Tax (Ontario) Federal Fuel Excise Tax Vehicle Registration Fees Tire Recycling Fee Vehicle Air Conditioning Excise Tax Alcohol Excise Tax Ontario Beer Basic Tax Ontario Wine Basic Tax Ontario Tobacco Tax Cannabis Excise Duty Federal Corporate Income Tax

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Ontario Corporate Income Tax Capital Gains Tax Dividend Tax Employer Health Tax (Ontario) Payroll Health Tax Airport Improvement Fee Air Traveler’s Security Charge (ATSC) Customs Duties & Import Taxes Estate Administration Tax (Ontario Probate) Capital Gains Tax on Death Blue Box Recycling Fees Environmental Handling Fees (EHF)

Former House of Commons member Michelle Ferreri says, “Canadians are now paying 46% of their pay cheques in taxes,” arguing that rising tax burdens are putting increased pressure on households.

According to the Fraser Institute, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families, and future generations by studying, measuring, and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship, and choice on their well-being. Taxes remain the largest single expense for Canadian families.

The findings are scary, and most Canadians do not know how much they are paying, according to a Fraser Institute report.

“Canadians pay many different taxes to local, provincial and federal governments: income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes and payroll taxes, to name a few.”

“While some of these are quite visible (you can see how much personal income tax is taken off your paystub), others are more hidden,” the report says.

Another study by the Fraser Institute, published in 2024, found that the

average Canadian family (including single people) paid $48,306 in total taxes.

Given the average family’s total cash income was $114,289 in 2024, this means families paid 42.3% of their incomes in taxes levied by all levels of government.

Let this sink in.

Imagine just a few short decades ago, even after adjusting for inflation, the average Canadian family paid just $17,166 in total taxes in 1961 (adjusted for inflation), which represented 33.5% of its total income that year.

From 1961 to 2024, the inflationadjusted tax bill of the average Canadian family increased by more than 180%.

This is how the average Canadian family’s tax bill compares with how much it spends on the basic necessities like food.

In 2024, the average Canadian family spent $12,925 on food, $25,199 on shelter and $2,435 on clothing.

This means the average family spent a larger share of its income on taxes (42.3%) than on basic necessities (35.5%).

Recently, taxes have become the largest single expense for Canadian families.

Even though some might argue Canadians get a bit more value in things like health care for the high taxes they are paying, does this justify this type of taxation?

Most think not.

When a nation spends more in taxes than they spend on food, shelter and clothing combined, this does not leave much to enjoy, and this could mean putting oneself in debt just to survive.

Now, the debt most Canadians are in these days is certainly a subject for a different article, so I digress, but in the tax department, Canadians deserve better.

PAGE 9

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NEWS & VIEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 17, 2025

JUMP Math expands financial literacy access for Canadian students PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Since its founding in 2002, JUMP Math has supported teachers, students, and educators by strengthening how mathematics is taught and understood. Developed by mathematician and educator Dr. John Mighton, the organization rests on a simple, but powerful belief: every child can reach their full potential with a strong foundation in math.

Over the past two decades, JUMP Math has built a reputation for creating evidence-based learning tools that help educators foster confidence, comprehension, and a lasting appreciation for mathematics among students in Grades K–8. That mission continues with a newly announced collaboration that expands learning beyond numbers alone.

On Tuesday, November 25th, 2025, JUMP Math announced a national

partnership with RBC designed to increase access to financial literacy resources for children in underserved Canadian communities. The initiative ensures that more than 12,000 students across the country will gain access to practical, ageappropriate financial education.

For years, organizations such as the Ontario Association of Mathematics Educators (OAME) have offered financial literacy resources to educators through platforms like oame.on.ca. This new collaboration builds on that foundation by integrating financial literacy directly into JUMP Math’s digital ecosystem, expanding both reach and impact.

The new resources will take the form of structured financial literacy lessons designed for students in Grades 4–9. Educators, families, and students will access the lessons for free through the JUMP Math Lab, the organization’s online learning platform. The lessons will feature interactive digital content that supports different learning styles while reinforcing core math skills.

These financial literacy lessons aim to deliver three key outcomes for students. First, they help students build confidence by strengthening their rela-

tionship with math through real-world applications. Second, they develop a practical understanding of money, including budgeting, decision-making, and financial responsibility. Third, they support long-term academic success by engaging students through interactive digital lessons that connect math concepts to everyday life.

JUMP Math plans to launch the lessons in early 2026, beginning with selected communities in Manitoba and Ontario. The development process will include careful testing to ensure the content meets both educational standards and student needs. Schools and community-based tutoring programs will play a central role in delivering the lessons and ensuring students can access the digital materials.

Access matters. For students in underserved communities, limited exposure to financial education often creates long-term gaps in knowledge and opportunity. By making these lessons widely available, the partnership helps students stay engaged, supported, and prepared for future academic and life decisions.

Gayle Corcoran, Senior Director of Social Impact at RBC, emphasized the im-

portance of equitable access to financial education. “We see it as our fundamental role to support financial literacy across Canada and ensure communities can learn about money,” she said. “Through our support of JUMP Math, we aim to remove barriers and equip students with foundational financial skills that help them thrive in school and everyday life.”

Ken Aucoin, CEO of JUMP Math, echoed that commitment. “This collaboration reflects a shared focus on reducing educational inequities,” he said. “By using our evidence-based approach to create practical financial literacy lessons, we can strengthen students’ understanding of finances while supporting future academic success and life opportunities.”

Financial literacy has gained increased attention within Ontario’s revised Grades 1–8 math curriculum and the broader high school framework. This partnership responds directly to that shift by narrowing information gaps and bringing consistent, high-quality resources to students who need them most.

More information about JUMP Math and its programs is available at jumpmath.org.

The currency of careful, curated connection; The Oh What Fun Holiday Drop SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The crisp December air bites a little differently when you know you are heading toward an intentional space. Not just any party, but an invitation-only reception, the type of gathering where the door list is the most valuable accessory.

Walking into 455 Front St E, adorned in the required ‘Holiday Chic’ (festive, fashionable, and elevated) I felt the subtle weight of validation. Being one of just 50 handpicked guests at The Well Connected’s Oh What Fun Holiday Drop meant being seen as a necessary node in a carefully constructed creative network.

The modern social circuit, especially in Toronto’s demanding landscape of media and influence, is less about volume and more about vibration. This event, dedicated to “connection, cu-

ration, and community,” understood that deeply. The no-plus-one rule was a subtle, strategic move, enforcing a level of seriousness and intimacy. Exclusivity is often just a discipline of space. It was a psychological cue that shifted the energy to focused engagement, ensuring the conversations remained elevated, a subtle but powerful demand for presence.

The meticulousness of the host, Jackie Clarke (a visionary event and sponsorship architect known for her disciplined routine and creative sensibilities) was obvious as soon as you entered the space. Her agency’s focus on strategic communications and eventbased strategies ensured that every detail served a purpose that night. Trust me when I say that Jackie knows how to craft an ecosystem. As she reminded us, “Tonight isn’t merely about “Swag,” but about highlighting the incredible brands and entrepreneurs shaping Toronto. The true gift, then, is the opportunity to network, meet new people, and immerse yourselves in new products.”

A fantastic suite stands out by offering a memorable, interactive, and

personalized experience. This space was a masterful portrait of desire built on observed detail: a well-organized visual feast. What I appreciated was the range and the thoughtful relevance of the selections: @QUORIOMPLUS, @MANEUVER.MEN, @THATGOODGOODSHEA, @ UPNORTHNATURALS, @MADEUPBEAUTY_, @LOXXHAIRBEAUTY, @INNISANDGUNN, @BLAIRANDJACK, AND @HONEYSOULFOOD were some of my favourites.

The event was curated to feel relevant and usable. Guests were encouraged to browse, select, and customize, making the process itself an engaging highlight.

As I selected items, I asked myself a series of questions, one being were the gifts portable and practical? Yes, but more profoundly, they served as tangible anchors for future conversations, reinforcing the connection long after the cookies and cocktails had been cleared.

The true vulnerability of Oh What Fun Holiday Drop lies in the transition from performance to purpose.

We, the creatives and tastemakers, exchanged light treats and signature drinks, but we were ultimately exchang-

ing currency, not cash, but social capital.

The objective was to foster genuine connections, engagement, and memorable moments.

I really appreciated the icebreakers, and the personalized follow-up after the event; the tailored emails and Instagram connections that cemented relationships, transforming a fleeting moment of interaction into a lasting professional foundation.

The evening resolved not in the closing toast, but in the promise of the Oh What Fun ‘25 Digital Holiday Gift Guide. This guide, featuring every featured partner and gifted product, transformed the physical haul into a digital, actionable memory. It reinforced the core lesson of strategic influence: the experience didn’t end when you left the suite.

This is the sophisticated, resilient art of connection, building a portfolio of relationships that are reinforced by prompt, personalized follow-up and intentional engagement. It was a beautifully styled space, yes, but more importantly, it was a brilliantly designed opportunity for growth

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

NEWS & VIEWS

PAGE 11

Toronto’s Caribbean Community Highlights: Where culture, commerce, and courage meet SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

From Brampton boardrooms to Jamaican building sites, from artist studios rising downtown to communities organizing for equity and accountability, this week’s Community Highlight reminds us that Caribbean-rooted leadership creates impact throughout Canada.

Whether it’s entrepreneurs turning trade shows into scholarships, artists claiming affordable creative space, hotel guests helping rebuild hurricane-hit homes, equity leaders creating safer tables for hard conversations, or Torontonians refusing to let science and culture be quietly erased, these stories share one truth: community is not passive. It shows up. It organizes. It invests.

Here’s what’s happening across our networks, and why it matters now.

Showcase your business at our Trade Show – Limited Spots!

We’re inviting you to be part of an exciting celebration of business and culture! The 2026 Mind Your Business – TNTAO Community Trade Show is happening this Spring in Brampton.

Join 30+ entrepreneurs, enjoy live cultural entertainment, and taste authentic Trinidad & Tobago cuisine—all while supporting education through the TTNAO Scholarship Fund.

Time: 12–5 PM Location: Lions Banquet Hall, 45 Avondale Blvd, Brampton ON L6V1H1 Booth Fee: $125 (Early bird: $100, book and pay by December 31, 2025) Secure your spot now!

Email: info@tntaon.com Web: www.tntaon.com Brampton Arts Organization (BAO) launches low-cost artist studios in downtown Brampton The new space offers accessible and affordable studios to Brampton artists and arts & culture organizations The Brampton Arts Organization (BAO), in collaboration with the City of Brampton, is excited to announce the launch of the BAO Studio Rentals pilot project at 8 Nelson Street West in Downtown Brampton.

A leading non-profit arts service organization, BAO represents all Brampton artists and arts, culture and creative industries.

BAO Studio Rentals is the first affordable creative space project of its kind in Brampton. By utilizing a month-to-month, below-market-rate short-term pricing model, BAO strives

to empower Brampton artists, creative entrepreneurs and arts & culture organizations to create their most impactful work, all without having to leave the city.

With the launch of this pilot project, along with the second, ninemember cohort of the BAO Studio Residencies, BAO is creating an innovative multi-disciplinary creative destination in the heart of Brampton’s Innovation District. The site, located above the Brampton Transit Terminal and across from the Innovation District GO Station, is accessible to Brampton and GTA residents alike.

Individuals have the option of renting a private studio for $300.00 per month, or obtaining a shared studio membership for $75.00 per month.

The latter option enables them to access a hot desk and all the facilities, including a bookable private meeting room, shared kitchenette, storage, high speed internet, free parking and communal social space. The project’s initial capacity is 16 private studios and a potential membership of 15-20 shared studio memberships.

S Hotels Jamaica Launches “S for Shelters” Initiative giving guests a handson way to support hurricane recovery S Hotels Jamaica has unveiled S for Shelters, a new stay-and-support humanitarian initiative inviting guests to play an active role in Jamaica’s postHurricane Melissa recovery while enjoying an unforgettable island escape.

The program builds on S Hotel’s ongoing effort to construct 60 one-bedroom shelters for families in western Jamaica who lost their homes during the storm, with the goal of completing all 60 units through February.

“Many of our guests told us they felt guilty visiting for leisure while some Jamaicans were suffering from the effects of Melissa,” said Andres Cope, S Hotel Manager and Brand Ambassador. “S for Shelters gives them a way to do both: enjoy their trip and directly support families rebuilding their lives. As a Jamaican-owned hotel, helping our communities is at the heart of who we are.”

How the program works Guests staying seven nights, or more will have a shelter donated in their name to a family in need. Short-stay guests can participate by donating US$1,000 to fund the materials and construction of a shelter unit. The hotel will match this contribution twofor-one to help build and deliver the shelters.

Participants may also choose to: • Help build, or paint the shelters on the hotel grounds • Accompany the delivery team as their shelter is transported to a family, primarily across Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth

The initiative was born after the hotel received heartfelt messages from guests who wanted to support stormaffected families, but also hoped to keep their long-planned vacations. In response, S Hotels Jamaica created a way for travelers to do both. The program, already in motion, has delivered the first three units to families in Hertford, Westmoreland, and Black River, St. Elizabeth, and several guests have even joined the construction team on site.

Each 10×12-foot one-bedroom unit, constructed from sturdy lumber, is designed to last at least a decade with proper care. S Hotel aims to complete two to three shelters per day, continuing to deliver homes across Westmoreland and surrounding parishes. The hotel encourages people to follow the progress, take part when possible, and share these stories of resilience and recovery. Ongoing updates are available at shotelsjamaica. com.

NEW: Halton Equity Diversity roundtable monthly action tables HEDR Action Tables have been established to address the ongoing lack of belonging experienced by Black and Brown, Indigenous, and LGBTQ2S+ communities across Halton Region.

Year after year, data from Halton Police continues to show a disproportionate number of hate-motivated incidents directed at these groups, underscoring the urgent need for dedicated spaces that foster learning, accountability, and action.

Each Action Table provides a structured, member-led forum for dialogue, strategy development, and collaborative problem-solving focused on equity and community safety.

These groups also lead major annual initiatives, including the Black History Month event, the Truth & Reconciliation Summit, and the Pride in Equity Soirée.

The HEDR Black and Brown Action Table is a monthly meeting space, facilitated by Gennile Thomas Smith, dedicated to advancing equity, representation, and meaningful engagement with Black and Brown communities across Halton Region. Through dialogue, shared learning, and collective problem-solving, members explore issues affecting Black staff, residents, clients, and community partners while identifying opportunities to strengthen inclusion and address systemic barriers.

The Pride in Equity Action Table is a monthly gathering dedicated to strengthening inclusion, visibility, and equity for LGBTQ2S+ communities across our membership and the wider Halton community. Guided by open dialogue and shared learning, the Action Table explores emerging issues, identifies barriers, and develops strategies to better support LGBTQ2S+ residents, staff, clients, and

community partners.

The HEDR Truth & Reconciliation Action Table is a monthly meeting facilitated by Doran Ritchie, bringing members together to deepen their understanding of Truth and Reconciliation and to explore practical ways to advance meaningful change. Each session focuses on strategies to educate our membership on the history, realities, and ongoing impacts of colonialism, while building the skills and knowledge needed to support reconciliation in our organizations and communities.

For more information, contact Tamlyn at events@hedroundtable. com.

Councillor Matlow and Save Ontario Science Centre announce motion re-igniting fight to save the Science Centre When the Ford government closed the Science Centre building at 770 Don Mills in June 2024, Toronto fought back. Councillor Matlow moved several motions at City Council directing the city to oppose this egregious proposal that ripped out a vital cultural and recreation amenity from Flemingdon Park and Thorncliffe park. To date, over 96,000 letters regarding the importance of the Science Centre have been sent to Premier Ford through the Save Ontario’s Science Centre campaign.

As the province announces plans to install an interim Science Centre exhibits at Harbourfront Centre and proceeds with its plans to install a smaller location at Ontario Place, we cannot give up the fight to save the historic and important building at 770 Don Mills. The City of Toronto has an obligation to explore all possible means to keep the Science Centre at its current location in spite of the province’s plans.

A critical concern is that if the province is not turning on the heat during this winter, the building’s condition could deteriorate at an accelerated pace. Councillor Matlow’s motion requests the Province of Ontario provide timely information about the current condition of the building and any investments that have been implemented or are planned.

Furthermore, the Teluscape Exploration Plaza at 770 Don Mills, which is a free interactive outdoor venue containing park space and public art, has been significantly impacted by the province’s closure of the building and the current Ontario Line construction staging. By continuing to bring the fight to the province we ensure they are not let off the hook for an egregious decision that has left Flemingdon and Thorncliffe Park residents, and many thousands of Ontarians across the province, without such a vital resource as the Science Centre.

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NEWS & VIEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Systemic failures demand lower living standards for Canadians SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Last week, the Governor of the Bank of Canada, Tiff Macklem, delivered a chilling directive; unless significant structural changes occur, Canadians must brace for a period where our standard of living will decline. While the Bank’s analysis suggests the current economic situation that is marked by stagnant incomes and persistently high costs for essentials like housing and groceries, is precarious, Macklem stressed that forcing prices down would risk a severe recession. The stated solution? Structural reforms focused on increasing national productivity.

For many Canadians, particularly those standing at the intersection of social justice and economic struggle, this official warning lands as a devastating validation of an existing reality. It provokes the truly unasked question: Why are the guardians of the economic structure only now issuing an urgent warning about a decline that has

already been meticulously engineered and deeply felt by the most vulnerable among us?

There is a framework for analyzing power that often centers on how dominant institutions manage public perception, turning systemic failures into individual burdens.

The call for increased national “productivity” serves as a prime example of this subtle psychological redirection. When income has already been stagnant while the cost of everything has relentlessly increased, standard of living has already declined. Yet we are told that the way out requires workers to somehow be more productive, to split their efforts across two or three part-time jobs, to solve a problem rooted in corporate refusal to raise wages or reinvest profits.

This narrative demands that we as Canadians must accept that the system is broken and accept that the fix depends on you producing more within the broken system. The official messaging stresses that unless we change things like productivity, our income will be lower than it otherwise would have been. This focus successfully obscures the root cause: the “incessant thirst of the owning class to increase profits and their own wealth,” leading to practices like paying workers less and engaging in real estate speculation.

When a central authority frames the solution as complex structural adjustments beyond its control (like improving

productivity and competitiveness) it subtly outsources the responsibility for hardship onto the populace while shielding those who benefit from the status quo. We must look at who benefits when hope is outsourced.

To understand the resonance of this warning, we must zoom in on the specific details of systemic inequity. For Afro/Indo Caribbeans and other racialized communities, this economic downturn is an intensification of entrenched barriers.

Systemic racism in Canada’s institutions, from education to employment, limits economic inclusion and social mobility. The data paints a clear, painful portrait: Afro/ Indo Caribbean Canadians face higher poverty rates, lower property ownership, and less intergenerational wealth. Even when controlling for education, the income gap is staggering; African Caribbean Canadians with a bachelor’s degree, or higher earned a median income of $50,000 in 2020, significantly less than the $70,000 earned by nonracialized counterparts. They are twice as likely to be employed in roles requiring only a high school education, despite high postsecondary attainment.

For these communities, a national trend toward a lower standard of living means the exacerbation of these existing disparities, making the fight for economic security even harder. The pressure felt by the general population: managing

high debt and adapting to slower income growth, is compounded by the persistent weight of systemic anti-African racism in hiring, promotion, and access to capital for entrepreneurs.

If we reject the subtle tactic of blaming lack of productivity, the unasked question reveals its answer: The current economic trajectory is designed to protect the wealth accumulated at the top, and the working class, particularly racialized workers, are being asked to absorb the failure.

The solution, therefore, is not to simply accept the inevitability of scarcity.

We have to shift the focus from individual performance to dismantling the structures of extraction. The only meaningful reversal of declining standards is improving the material conditions of the working class.

This involves targeted policies that incentivize the hiring and promotion of Afro/Indo Canadians, dedicated funding streams for entrepreneurs, and accessible wrap-around supports that address systemic barriers in housing and childcare.

We must recognize that advancing prosperity is fundamental to the nation’s prosperity and sustainability. By meticulously observing and naming the authentic actions of power structures, we refuse the narrative of passive acceptance and begin the work of demanding equitable, profound change.

EQAO results reveal funding failures, not student ability PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Recent EQAO results have drawn renewed attention across Ontario’s education sector. The data shows many students performing below the provincial standard, a trend that has alarmed parents, educators, and policy advocates. Public discussion, however, risks missing the deeper issue.

The results reflect long-standing funding and policy failures, not a sudden decline in student ability.

Education advocate Nigel Bariffe addressed this concern in a recent Education Action Toronto op-ed titled “EQAO Isn’t the Crisis; It’s Ford’s Diversion Tactics.”

Bariffe argues the provincial government uses EQAO data to divert attention from chronic underfunding in public education.

By focusing on test scores, policymakers

shift the narrative away from: overcrowded classrooms, limited resources, and reduced student supports.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has raised similar concerns for decades. When the Ontario government announced plans in 2022 to expand large-scale standardized testing and shift EQAO assessments to a digital format for Grades 3 and 6, ETFO warned of significant implications for both students and educators.

ETFO has consistently maintained that standardized tests offer only a narrow snapshot of student learning. In contrast, daily classroom assessments provide a fuller, more accurate picture. Teachers design these assessments carefully and align them with curriculum expectations, student needs, and instructional goals. While standardized testing remains mandated in Grades 3, 6, and 9, many educators question its educational value.

Teachers continue to emphasize that classroom-based assessment best measures student learning. These assessments account for context, growth, and a range of skills that EQAO testing cannot capture. Despite these concerns, the province continues to rely heavily on EQAO re-

sults as a primary accountability tool.

ETFO’s warnings about digital testing now appear prescient. The federation previously stated that online assessment platforms introduce new barriers and equity concerns. Technology access, digital literacy, and test conditions vary widely across schools. ETFO stressed the need for deeper investigation into how online standardized testing affects student performance and learning outcomes.

More than 15 years ago, ETFO explored these issues in its video “Is EQAO Failing Our Children?” The video features interviews with teachers, parents, and education experts. Their message remains consistent: classroom assessments offer the most reliable insight into student progress. These assessments support learning, evaluate the whole child, measure diverse skills, and respond to individual learning needs. They also reflect contextual factors that standardized tests ignore.

Following the latest EQAO release, ETFO issued a press statement on December 3rd, 2025. The federation criticized the government’s continued reliance on standardized testing while dismissing educator expertise. ETFO renewed its call to end what it describes as a costly and ineffective

testing program. The federation urged the province to redirect EQAO funding into classrooms through smaller class sizes and stronger student support.

ETFO President David Mastin reinforced these concerns. He highlighted rising workloads, increasing violence in schools, and growing class sizes. Mastin questioned why the government remains fixated on EQAO results while educators struggle to meet student needs. He also raised concerns about political interference in EQAO’s operations, noting that the agency is meant to function independently.

Critics have long argued that EQAO fails to address educational inequities. Research shows the testing program has not closed achievement gaps along racial or socio-economic lines. Instead, EQAO shifts accountability away from government responsibility and onto educators.

This shift obscures the real drivers of educational outcomes: funding, policy decisions, and systemic support.

As debate around EQAO continues, educators and advocates remain clear.

Ontario’s students need investment, not distraction. Test scores alone will never tell the full story.

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

NEWS & VIEWS

PAGE 13

New Peel hub expands support for violence survivors PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The official launch of a new community hub inside the Peel Children’s Aid Society (CAS) building on Friday, December 5th, 2025, marked a significant step forward for survivor support in Peel Region. Municipal officials, civic leaders, service-sector partners, and representatives from diverse community organizations gathered to celebrate the expansion of the Safe Centre of Peel.

The hub operates out of Peel CAS’s Mississauga location at 25 Capstone Drive, north of Highway 401 and Hurontario Street. Details of the expansion appeared in a December 5th press release from Peel CAS. The initiative stems from a $98 million Ontario government commitment to address gender-based violence (GBV) through 85 initiatives under a fouryear provincial action plan.

Speakers at the launch stressed the urgency of accessible, coordinated

support for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and their families across Brampton, Mississauga, and Caledon. To reflect its expanded mandate, the space now carries a new name: The Circle: Peel Centre for Child, Youth and Family WellBeing. The name signals the consolidation of child and family services under one roof.

MPP Deepak Anand, representing Mississauga–Malton, highlighted the importance of the Ontario Trillium Foundation grant. The funding allows the Safe Centre to formalize its charter, partnership agreements, and operational policies. The Safe Centre operates as a collective of 29 partner agencies working through a coordinated, survivor-centred model.

Together, these agencies provide integrated services that include: • Crisis and high-risk management • System navigation • Housing assistance • Multicultural services • Legal support • Parenting support • Child welfare services Indigenous leaders, Elders, and knowledge keepers co-designed the concept of The Circle. This collaboration ensures

services honour the rights, strengths, languages, and lived realities of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis families. In Ojibwe, Waawiyebii’igan (the translation of The Circle) conveys unity, harmony, and interconnectedness.

The circle shape reflects both safety and calm. It also symbolizes a holistic, wraparound service model. More importantly, it reinforces the partner agencies’ shared commitment to collaboration grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion, and Truth and Reconciliation.

A fact sheet distributed at the launch underscored the scale of need across the region: • More than 60% of female homicides in Ontario stem from family violence (Statistics Canada, 2022) • Peel Regional Police launched its IPV Unit in 2021, now staffed by 79 officers, the largest unit of its kind in Canada • Ontario declared IPV endemic in 2025 • Peel CAS received 12,650 referrals in 2024–2025, with 31% linked to intimate partner violence • Peel CAS identified 166 cases involving suspected child or youth trafficking for sexual exploitation

Mary Beth Moellenkamp, CEO of Peel Children’s Aid Society, framed the expansion as a systems-level shift. “We’re reshaping how families access help,” she said. “Our goal is simple: make support easier to find, when and where families need it. We’re moving beyond protection alone toward prevention, cultural competence, and community-led wraparound care.”

Sharon Mayne, CEO of Catholic Family Services of Peel–Dufferin and lead agency for the Safe Centre of Peel, emphasized the importance of the Mississauga location. “Survivors need support close to home,” she said. “The Circle gives them a safe, welcoming, and accessible place to receive coordinated care.”

Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah echoed that urgency. “Family and intimate partner violence remains a top priority,” he said. “This expansion saves lives by connecting survivors to the right supports at the right time.”

The Safe Centre of Peel stands positioned to create lasting impact for survivors and families affected by gender-based violence. With IPV recognized as a public crisis in Ontario, the launch of The Circle represents a necessary (and long-awaited) step forward.

The Digital Age, Artificial Intelligence, and the future of human creativity

BY ADRIAN REECE TC REPORTER We are in a wholly digital age. In particular, 21st century technology has advanced rapidly. We have moved from things that were initially known as science fiction to making them a reality. Artificial intelligence has now become a thing that we use in our daily lives, also known as AI. AI has been teased for decades across all forms of media, fiction, and non-fiction. Within the scope of this new technology, we see advancements across all forms of business, social media, videography, and even journalism. The aspects of what we use to make our lives easier have now become something that we have access to on our smartphones.

Nowadays, we see AI used in smaller capacities, such as Grammarly, which corrects your grammar, spelling,

and sentence structure. Still, we also see things, like now, where you’re able to create entirely AI avatars that look like you, can speak, and you can even create content on social media through AI avatars nowadays.

There are pros and cons across all the metrics it is used for, one of which is that AI is now fooling people with videos that are not real, but still portray a particular narrative. This can be extremely dangerous in the legal world, but it can also be used to create content like movies and videos for consumption. Currently, on YouTube, there are full AI channels that use AI to generate content that would otherwise be very difficult to create, or very high budget to produce. This content can now be produced at no cost, or at high levels, with very minimal start-up investment.

Now, this poses a problem for

the film industry. Would it be more advantageous to hire actors as opposed to creating an AI movie that would more accurately reflect books, cartoons, or liveaction remakes of that particular series?

There has been, in the last few years, a shift into transitioning animation to liveaction film, and the issue has always been the CGI. The things that are possible in animation aren’t necessarily possible or tough to recreate in live-action, and with AI, these things would be much easier.

It puts into perspective; do we need actors? So, this is something that people across all industries have to consider: how it’s used, and if it’s used, where does that leave humanity in the job market? Where does that leave humanity in their livelihoods and careers in many of these industries?

The consideration we want to look at now is how AI should be used.

While it is beneficial for crafting, or just for making our lives easier when creating things, we want to consider how it profoundly affects industries as a whole and where it replaces human intervention. Then there is also the question of how sophisticated it is, and whether AI can really reflect the humanity required in media, in writing, in expression? Can it really capture those things? Smaller micro-tasks, 100%, would definitely aid in those things, but they detach us from the broader aspects of what it means to be human and to create art.

AI would be most detrimental in the art and creation realm and industry, as it separates viewers from the profound emotional contribution of humanity and makes the media less relatable to people consuming it.

We want to consider how we want to use AI and where its limits lie.

Canada’s cultural strength begins at the dinner table STEVEN KASZAB steven@carib101.com

TC COLUMNIST

Canada has grown into a cultural force because people here welcome the traditions and practices of many communities. Canadians respect difference, learn from it, and fold it into daily life. While some practices clash with our values, we address those moments through the rule of law, an approach grounded in fairness and accountability.

One of the clearest signs of our openness sits right on our plates. Food, and the way we make it, present it, and share it, has become a true expression of Canadian identity. The meals brought from every corner of the world now create a national table shaped by more than 187 food histories. We taste everything.

We celebrate everything. We build connections through every bite.

Writer Brian Sankarsingh captures the power of Caribbean food in Canadian homes and restaurants with unmistakable poetry: “In the hush of northern winter, I stir the scent of home to life with Caribbean spices and memory rising from the pot like a prayer. The snow falls yet I feel the sun’s heat. Black cake, ham, and sorrel bloom, each flavour a small rebel-

lion against the cold. Laughter gathers where our voices meet. Parang hums beneath the wind as I remember home was never lost, only carried in our hearts wherever we go.”

That spirit is Canadian to its core.

Those who migrated here hold tight to the places they came from, and those born here honour their families’ histories through stories, laughter, and the unforgettable meals passed down with love. These dishes keep heritage alive.

They also build bridges, spark conversations, and create a sense of harmony that stretches across generations.

Culture calls us to responsibility, respect, and a commitment to living in harmony. Food makes that commitment feel real. When people eat well together, they share an understanding of one an-

other. A warm bowl or a generous plate can shift moods, soften tension, and remind us of the humanity we all hold. A full belly inspires gratitude. It also urges us to think about those who go without.

This season invites us to act. We can offer a meal, share a dish, or bring comfort to someone who needs it. My mother’s chicken paprikash can sit beside your grandmother’s king cake, or flying fish. A neighbour’s pot of Thai soup holds the same power as handrolled gnocchi, a crisp Greek salad, or a barbecue masterpiece. Each dish stirs memories of better days. Each one deserves to be shared—not only during the holidays, but throughout the year.

Food carries history. It carries hope, and in Canada, it carries us closer to one another.

PAGE 14

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 17, 2025 Photo Credit: Deijaumar Clarke

DEIJAUMAR CLARKE Turning activism into collective learning DeiJaumar Clarke is a youth leader reshaping what social justice work looks like in Toronto. He stands at the intersection of political activism and political education, grounded in community, history, and lived experience. His work reflects a clear belief: communities do not move forward through protest alone.

They move forward through knowledge, strategy, and collective responsibility.

DeiJaumar grew up in the Jane and Weston Road neighbourhood and later moved to Parkdale during his high school years. He graduated from Oakwood Collegiate Institute and completed his undergraduate studies at Glendon College at York University. Raised in a conservative Christian household, he absorbed strong religious and moral values early in life. Those values continue to inform his commitment to service, justice, and accountability.

His family history also shaped him deeply. His grandfather, Bishop Howard McNeil, served as General Overseer of the Church of God Pillar and Ground of the Truth (POGTT). Bishop McNeil passed away on November 30th, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of leadership and faith that continues to influence DeiJaumar’s worldview. That grounding mattered, especially during periods of instability. For several months, DeiJaumar lived in a family shelter in Scarborough, an experience that sharpened his understanding of housing insecurity and state systems. He remains active in organizations such as the Caribbean Solidarity Network and Jane & Finch Action Against Poverty (JFAAP).

DeiJaumar’s political engagement began early. In 2018, he ran as a Ward 4 candidate for student trustee with the Toronto District School Board.

Although he did not win, the campaign proved formative. It exposed him to grassroots organizing, collective mobilization, and the realities of political campaigning. It also placed him in proximity to long-standing community leaders, including Dr. Winston LaRose, widely known as “Mr. Jane and Finch.”

At the time, DeiJaumar articulated a vision rooted in civic responsibility. In a September 2018 Facebook post, he wrote that the Jane and Finch com-

munity held untapped power and possibility. He emphasized the importance of understanding the ballot, electing representatives who reflect community interests, and holding leaders accountable. That message continues to guide his work.

Across Toronto, DeiJaumar remains a visible presence at demonstrations, rallies, and marches. He distributes flyers for his political study group and book club while engaging people in conversation. His activism spans multiple issues, including Palestinian selfdetermination, housing insecurity, and advocacy for the South Sudanese community. Pan-African ideology strongly influences his thinking, particularly the work of: Marcus Garvey, George Jackson, Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sankara, and Kwame Nkrumah.

In a July 21st, 2020, post, he described Pan-Africanism as a strategic necessity for people of African descent to unite economically, socially, and politically. He identifies as a Pan-Africanist socialist, abolitionist, and grassroots community organizer grounded in Black Radical Tradition and Marxist analysis.

His political education work focuses on liberation theory, Black internationalism, and class struggle, all presented in accessible, community-centered ways.

DeiJaumar has also criticized the Toronto Police Service for systemic anti-Black racism and the over-policing of Black and Brown communities. His critique is personal. He experienced state violence firsthand after a Toronto police officer falsely accused him of spitting at an officer. DeiJaumar described the charge as fabricated and rooted in abuse of power. In reflecting on that experience, he noted that even Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. faced arrest because of his political organizing. For DeiJaumar, repression confirms the necessity of resistance.

Many community members came to know him through his work at A Different Booklist, a historic Blackowned bookstore and cultural hub. Customers from across the city and around the world encountered his warm presence, thoughtful conversation, and deep political insight. The bookstore be-

came a site of exchange, learning, and empowerment.

In September 2025, writer Miru Yogarajah profiled DeiJaumar in an article titled “A Different Political Education.” The piece highlighted the Dutty Boukman Book Club, which DeiJaumar launched in January 2024. Named after the Vodou priest who helped spark the Haitian Revolution, the book club offers political education through literature, oral history, and shared archives. It operates as a living classroom rooted in Black resistance and memory.

DeiJaumar credits elders as central to the book club’s success. He has often said that elders carry history and wisdom that young people need. Listening, he believes, sustains the African oral tradition while strengthening intergenerational bonds. The book club has met at several locations, including: A Different Booklist, the Wildseed Centre, and Studio M in Little Jamaica. Plans are underway to expand into York–South Weston and Lawrence Heights.

A defining relationship in DeiJaumar’s life was his friendship with Elder Louis March, who passed away in 2024. They met at a gun violence town hall in 2016, when DeiJaumar was new to community work. March’s reputation and integrity left a lasting impression. In a reflective July 22nd post, DeiJaumar expressed gratitude for March’s mentorship, guidance, and unwavering commitment to community.

From March, DeiJaumar learned what absolute dedication looks like. He learned about Dudley Laws and the work of the Black Action Defence Committee, which played a pivotal role in challenging police brutality and helped lead to the creation of Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit. DeiJaumar often highlights March’s compassion for mothers who lost children to gun violence, his refusal to accept government funding for grassroots work, and his refusal to profit from Black death.

These principles continue to shape DeiJaumar’s ethics.

DeiJaumar also helped establish the Toronto chapter of the Noname Book Club, an initiative that donates books to incarcerated people and sup-

ports their families. Prison abolition anchors the club’s mission, aligning with DeiJaumar’s growing focus on prison justice organizing and transformative approaches to harm.

Today, DeiJaumar works with the Black Action Defence Committee, where he leads youth-focused initiatives across Lawrence Heights, Oakwood– Vaughan, and York–South Weston. He addresses issues that disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous, and racialized youth, including homelessness, food insecurity, economic inequality, and systemic anti-Black racism. He carries this work forward with humility, conscious of the legacy left by Dudley Laws and other movement builders.

At his core, DeiJaumar operates with critical consciousness. He commits himself to collective action aimed at dismantling colonialism, imperialism, and neoliberal exploitation. His vision centers on equitable access to resources, justice, and shared prosperity. He understands that liberation requires both memory and imagination.

By bridging elders and youth, DeiJaumar honours the past while preparing the next generation. He recognizes that wisdom does not expire, and that progress depends on listening as much as leading. In honouring figures such as Norman Otis Richmond for decades of documenting Black music and culture, DeiJaumar affirms that political education includes art, storytelling, and preservation.

Through study groups, organizing, and everyday presence, DeiJaumar Clarke continues to prove that activism becomes sustainable when education fuels Photo it, andCredit: when Sanj community remains P Photography at the center.

Written by Paul Junor Toronto Caribbean News

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Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

HEALTH

PAGE 23

Not everyone ages as healthily as my father did W. GIFFORDJONES MD DIANA GIFFORD-JONES COMMON SENSE HEALTH

I have been lucky as my parents aged past 90. My father, Dr. W. Gifford-Jones, stayed vibrant longer than most people dare hope. In his nineties he was still hopping on planes, giving talks across Canada, researching and writing his next column, and scheming about the next promotion, or the next stunt that would amuse him – like rappelling down Toronto’s 35-storey City Hall to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. He relished a challenge. Growing old, for him, didn’t mean slowing down.

It meant a development of new priorities.

He was well past 95 when I offered to help with the computer work involved in distributing his weekly column to editors.

He suffered too much frustration from IT. I should have helped sooner. Once I did, I grew closer not just to the logistics of his writing, but to the writing itself. Wouldn’t it be fun, I proposed, to write together?

He agreed and the collaboration took off. We talked through ideas, shaped arguments, laughed (and feuded) over opposing ways of seeing the same thing. It was an era of our long relationship I will forever hold precious.

As the youngest of his children, born when he was 44, I was still relatively

youthful as he extended his extraordinary longevity. I had a lot of energy to give, but not everyone’s story looks like this. In many cases, people find themselves in their seventies caring for parents in their nineties, pushing eighty supporting centenarians.

A close look at what is happening in those situations reveals scenes that are anything but easy. Not everyone ages as healthily as my father did. Most elderly seniors are wrestling with chronic diseases. Add dementia into the mix and the loving commitment to care shifts to an exhausting, sometimes heartbreaking, endurance test.

The problems are varied: refusing to eat; resisting walkers, or other safety supports; forgetting medications; making unsafe decisions; losing the ability to manage finances, or medical appointments; neglecting property or household tasks. There are those who get very angry and sometimes violent. These issues often begin quietly and seem manageable – especially to children who are themselves aging and determined to respect their parent’s independence. Over time, the strain mounts. The risks mount, and the emotional toll mounts.

What would my father advise? He was never hesitant to speak plainly. When writing, he would use a quote, as from Will Rogers, who said, “Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.” My father would say, “Don’t kid yourself. No one gets it perfect, but don’t make foolish mistakes.” He would remind people that caring for aging parents requires equal measures of compassion and practicality. He would urge families to plan early, before a crisis, and

Photo of Dr. W. Gifford-Jones courtesy of Dr. Diana Gifford-Jones to involve physicians, trusted friends, and community support. He would insist that safety is not a betrayal of dignity, and he would encourage caregivers to look after their own well-being too, because no one can pour from an empty cup.

Now it’s my turn to offer counsel. I can speak to the matter of love, and I can attest that it doesn’t always look like those old greeting cards. Sometimes love

is repetitive, tiring, and unglamorous work.

Sometimes it is stepping in sooner than you expected. Sometimes it is saying “no” to someone who once taught you to say “yes.” It is still love, and if my father taught me anything, it’s that the hardest work we do for the people we love often becomes, in time, the work we treasure most.

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

FOOD

PAGE 25

Sorrel: The Caribbean Christmas Tradition That Connects Our Islands, History, and Homes Across the Caribbean, Christmas does not arrive quietly. It announces itself through familiar sights, sounds, and flavours that return year after year, often unchanged by time.

Among the most enduring of these traditions is sorrel — a deep red, spiced drink that holds a respected place on Christmas tables throughout the region and across the Caribbean diaspora.

Sorrel is more than a seasonal beverage. It is a shared cultural practice, one that connects islands, generations, and communities through history, memory, and ritual.

While preparation methods vary slightly from place to place, its role remains consistent: sorrel signals that Christmas has arrived.

From Jamaica to Trinidad and Tobago, from Guyana to Barbados, and throughout the Eastern Caribbean, sorrel is expected, prepared, and served with intention. It is offered to guests without question and poured alongside the foods that define Caribbean Christmas. Its presence is not debated. It is assumed.

Understanding What Sorrel Is Caribbean sorrel is made from the dried calyces of the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant. In other parts of the world, the same plant may be referred to as hibiscus or roselle. In the Caribbean, however, it is simply known as sorrel.

This sorrel should not be confused with the leafy European sorrel used in soups and sauces. Caribbean sorrel produces a bold, tart, floral infusion with a striking red colour.

When dried, the calyces resemble curled petals, which release their colour and flavour when steeped in hot water.

The drink’s signature taste comes not only from the sorrel itself but from the spices traditionally added during preparation. Ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and citrus peel are common, creating a layered flavour that is sharp, aromatic, and refreshing when served cold.

African Origins and the Journey to the Caribbean The story of sorrel begins long before it became associated with Christmas in the Caribbean. Hibiscus sabdariffa is native to West Africa, where it has been cultivated and consumed for centuries. In African societies, drinks made from the plant were valued for both flavour and perceived medicinal properties. Infusions were commonly used to cool the body, support digestion, and provide refreshment in hot climates.

Through the transatlantic slave trade, the sorrel plant was introduced to the Caribbean alongside the forced migration of African peoples. While the human cost of this history cannot be overstated, it is also true that African agricultural knowledge, food traditions, and cultural practices survived the crossing.

Enslaved Africans brought with them an understanding of how to cultivate, prepare, and preserve foods using limited resources. Sorrel adapted well to Caribbean soil and climate, and over time became inte-

grated into local food systems.

As Caribbean societies developed, African traditions blended with Indigenous knowledge and European influences. Spices introduced through colonial trade routes were incorporated into existing recipes. Citrus fruits, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon found their way into sorrel preparations, giving the drink its distinctly Caribbean profile.

What emerged was not a replication of African sorrel, but a new cultural expression shaped by shared history, adaptation, and resilience.

Why Sorrel Became a Christmas Tradition One of the most important reasons sorrel became linked to Christmas is timing. Sorrel plants mature late in the year, with harvesting typically taking place between November and December. Before refrigeration and modern food distribution, people relied heavily on seasonal availability.

Sorrel appeared naturally at the same time families were preparing for Christmas. As a result, it became associated with the holiday not by design, but by necessity.

Over time, that association became tradition.

Sorrel was not an everyday drink.

It was prepared deliberately, often in large quantities, and meant to last throughout the holiday season. Many households made it days in advance, knowing that the flavour improved with time.

This seasonal rhythm transformed sorrel into a cultural marker. Its preparation signaled the beginning of Christmas activities, and its presence at the table became a quiet confirmation that the season had arrived.

A Tradition Shared Across the Islands Although sorrel is prepared throughout the Caribbean, no two households make it exactly the same. These variations reflect local tastes, available ingredients, and family preferences rather than fundamental differences in the tradition itself.

In Jamaica, sorrel is often gingerforward, with a sharp, assertive flavour that is unmistakable. In Trinidad and Tobago, preparations may include additional spices such as bay leaf, creating a deeper and more complex profile. Guyanese versions are sometimes darker and richer, occasionally resembling a light wine. In Barbados, balance is often emphasized, with careful attention paid to sweetness and acidity.

Across the Eastern Caribbean — including Grenada, St. Lucia, Dominica, and Antigua — sorrel remains a Christmas staple, prepared in much the same way and served in similar settings.

Despite these regional nuances, the role sorrel plays is remarkably consistent. It is served cold, offered generously, and treated as an essential part of the holiday experience.

The differences in preparation are expressions of identity, not division.

Sorrel and the Caribbean Christmas Table At Christmas, Caribbean tables are filled with

foods that carry meaning. Sorrel sits comfortably among them, neither overshadowing nor overshadowed.

It accompanies baked ham, black cake, pastelles, pepperpot, and macaroni pie.

It is poured for visitors before they ask. It is served to mark the occasion, not to quench thirst alone.

In many households, sorrel is bottled and stored in the refrigerator, ready to be shared throughout the season. Children are often reminded which bottles are for adults only. Guests are encouraged to drink, refill, and enjoy.

Sorrel is both practical and symbolic. It refreshes, but it also welcomes.

The Role of Time and Patience One of the reasons sorrel remains culturally significant is that it requires time and care. It cannot be rushed. The sorrel must be rinsed, steeped, strained, sweetened, and allowed to rest.

This process mirrors the way traditions are preserved. They are not instant. They are built through repetition, attention, and intention.

In a modern world increasingly driven by convenience, sorrel resists shortcuts. Its preparation encourages slowing down, planning ahead, and participating in something larger than the final product.

Sorrel in the Caribbean Diaspora For Caribbean people living abroad, sorrel often carries even greater significance. Making sorrel in cities like Toronto, New York, London, or Miami becomes a way of recreating Christmas as it was known at home.

The ingredients may be sourced from specialty shops rather than backyards, but the process remains the same. The smell of ginger and cloves steeping in hot water has the power to transform unfamiliar kitchens into familiar spaces.

For many in the diaspora, sorrel represents continuity. It allows traditions to travel while maintaining their meaning. It connects younger generations, born outside the Caribbean, to cultural practices rooted in history.

Traditional Caribbean Sorrel Recipe While variations exist, the following recipe represents a widely recognized base used across the Caribbean.

Ingredients • 2 cups dried sorrel (hibiscus calyces) • 10–12 cups water • 1 large piece fresh ginger, sliced or crushed • 6–8 whole cloves • 1 cinnamon stick (optional) • Peel of one orange or tangerine, avoiding the white pith • Sugar to taste (white, brown, or cane sugar) • Optional: rum or wine for adult versions Method

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Rinse the dried sorrel thoroughly under cold water to remove dust and debris.

Bring the water to a rolling boil, then remove from heat.

Add the sorrel, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and citrus peel to the hot water.

Cover and allow the mixture to steep for a minimum of four hours, preferably overnight.

Strain carefully, pressing gently to extract flavour without bitterness.

Sweeten gradually to taste.

Refrigerate until well chilled before serving.

Sorrel improves with time and is often best enjoyed after resting for one or two days.

Health and Traditional Uses Historically, sorrel has been valued not only for its taste but for its perceived health benefits. It has traditionally been associated with digestion support, hydration, and cooling the body in warm climates. While modern nutritional claims should be approached cautiously, sorrel remains rich in antioxidants and vitamin C. Its continued popularity reflects a broader truth about traditional foods: they often served practical purposes long before scientific validation.

A Tradition That Belongs to Everyone Perhaps the most important thing to understand about sorrel is that it does not belong to any single island. It belongs to the Caribbean as a whole.

Sorrel reflects a shared history shaped by migration, adaptation, and cultural exchange. Its presence across borders reinforces the idea that Caribbean identity is interconnected rather than isolated.

At a time when differences are often emphasized, sorrel quietly reminds us of what is shared.

More Than a Seasonal Drink Sorrel carries memory. It recalls kitchens filled with steam, elders adjusting spices by instinct, and bottles labeled for later use. It carries stories, laughter, and the passage of time.

Every Christmas, without fail, sorrel returns. Deep red. Familiar. Unchanged in purpose.

It is not simply a drink. It is a tradition that has endured because it matters.

The Taste of Caribbean Christmas Sorrel remains one of the most recognizable symbols of Caribbean Christmas. Whether prepared on an island or in the diaspora, it continues to serve the same role it has for generations.

It marks the season.

It welcomes guests.

It connects people.

In that sense, sorrel is more than a holiday staple. It is the taste of Caribbean Christmas itself.

LIFE

PAGE 26

BY GEORGE SHEPPARD

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, the instructions for happiness got misplaced

Happiness is a funny thing. We talk about it as if it’s something we once held effortlessly, something we carried around as children before adult life barged in with schedules, bills, disappointments, and general nonsense. We look back on childhood through a softfocus lens and convince ourselves that we were happy all the time, running around carefree, uncomplicated, and unbothered. We think there were no struggles, or hard times, but nostalgia is a terrible historian. It edits ruthlessly, snips out the boredom, the embarrassments, the abuses, the control, the anxieties, and leaves us with a curated highlight reel that no adult life could ever compete with.

I was reminded of this selective memory after watching Hector’s Search for Happiness, a sweet but slightly odd film about a man who realizes, quite abruptly, that he has no idea what it means to be happy. As a boy, he had friends to laugh with and a loyal dog trotting beside him, but as an adult, he

finds himself living a life that looks correct on paper yet feels hollow on the inside. That space between the appearance of happiness and the actual experience of it is where many of us quietly live.

Truthfully, a lot of us are like Hector. We are hitting the milestones, ticking the boxes, scheduling the vacations, second jobs, retirement, buying the things we’re told should make us smile… yet not entirely sure what happiness even feels like anymore. Not comfort, not distraction, not temporary excitement, actual happiness. We suspect we once knew, but somewhere between childhood and adulthood, the instructions got misplaced, and we can’t find the receipt.

Now, here we are with Christmas approaching, preparing to hear, yet again, that “money can’t buy happiness.” We repeat it, we nod along, we pretend we’ve learned the lesson, but our habits. They tell a different story.

We flood Facebook with photos of our expensive new toys: vehicles of all sorts, phones, gadgets, luxury

California mall shooting marks a frightening start to the holiday season SYDNEE WALCOTT sydnee@carib101.com

VARIETY CORNER

Black Friday marks the official start of the holiday season as shoppers flock to the mall to buy gifts for their loved ones and perhaps even treat themselves to something special. However, horror erupted at a mall in San Jose, California, on Black Friday.

The San Jose Police Department said a shooting at a mall began around 5:40 p.m. outside of a Macy’s Store in Westfield Mall in what was described as an isolated incident. The suspect fired a total of six shots, striking a man in the chest, who the suspect perceived to be a rival gang member, and a 16-year-old girl and a woman who were caught in the crossfire. All three were rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and have survived.

Nearby shoppers fled the scene in fear, with some taking cover in stores, which were eventually locked down until the mall was evacuated by police an hour later, or fled the mall and received refuge in the homes of nearby residents.

One of the good Samaritans, Martin and Irene Garcia, provided refuge to approximately 50 people in their small home before it was safe for them to retrieve their car from the mall parking lot and reunite with those they had been separated from while fleeing. “Come inside, come inside. If you need to come in my house, go in my house,” Martin was

seen saying in his doorbell camera video as dozens of shoppers entered his home.

As shoppers took refuge in the couple’s home for up to six hours, providing a safe space wasn’t the couple’s only act of kindness. They also ordered pizza for the shoppers taking refuge in their home.

On Sunday, November 30th, 2025, police arrested a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be identified due to his age.

The suspect was already on probation for previous gun charges after being arrested in February 2025 for carrying and concealing a loaded firearm and is charged with three counts of attempted murder.

On Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen announced that they are seeking to try the suspect as an adult in a news conference outside of the county Juvenile Hall. The motive for the shooting allegedly stemmed from a gang rivalry. If the suspect is tried and convicted in juvenile court, he will face three to five years in Juvenile Hall. If convicted as an adult, he could face a minimum of 15 years in prison before being considered eligible for parole.

Three adults are also facing accessory charges for aiding the suspect after he fled. One of the adults is a 21-yearold woman who was at the scene of the shooting, and her 20-year-old boyfriend, who is also facing charges, is the suspect’s brother.

Although shootings are tragic no matter the time of the year they occur, it’s upsetting when they happen when Christmas is around the corner. The holiday season is supposed to be a time filled with joy and good spirits. Thankfully, all three of the victims will be okay and will be able to spend the holiday season with their loved ones.

trips, limited-edition items that promise a thrill, but rarely deliver one that lasts. We shop like happiness might be tucked inside a box from Best Buy, or Lululemon. We say money can’t buy happiness, yet we behave as though it just might, especially if we post the purchase online. We seem to think that if a hundred people “like” it and write “nice,” then the deal is sealed, happiness confirmed, validation achieved.

Maybe we’re not hypocrites.

Maybe we’re just lost, because when you don’t really know what happiness feels like, you start grabbing at anything that resembles it. Stuff, fake people, booze, and ideas built on selfindulgence.

As a kid, my idea of happiness was simple: I wanted two things: goalie pads and a dog. That was it. I pictured myself making glove saves like the next Ken Dryden (yes, I’m a Habs fan) while my loyal mutt waited patiently ready to follow me anywhere. I got the goalie pads. I did not get the dog, and yes, I mourned that canine absence with the melodramatic heartbreak only a child can muster.

Looking back, there’s something truthful in that simplicity. Happiness wasn’t complicated. It wasn’t tied to status, or approval, or Instagram metrics. It wasn’t about being admired or appearing successful. It lived in

small, specific desires, things driven by curiosity, connection, and imagination.

Our playful nature and imagination mattered more than screentime and money.

Somewhere along the way, we complicate happiness. We tie it to income, appearance, comparison, and public approval. We hide it behind milestones and purchases, and then we wonder why it feels elusive. You can’t feel something that is empty.

The uncomfortable truth is that happiness never really disappeared.

We just stopped noticing the shape of it. We started putting our happiness in the hands of other people, people whose opinions do not really matter.

Happiness isn’t something we “find.” It’s something we pay attention to. It tends to hide in small, unimpressive corners: in connection, stillness, gratitude, presence, and the kind of laughter that sneaks up on us. It lives in moments, not purchases, in relationships, not performance.

The real search for happiness isn’t about acquiring more stuff. It’s about remembering what mattered long before we started confusing “likes” with meaning, and back when all we wanted was goalie pads and a dog.

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

LIFE

PAGE 27

The hidden cost of “We’ll deal with it later” SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

HUMAN SPECIALIST

Here is a truth I have observed working with the most dedicated mission-driven leaders and institutions: vision alone is not enough to create motion. You can have the most righteous cause, the clearest data on community needs, and a team full of passion, yet still struggle to make the necessary, proactive shifts toward equity and genuine empowerment. Why? Well, the human psyche (and the organizational culture it creates) prefers stability over disruption.

We are wired to wait for the alarm bell. People don’t seek preventive care until they feel the ache. They don’t buy the organizational “umbrella” when the sun is still shining, even if the forecast clearly predicts a hurricane. For many equity-focused organizations, this means waiting until staff burnout hits crisis levels, until funding is abruptly cut due to demonstrable inefficiency, or until a public controversy erupts over a long-ignored systemic failure.

Only when the pain kicks in: the regret, the fear of missing out, or the unbearable friction, do we finally decide to invest in a solution.

Our biggest competitor in the fight for immediate, impactful change is not a rival organization or insufficient budget; it is comfort. Comfort allows leaders to maintain the illusion that “This is just how we have always done things,” even if those processes are slowly eroding their mission effectiveness and harming the very communities they serve.

The issue is psychological inertia. I see four subtle, yet pervasive, organizational narratives that mask real pain: First, there is the leader who is the Boiled Frog. They have been operating within systems of systemic inequity, or crippling inefficiency for so long that they no longer register the suffering as avoidable pain. They lose sight of the fact that there is a different, more liberating way of doing things.

Second, we encounter the Revenue Drunk. This happens when consistent grants, or donations keep flowing, creating a false sense of security. They confuse activity with efficacy and see no urgency in optimizing processes, or updating outreach methods, even while hemorrhaging time, energy, and mission opportunity on outdated frameworks.

Third, the Crisis Addict. These organizations are in constant reaction mode, putting out fires related to mental health crises, community backlash, or operational chaos. Their

strategic lens is so narrowed by immediate survival that preventative solutions (the very things that could liberate them) are too far down the priority list to even consider.

Finally, the One-Vendor Prisoner.

These are organizations locked into traditional ways of thinking or working with legacy partners, lacking any frame of reference for how being more equitable, more psychologically supportive, or more technologically current could exponentially increase their impact.

Without recognized pain, there is no urgency; without urgency, there is no decision to change. The challenge for us as strategic storytellers is helping these powerful leaders see the disaster approaching without making them defensive. We must move perfectly still water.

This is where true strategic storytelling transcends simple marketing and enters the realm of profound psychological awareness. Our role is to help mission-driven leaders translate future systemic cost into current emotional currency.

You start by being meticulously specific about the cold, hard numbers. For leaders committed to justice and empowerment, those numbers are time, energy, and efficiency costs that directly impact a community’s opportunity for wellness, or justice.

How many hours of advocacy are lost due to archaic reporting? What is the real human cost of staff turnover caused by inefficient internal communication?

Then, you must project their future like a movie. You don’t just tell a nonprofit director that inaction will erode trust; you paint a vivid, specific picture of their organization 12 months from now if nothing changes. You make them feel the weight of that failure, the loss of a critical program, the inability to meet the increasing demand for services, the quiet exhaustion of their most passionate employees.

Crucially, you show them what they are missing. Nothing creates movement like the realization that peers and competitors are moving forward. If adjacent community organizations are achieving greater equity outcomes, accessing innovative funding streams, or building more resilient mental health infrastructures, inaction suddenly becomes a devastating loss of competitive advantage and mission relevance. “Every month you wait is another month you fall behind” in your ability to serve.

The most potent tool is silence. After laying out the context, the costs, and the vision of what could be, you must let them convince themselves. Ask the clarifying, predictive question, “If we are having this same conversation next year and nothing has changed, what will that mean for the success of your mission and the well-being of the people you serve?”

Then, step back and let them connect the dots between the subtle, daily frictions and the looming organizational disaster

The dangerous fantasy of “Approved Speech”

BY HERBERT HILDEBRANDT POLITICAL PARLEY Every time a government tells you, “Relax, we’re only banning hate speech,” you should check your pockets and your freedoms, because both are about to go missing. Bill C-9 is the newest attempt in Canada’s long love affair with soft authoritarianism, and has its sights set squarely on the religious exemption that has (until now) kept pastors, rabbis, imams, and everyday believers from being dragged into court for quoting their own scriptures. Parliamentarians are adamant that it’s necessary, I say it’s extremely dangerous.

Anyone who has even a passing interest in freedom, whether it’s religious, or otherwise, should be deeply alarmed.

Here’s the truth: one man’s hate speech is another man’s muzzle. The moment the government gets to define the emotional impact of your words, your freedom is no longer a right, but a permission slip. Permission slips are the dream of technocrats. This smacks of Orwellian style thoughtcrimes and wrong think enforced by the thought police (see 1984).

We’ve been here before, and history books are overflowing with regimes that marched into the public square waving the banner of “protecting citizens from harmful ideas” while quietly sharpening the blade.

Stalin’s USSR criminalized “anti-Soviet agita-

tion,” which mostly meant disagreeing with the government out loud. East Germany had “hostile propaganda” laws that swallowed poets, pastors, musicians, and teenagers who shared the wrong joke and eventually employed 1 in 6 citizens as snitches for the state.

Mao’s China imprisoned people for “counterrevolutionary speech,” a definition so elastic it snapped around anyone who raised an eyebrow at the Party.

What makes this version especially sinister is how openly biased it is. Let’s not pretend the current political climate is neutral. Anti-Christian sentiment in Canada’s political class is about as subtle as a marching band. The Bloc Québécois, under Yves-François Blanchet, has practically made hostility toward public expressions of Christianity a party plank. You can express almost anything in this country except a traditional Christian view; that makes you a target. Meanwhile, other religious and ideological groups are handled with museum-glove delicacy. Its selective outrage mixed with selective enforcement, the hallmark of every regime that wants to reshape society without admitting it.

For the Canadians who say, “I’m not religious, so this won’t affect me,” I have bad news: the UK already tried that comforting delusion, and it aged like milk in the sun.

Britain has been arresting people for “malicious communications” and “hate inci-

dents” over social media posts; tens of thousands of charges have been filed. Police have raided homes, confiscated electronics, and interrogated people over memes. The case of Enoch Burke, the Irish teacher who refused to violate his religious beliefs and was jailed for it, is a flashing warning sign. When the state decides your conscience is an inconvenience, it doesn’t matter whether that conscience comes from scripture, culture, or common sense. The outcome is the same: your door can be kicked in for something you typed.

What Bill C-9 does is expand the government’s ability to decide which ideas are socially acceptable. The moment religious exemption disappears, every sermon, every pastoral conversation, every posted Bible verse is fair game for reinterpretation by a bureaucrat who doesn’t know the difference between Leviticus and a Sparks Street lunch menu. Once religious speech is criminalized, other convictions such as political, philosophical, scientific, won’t be far behind. Free speech is a single ecosystem; you poison one corner and the whole thing dies.

The point here is about protecting the oxygen of a free society: the right to speak what you believe, without asking anyone’s permission. The classic line often attributed to Voltaire (written by his biographer, Evelyn Beatrice Hall) captures it perfectly: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” This is not

just a slogan; it is the very foundation of a free society.

Once we accept the idea that certain viewpoints can be banned for being “offensive,” you’ve accepted the idea that your own viewpoint can be banned when the political winds shift. Today it’s Christians. Tomorrow it’s parents who speak up at school board meetings. Next week it’s anyone questioning government policy. That’s how this game is always played.

Bill C-9 is not about safety, it’s about control. If we don’t push back now, we might be telling our grandchildren about the days when you could still speak freely in this country, before Parliament decided it knew better and by then, we won’t be arguing about hate speech.

We’ll be whispering about why we ever let our freedoms go, singing hymns quietly in darkened living rooms, and reading the Bible in hushed tones for fear of the neighbouring snitches. You might have agreed with me, but now you think I am exaggerating, right? That’s exactly how my wife grew up in the former USSR in the late 80s. They escaped communism in 1989 so they could worship freely and share their thoughts. When my relatives faced the roving bands of Nestor Makhno and escaped his clutches, they didn’t arrive in Canada to be told how to pray. God keep our land glorious and free.

LIFE

PAGE 28

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Before you start making your 2026 New Year’s Resolutions, consider these foundational principles DANIEL COLE

daniel@carib101.com

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

The transition into a new year is what psychologists call a temporal landmark, a cognitive boundary that separates our “past selves” from our “future selves.” This boundary often produces an emotional surge: optimism rises, confidence swells, and suddenly the impossible feels attainable. Researchers refer to this phenomenon as the Fresh Start Effect.

Yet while these emotional highs build momentum for action, they rarely sustain it. Goals may provide direction, but systems: our habits, routines, and behavioural patterns, provide traction. James Clear has rightfully said, “We don’t rise to the level of our goals; we fall to the level of our systems.”

Below are some of the reasons New Year’s resolutions fail, and what you should do before setting them.

Unrealistic expectations: Overreaching without infrastructure Many resolutions fail because they demand abrupt behavioural overhauls without addressing the systems that maintain our current habits. Grand ambitions are intoxicating in January, but enthusiasm is a short-lived fuel.

When progress isn’t immediate, discouragement replaces momentum.

A more sustainable approach is incremental improvement: building slowly, intentionally, and consistently. Goals should align with your existing life structure, not the idealized version of yourself you imagine in moments of excitement. Small, realistic steps compound over time, while drastic leaps often collapse under their own weight.

underlying cues. Sustainable change requires replacing the habit loop, not merely resisting it.

The Japanese Kaizen philosophy captures this well: improvement through small, deliberate, and continuous steps. Profound transformation is seldom dramatic; it is cumulative.

Lack of accountability: The illusion of selfsufficiency A common misconception is that discipline is purely an individual exercise. In reality, people are far more consistent when they are accountable to others. Support systems: mentors, peers, colleagues, or trusted family members serve as stabilizers when motivation wanes.

Without accountability, we tend to fabricate internal narratives that justify inactivity, or regression. Accountability interrupts these narratives, grounding us in truth rather than excuses. As the Bible says in Ecclesiastes, “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

Sustainable change is rarely a solo pursuit.

Reflection, evaluation, and the discipline of adjustment Most people set goals, but never revisit them.

Reflection is not optional; it is structural to progress. Setting aside time every quarter to evaluate your journey provides clarity: What is working? What requires adjustment? What habits should be discarded, or reinforced?

Also, setting reward systems (even small ones) deepen habit formation through positive reinforcement. Celebrating progress keeps the journey enjoyable and increases the likelihood of sustaining it.

Habit and behavioural mechanics: Understanding the triggers behind actions Human beings are fundamentally habitual creatures. Most of our behaviour is automated, cued by triggers and reinforced through reward loops. Thus, setting a resolution without understanding the behavioural mechanism behind it is akin to sailing without understanding wind currents.

For example, deciding to stop watching porn is commendable, but the more important question is: What triggers the behaviour? Is it boredom? Emotional fatigue?

Loneliness? Stress? Environmental cues?

Resolutions fail when they attempt to modify behaviour without interrogating the

Flexibility: The antidote to rigidity While discipline is essential, rigidity is counterproductive. Methods may need recalibration as circumstances shift. Openness to critique, feedback, and adaptation is a sign of maturity, not weakness.

As 2025 draws to an end, it is natural to feel both anticipation and uncertainty. Use this moment to extract meaningful lessons from the year behind you. Growth requires refinement.

A new year isn’t an invitation to abandon who you are and start from scratch.

It is an opportunity to become more aligned with your values and vision. Rather than pursuing lofty, unsustainable ambitions, embrace consistent and purposeful action.

Why I stopped apologizing for speaking Patois

BY ANYA NICOLA I spent most of my life apologizing for the way my tongue was born.

“Sorry, let me say that in English.”

“Sorry, my accent slipped.”

“Sorry—what I meant was…”

If you’re Caribbean and living in Toronto, you’ve probably done it too; code switching so fast you don’t even realize you’re doing it, shifting between tongues like survival is a full-time job. Honestly? For many of us, it was.

Growing up Black, Jamaican, and workingclass in Malton (right beside Rexdale) you learn early that people hear your accent long before they hear your intelligence. You learn that Patois is “unprofessional,” “broken English,” or “too much.” You learn to shrink the parts of yourself you were raised in.

I’m done with that. Done denying a language that carried me through childhood, through immigration, through heartbreak, through recovery, through motherhood, through the very journey that brought me to university and into the woman I am today. I am bilingual: Patois and English, and I’m not apologizing for it anymore.

The real reason we code-switched in the first place Let’s be real: most of us weren’t switching to sound fancy, we were switching to survive.

A colonized world taught us that “proper” English equals intelligence, safety, and opportunity, and if you add autism, ADHD, masking, and the pressure to hide your neurodivergence on top of that? Whew. I became a master of shifting tones, expressions, and vocabulary just so people wouldn’t misjudge me, write me off, or treat me as a threat.

Code switching became a shield, but shields get heavy, and in my healing

journey through sobriety, therapy, sociology, and radical self-acceptance, I started realizing that language was one of the first places I abandoned myself. I learned theories in class about colonialism and identity, and then I saw it in my own mouth.

Imagine: the very language that shaped who we are; we’re apologizing for it.

Meanwhile… everybody and dem auntie love Patois Here’s where the irony sweet me; Toronto love Patois. Canada love Patois. From slang to music to TikTok to dancehall parties, our language is everywhere. People who never set foot in a Caribbean home can say “Yuh dun know,” “Small up yuhself,” “Bless up,” and “Wagwan” with confidence. No shame. No apology.

So, why must we, the children of this language, dim ourselves? Why should I apologize for something other people treat like a trend?

Speaking Patois out loud became a healing practice Healing is not only about therapy. Healing is about returning to yourself. The first time I stopped code-switching in a professional setting, something inside me settled; like my nervous system finally got permission to breathe. The first time I used Patois in an academic paper and then explained the term instead of replacing it, I felt free. The first time I spoke Patois openly among scholars without shrinking. That was liberation.

Using my language without apology became one of the most potent forms of recovery from people-pleasing, cultural shame, and masking.

It reminded me: • My culture is not an inconvenience.

• My accent is not a mistake.

• My language is not inferior.

• • •

It is ancestral.

It is intelligent.

It is mine.

Language is identity. Identity is healing When I speak Patois, I’m honouring my lineage. I’m honouring Jamaica. I’m honouring every elder who spoke wisdom in the very cadence I once tried to silence. I’m honouring the version of me who never felt “professional enough.” I’m honouring the Caribbean community that raised me.

For my Toronto Caribbean readers, I want you to hear this clearly: • Using your language is an act of healing.

• It is an act of resistance.

• It is an act of remembering.

We already influence the city. We already shape culture. We already impact the world.

So, imagine the power of embracing the fullness of who we are, including the language that birthed us.

So, No! Mi Nah Apologize Again • Not in classrooms.

• Not in boardrooms.

• Not in writing.

• Not in healing.

• Not in life.

If someone needs a translation, mi will give it, but mi naa hide mi tongue fi nobody, because speaking Patois is speaking truth. Speaking Patois is speaking history. Speaking Patois is speaking home.

I want every Caribbean person reading this to know: • Your language is a sanctuary.

• Your culture is brilliant.

• Your voice (as is) is enough.

Healing is the new Black, and so is speaking Patois loudly, proudly, and without apology.

LIFE

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 29 Photo Credit: Frankie Cordoba

The Great Canadian Cannabis Concert experiment is stalled in legal purgatory SEAN SEURATTAN sean@carib101.com

THE HEIGHTENED CHEF

The moment the bass drops and the crowd surges forward, a familiar scent used to bloom over the festival grounds for decades: pine, skunk, and the dank promise of rebellion. Yet, years after legalization, the very act of lighting up legally (or buying a joint) remains a forbidden stunt at the nation’s largest outdoor events. The dream of hazy cannabisfriendly concerts has failed to materialize. Instead, it has been replaced by a tangled web of bureaucracy, liability fears, and an absurd regulatory standoff.

The irony is not lost on anyone who remembers the pre-legalization era.

Back then, security guards often turned a blind eye to consumption, whether acknowledging the cultural reality of the concert experience, or merely not wanting extra work. Now, the government has given its blessing to cannabis, but major private events (the sprawling fields of Osheaga, the crowded park lawns of Veld, or the bustling fairways of the CNE) remain stubbornly, and often hypocritically, dry.

The reason for this blackout is less about public safety and more about a suffocating storm of provincial regulations and logistical dread. In Ontario, for example, the Cannabis Control Act forbids the sale of cannabis anywhere other than a licensed retail store. This rule immediately kneecaps any festival promoter’s ambition to simply sell joints from a tent alongside the beer vendor. Selling beer is a straightforward regulatory process; selling cannabis involves a complex, immovable retail license tied to a permanent address.

The problem goes deeper than just sales. Even allowing legal consumption in designated areas is fraught with crippling liability fears. While Ontario’s legislation permits cannabis use where tobacco smoking is allowed, festival organizers have taken a defensive stance.

Their primary concern is simple: impairment liability. Unlike alcohol, where sobriety testing is relatively clear-cut and universally accepted, establishing a legal threshold for cannabis impairment in a fast-paced public setting, remains a legal

minefield. Promoters worry that if a patron consumes cannabis on-site and then causes harm, the festival could be held responsible for providing, or sanctioning the environment where impairment occurred. This fear of litigation is a more potent deterrent than any government fine.

The current compromise is a logistical nightmare. Festivals typically default to the “carry-in, but don’t consume” rule. Patrons are usually allowed to bring a small, legal amount of cannabis onto the grounds, sealed in its original packaging, a gesture that acknowledges the law. Yet, any attempt to use it is met with swift, heavy-handed security intervention. Festivalgoers are forced into a furtive, ridiculous dance: they carry the legal product, sneak into a crowded corner, consume it quickly, and risk expulsion.

The legal system forces the product to remain in the shadows, fostering the very unsanctioned behavior legalization was meant to eliminate.

The financial incentive to change this reality is enormous. Promoters know a legal, controlled cannabis sales zone would introduce a massive new revenue stream, potentially offsetting the high costs of production and security. Until the regulatory framework catches up to the cultural reality, that money remains on the table.

Attempts to carve out “cannabis consumption zones” have been met with mixed success. Some smaller, municipally backed events have secured temporary permits, often relying on strict separation from food and alcohol zones, and rigid security checkpoints. These isolated successes prove the concept is viable, but they highlight the bureaucratic rigidity that prevents scaling the idea to major events that draw tens of thousands of people.

Ultimately, the great Canadian cannabis concert experiment is stalled in legal purgatory. It is a cautionary tale of how legalization, instead of normalizing the product, merely shifted the enforcement burden from the police to private security. The scent of cannabis still floats over the crowds, a ghost of the counterculture past. Now, that haze is less an act of rebellion and more an expression of frustration at a system that remains paralyzed by its own paperwork and fear of litigation. Until the provinces provide a clear, standardized, and protected liability framework for on-site sales and consumption, the only thing truly legal at the biggest music festivals will remain the warm beer.

PAGE 28

REAL ESTATE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 17, 2025

The hidden sparks: Why fire safety in rentals fails JAY BRIJPAUL brijpaul@carib101.com

REAL ESTATE PRO

Over the years, whether through real estate work, community conversations, or hearing about tragedies like the Brampton fire on Banas Way, one thing has become painfully clear: fires in rental homes rarely happen out of nowhere. They almost always connect back to something someone overlooked: a tenant, a landlord, or both.

I once entered a basement apartment where the smoke alarm was on the kitchen counter, with the battery removed. When I asked the tenant why, he shrugged and said it “Beeped too much.”

That “beeping” was the alarm begging for life.

Smoke alarms need testing, replacing, and checking after each tenancy change. Regular maintenance helps prevent missed hazards and can save lives, encouraging everyone to take safety seriously. Always perform an annual check.

Plan around a specific time, such as daylight-saving time.

Escape routes are vital, but people only notice them during an emergency I’ve seen basement bedrooms with windows too small for a child to squeeze through, hallways blocked with storage, and doors jammed behind furniture. In reality, basement units must have proper,

accessible escape routes, such as windows that open easily without keys, egress sizes large enough for an adult, and clear, unobstructed paths to the outside, including a well-lit stairway free of clutter. Ignoring these basic requirements puts everyone at risk.

A home tells the truth, even when people don’t I’ve heard landlords swear they “had no idea” the home was overcrowded yet, the overflowing garbage bins and the number of cars parked on the driveway told a different story. I’ve listened to tenants claim that they have working fire alarms, but the ceiling reveals only dangling wires.

It’s best to hire an electrician to install a hard-wired smoke alarm on all levels and to conduct a safety check on the electrical circuit at the same time.

I’ve entered homes where eight, ten, and sometimes twelve people live in spaces designed for four. When a fire strikes such overcrowded homes, escape routes disappear. The house turns into a maze of mattresses, cords, heaters, and clutter. People (especially children, seniors, and those in basements) don’t stand a chance.

Fires don’t care who’s responsible, they take advantage of the gaps It only takes one weak link to start a fire: a landlord ignoring codes, a tenant disabling alarms, inspectors lacking authority, a clogged inspection system, overcrowding, hoarding, or neglected maintenance.

Even responsible landlords face a tough fight Recently, I dealt with a tenant who transformed the entire house into a department store; piles of used clothing, clutter, and merchandise stacked wall-to-wall. It wasn’t just unsightly; it was a fire hazard.

I filed a complaint with the Landlord and Tenant Board, which took nine months to schedule a hearing. This prolonged process highlights systemic barriers that delay urgent safety interventions, stressing the need for more efficient enforcement mechanisms.

Fire prevention in rental housing isn’t about one action; it’s made up of many small responsibilities shared among authorities, landlords, and tenants. Working together can help create safer homes for everyone.

Routine maintenance isn’t optional, it’s an essential habit The best landlords I’ve encountered conduct quarterly walkthroughs, test fire alarms, keep photo records, and use tenant-signed checklists. Tenants should report any broken alarms, keep exits clear, and follow occupancy rules. Clearly define shared responsibilities and practical safety measures to encourage cooperation and improve overall fire prevention.

The blunt truth: overcrowding can be deadly In tragedies like the Banas Way fire, you see the results of too many people living in cramped spaces, inadequate oversight, and a system in which inspectors must ask for permission to enter. When an inspector cannot access a suite, and there’s no follow-up, the risk increases.

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 17, 2025 | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Toronto Caribbean News

FUN

PAGE 31

PAGE 32

FUN

YOUR HOROSCOPE

for the week of December 14 – December 20, 2025

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TorontoCaribbean.com | Wednesday, December 17, 2025

CROSSWORDS

PUZZLE NO. 146

THE LUCKIEST SIGNS THIS WEEK: CAPRICORN, LEO, AND AQUARIUS

ARIES: Slow down before pushing ahead. Listening carefully will bring better results than force this week, especially in conversations.

TAURUS: Change is unavoidable, but small adjustments now create long-term comfort and stability in your daily routines.

GEMINI: Your mind is busy, but real clarity comes through one honest, grounded conversation this week.

CANCER: Protect your energy this week. You don’t need to carry everyone else’s emotions or expectations right now.

LEO: You’re being noticed more than you realize. Stay humble and let results do the talking for you.

VIRGO: Details matter right now. Rushing decisions this week creates bigger problems later than you expect.

LIBRA: Stop trying to please everyone around you. Choose what truly aligns with your values and priorities.

HOW TO PLAY :

SCORPIO: Quiet strength works best this week. Let go of old grudges and move forward calmly and confidently.

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

SAGITTARIUS: New ideas excite you, but pacing yourself now helps avoid unnecessary burnout or frustration later.

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.

CAPRICORN: Progress is steady, even if it feels slow. Focus on long-term goals, not quick wins or shortcuts.

AQUARIUS: A fresh perspective clears unnecessary drama. Trust your instincts and stay forwardthinking in decisions.

PISCES: Your intuition is strong this week. Pay attention to subtle signs and emotional cues around you.

PUZZLE NO. 856

ACROSS 1. Bar bills 5. Cagey 8. Shed 12. Disorder 13. Great distress 14. Without end 15. Resting 16. Out-of-date 18. Shooting stars 20. More inferior 21. Sketch ____ 22. Family rooms 23. Later 26. Cow’s chew 27. In what manner?

30. Scorch 31. Cry 32. Dull-witted person 33. “____ Alibi” 34. Jolly 35. Sophocles, e.g.

36. Got bigger 38. Slapstick prop 39. Luster

41. TV faultfinders 45. Memo 47. Pass by 48. Previously owned 49. Coal measure 50. Soften 51. Flower plots 52. Heavens 53. Colored DOWN 1. Cut to size 2. General’s man 3. Lightning flash 4. More inclined 5. Saber 6. Flings 7. Sure!

8. Cantaloupe, e.g.

9. Foot protection 10. Allows 11. Aspen, e.g.

17. Felt obligated 19. Rowing implement 22. Name

23. Volcanic residue 24. Fixed charge 25. Aimed 26. Shy 28. Verse work 29. Chinese chef’s item 31. Toothed tool 32. Attired 34. Polite chap 35. ____ rummy 37. Enjoys a book 38. Bronze coin 39. Ignore 40. Fireman’s need 41. Chef 42. Fine 43. Move upward 44. Went fast 46. Common contraction

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