“Bill C-8 carries a harmless name; An Act Respecting Cyber Security, but don’t let that fool you. Behind the title lies a dangerous expansion of government power, one that quietly transforms the internet into a tool of control...”
KANIKA AMBROSE
Bringing the Caribbean experience to light through the arts
The performing arts have always been part of Kanika Ambrose’s life from a young age, whether it be creating theatre, or performing. At a young age, Ambrose has been in cultural performances within the Dominican community, the Commonwealth of Dominca Ontario Association and with Club Carib.
Ambrose is not the only member of her family who is involved in the dramatic arts. Her father is also involved in the arts through dub poetry and community acting.
Ambrose began to take the performing arts more seriously in high school. She started writing her own plays and received encouragement from drama teachers who recognized the value in young women speaking for themselves and advocating for their own stories. As Ambrose continued to create her own work, she took the opportunity to see as much theatre in Toronto and the GTA as much as possible, noting that there were a lot of opportunities for young people to see theatre for free, or for a cheap price. Using what she was seeing and not seeing around her, Ambrose took it as an opportunity to form her aesthetic and interests through that.
Ambrose trained as an actor at Toronto Metropolitan University, known as Ryerson University at the time. While acting for a few years, Ambrose realized her voice was better suited and more important as a playwright. So, she made the shift and took the steps to make playwriting her career. Ambrose got a job at a large theatre arts organization in Toronto to get on the inside and learn what it takes to run a company, while building her craft by getting involved in playwrights’ units.
For some years, Ambrose did playwrights’ units out of Obsidian Theatre and Cahoots Theatre. She participated in residencies and applied to the arts councils and got funding to do residencies so she could carve up more time to commit more fully to her development as a playwright. She engaged in mentorships, and after a few years, it became clear that it was the right mo-
ment for her to take that leap by quitting her full-time job and heading fully into her work as a playwright and opera librettist.
Ambrose was starting to gain momentum both financially and in terms of production, where she could see there was a trajectory she could fully dive into. At the same time, she got some opportunities to co-lead organizations such as Necessary Angel as the associate artistic director. She also ran the Paprika Festival as the artistic director. These were the early steps within Ambrose’s playwright career, and things carried on from there.
Ambrose’s plays typically touch on social issues around Black people living in Canada and the Caribbean diaspora.
Moonlight Schooner, Ambrose’s upcoming play, is set to premiere on November 21st, 2025, and will run until December 14th, 2025. The play is about three Caribbean Black male sailors who get stranded on the island of Saint Kitts on Mayday in 1958. While stranded, they decide to go out for a night on the town and run into an unfortunate incident. The play touches on the impacts of colonialism, imperialism, enslavement and the struggles to build nationhood and manhood under all these circumstances.
The play’s themes are masculinity under impressive systems, trying to find purpose, livelihood, reason, a living, and supporting a family under oppressive systems.
Ambrose has received two Dora Mavor Moore Awards to date. In 2023, she received her first one under the “Outstanding New Play” category for her play, our place. She was honoured to receive an award and to be nominated alongside established playwrights, whom she respected growing up.
The play is about two Black women who were working under the table at a Caribbean restaurant, and some of the struggles they had to go through to gain citizenship.
“I was honoured, but I also felt I
had a great responsibility, and I was put there on purpose to bring more attention to these issues that not a lot of people outside of our community really have a lot of insight into,” said Ambrose.
During the pandemic, Ambrose got the opportunity to work in a television writing room. It opened a new world of experience for her, where her voice could go between theatre arts and television.
She realized that although she had been training and preparing for a career as a theatre artist and playwright, her voice could also go into television. So, Ambrose got an agent and worked with some other television writers when she realized it would be advantageous to train specifically in television writing. This led to Ambrose applying and getting into the Bell Media Primetime TV Program at the Canadian Film Centre, graduating in 2023.
Television is still something that Ambrose is growing into. She has received the opportunity to work with some prominent writers in the television sphere, such as Catherine Perez, who wrote the acclaimed 2021 film Scarborough.
Ambrose loves all her plays, because they all come from her heart, different aspects of who she is and different issues and conflicts in her own life, or what she sees in her community or the people around her.
All of Ambrose’s plays have to do with issues that affect the Caribbean diaspora. She continues to keep attuned to what issues are arising by following, reading and listening to what folks are talking about in her community. Ambrose will listen and whatever hits her, impacts and causes a stir in her, she will respond to what’s bubbling and creeping up inside her body, telling her she needs to respond.
Written by Sydnee Walcott Toronto Caribbean News
Photo Credit: Dahlia Katz
Behind closed doors; There is
a
truth about domestic violence everyone ignores
The scene plays out in countless homes every evening. A couple sits across from each other at dinner, the silence between them thicker than the tension in the room. One partner carefully chooses their words, monitoring reactions, while the other scans for any misstep. To outsiders, they appear normal, perhaps even happy, but behind the facade, a psychological battlefield rages, invisible yet devastating…
This invisible war is domestic violence, a pattern of behavior that extends far beyond physical bruises. It’s a public health crisis affecting one in four women and one in nine men, though the actual numbers remain hidden in shadows of fear and shame.
Why do so many stay silent? The answer lies in the complex psychology of control.
Domestic violence operates through multiple channels: physical force, sexual coercion, psychological aggression, stalking, and controlling behaviors. What unites these forms is the message: one person asserting power over another. This power imbalance creates a psychological
trap that is often harder to escape than physical confinement.
The impacts ripple far beyond immediate harm. Survivors face increased risks of cardiovascular issues, chronic pain, and traumatic brain injury. Mentally, many develop depression, anxiety, PTSD, or substance use disorders. Children witnessing this violence carry these scars into adulthood, creating a cycle that spans generations.
What makes leaving so difficult?
The answer lies in how abuse rewires the brain. The primitive brain, focused on survival, becomes hyper-vigilant to threats. The intuitive brain forms powerful emotional attachments despite the danger. Meanwhile, the reflective brain struggles to reconcile the person they love with the harm they cause. This neurological tug-ofwar paralyzes many victims.
For minority populations, these challenges intensify. Systemic inequities, cultural stigma, and discrimination create additional barriers. Black women may fear reinforcing stereotypes or feel pressured to maintain family unity. Immigrants face threats related to their status. LGBTQ+ individuals worry about perpetuating negative stereotypes. People with disabilities experience compounded vulnerabilities when abusers withhold essential care, or equipment.
Healthcare providers stand on the front lines of identifying abuse, yet many miss the signs. The most effective approach begins with universal education rather than targeted suspicion. When pro -
viders create safe spaces for all patients to discuss relationships, they normalize the conversation and reduce stigma.
Screening tools like HITS (Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream) and STaT (Slapped, Threatened, Throw) offer structured ways to identify abuse. However, technique matters less than attitude. Survivors want providers who listen without judgment, offer information without pressure, and respect their autonomy.
The path forward requires both individual and collective action. We must understand that domestic violence stems from complex factors: individual mental health challenges, relationship dynamics, and community environments. Prevention
means building protective factors across these levels: healthy relationship education, early childhood support, and community transformation. If you recognize yourself in these words, know this: it’s not your fault. Help exists through trusted healthcare providers, domestic violence hotlines, and community organizations. The first step is often the hardest, but recovery is possible. As a society, we must look beyond the surface of relationships and question what happens behind closed doors. The cages of domestic violence remain invisible only when we choose not to see them. What will you do when you finally look?
When times get tough, many of us instinctively look to government programs or politicians to make things better. We wait for new policies, new promises, or new funding that might finally bring some relief. But the truth is — and it’s a truth our Caribbean ancestors understood well — real progress has never come from waiting. It comes from us.
Our parents and grandparents built lives from almost nothing. They came to this country with little more than determination and faith, yet they created homes, businesses, and thriving communities. They supported one another through small acts of kindness, by buying from each other, sharing opportunities, and offering guidance to those who were just starting out. That same spirit is what we need now, more than ever.
We can’t keep relying on systems that weren’t designed with our communities in mind. It’s not about bitterness — it’s about recognizing reality. When small businesses struggle, when housing becomes unreachable, and when costs rise faster than wages, the people who suffer most are those already on the edge. And too often, our community ends up at the back of the line.
But here’s the beautiful part: we have the power to change that — together.
Every time you choose to buy from a Caribbean-owned business, you’re doing more than making a purchase. You’re investing in a family, a dream, and a piece of our shared future. Every time you recommend a friend’s catering service, support a local artist, or attend an event that celebrates our culture, you’re helping keep our economy alive. These small, everyday actions multiply. One transaction turns into ten. Ten turn into a hundred. Before long, you’ve helped someone grow, hire staff, and inspire others to do the same.
That’s how strong communities are built — through circulation, not dependency. The more we keep our dollars, our talents, and our support within our community, the stronger we all become.
It’s also about mindset. We have to start seeing ourselves as the solution, not the problem. We have the creativity, the skills, and the resilience to build thriving businesses, organizations, and networks that reflect our values and uplift our people. The Caribbean community has always been
full of innovators — from the corner store owners who became community anchors to the entrepreneurs building empires out of home kitchens and small offices.
But to move forward, we have to trust each other again. We have to shift away from the idea that success is a solo journey and remember that collective progress is the only kind that lasts. When we celebrate someone else’s success, we’re strengthening the path for everyone who comes after. When we share resources, ideas, or advice, we’re planting seeds that will grow long after we’re gone.
Government programs may come and go, but community doesn’t expire. It’s built on relationships, shared values, and accountability to one another. We don’t need permission to help each other. We don’t need approval to create jobs or start initiatives that keep our youth engaged and our elders cared for. What we need is intention — to make conscious choices that strengthen our own ecosystem.
Imagine if every Caribbean household made it a goal to support at least one Caribbean-owned business a week. Imagine if we pooled resources to fund young entrepreneurs, or built mentorship circles where experienced professionals guide the next generation. Imagine the power of that movement — not as a temporary campaign, but as a way of life.
We can’t fix every challenge overnight. But we can start somewhere, and starting together is the most important step of all. It’s time to stop waiting for someone else to rescue us and start realizing that we already have everything we need to rise.
Our strength has always been in our unity, our creativity, and our determination to keep pushing forward no matter what stands in our way. The more we lift each other up, the higher we all climb.
So let’s keep that energy alive — through the way we shop, the way we support, and the way we see one another. Because the real power isn’t sitting in Parliament or at Queen’s Park — it’s right here, in our hands, in our homes, and in our community.
Together, we can build an economy that truly reflects who we are — strong, resilient, and unstoppable.
How
MICHAEL THOMAS
michael@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
What is really at stake here? Your freedom to move, spend, and even exist without permission. Across the world, governments are rolling out digital IDs, biometric banking, and safety-based restrictions that look eerily similar, and it’s not by accident. Let’s connect the dots.
The Digital ID Agenda
From the British Prime Minister’s office at 10 Downing Street, a new national ID system has been announced under the banner of convenience and security. The government claims the Digital ID will simplify access to licences, childcare, welfare, and tax services, ending the need for “complicated identity checks.”
Sounds harmless, until you dig deeper…
This new Digital ID will live on every citi-
PAUL JUNOR
paul@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
It’s been twenty years since Ebony Toastmasters launched in October 2005 with just seven founding members. What began as a small circle of voices has evolved into an award-winning community that continues to transform lives through the power of communication and leadership.
Today, Ebony Toastmasters operates virtually on Zoom, hosting weekly meetings every Monday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Members log in from across the city and beyond, each one driven by a shared goal: to speak, lead, and grow.
This year marks a major milestone. On Saturday, November 8th, 2025, Ebony Toastmasters will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the Wildseed Centre for Art and Activism in Toronto from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event
zen’s phone, just like the NHS app or contactless payments. It’s being sold as progress, but what happens when progress becomes surveillance?
Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls it “an enormous opportunity” for border control and faster access to key services. What he doesn’t say is that Digital ID gives the government the power to monitor every purchase, track movement in real time, and restrict access to essential services at the tap of a button.
Australia, Estonia, Denmark, and India already serve as testing grounds for this system. Each began with convenience. Each ended with control.
Vietnam’s Bank Purge
On September 1st, 2025, Vietnam began shutting down millions of bank accounts for citizens who hadn’t complied with new biometric rules. Out of roughly 200 million accounts, more than 86 million risked being frozen.
Facial scans are now mandatory for online transfers over 10 million dong (about $400). Daily transfers above 20 million require additional biometric approval. The government says it’s fighting fraud and AI-driven scams.
Ask yourself; what happens when access to your own money depends on a facial scan that you don’t control?
This is how digital obedience is built. First, they say it’s about security. Then they make it about compliance. The moment your identity is linked to your bank account, dissent becomes dangerous. If your face doesn’t fit their system, neither will your freedom.
Europe’s Digital Currency Trap
In Copenhagen this September, EU finance ministers met with European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde to finalize a “digital euro roadmap.” The stated goal? Reducing reliance on Visa and Mastercard.
The real outcome? A centralized financial grid that eliminates privacy, weakens banks, and gives bureaucrats the power to freeze, or track any transaction.
Several lawmakers warned that the digital euro could “curtail privacy,” but the agenda moved forward anyway. By 2028, Europe’s citizens will live under a fully digital monetary regime, just in time for Agenda 2030.
When the system goes live, every purchase, donation, or transfer will leave a permanent trail. Financial autonomy will be history.
Canada’s Creeping Safetyism
If you think Canada is immune, think again. On August 5th, 2025, Nova Scotia banned all entry into forests (even for hiking or pic-
nicking) in the name of “wildfire prevention.” Violators face fines up to $25,000. Christine Van Geyn, Litigation Director at the Canadian Constitution Foundation, called it what it is, “Creeping authoritarianism.” She warns that “safetyism” has become a political weapon, one that trades liberty for illusion.
Remember, Canadians have seen this movie before. Every restriction, every fine, every lockdown came “for your safety.” Now, the same language is being used to normalize surveillance and compliance.
The Global Pattern
Different countries, same strategy. Digital ID. Biometric banking. Cashless currency. Safety-driven control.
Each policy, viewed alone, seems rational. Together, they form a net, one designed to tighten around the everyday person while elites and globalist NGOs pull the strings.
Freedom doesn’t vanish overnight. It disappears through small, reasonable steps that make you feel safer, until you wake up in a cage built for your protection.
Our global governmental system is conditioning your obedience. Reject the digital handcuffs while you still can.
Toastmasters Empowering Communicators
will highlight the club’s achievements, honour its leaders, and inspire a new generation of communicators to find their voice.
According to the club’s website, Ebony Toastmasters (part of Toastmasters International, a global nonprofit) helps people develop excellent communication and leadership skills in a supportive environment. Members describe it as a training ground for personal growth.
The club focuses on three key pillars:
1. Practice public speaking
Members build confidence through structured speaking opportunities. Each session offers a safe, judgment-free space to practice presentations, speeches, and storytelling.
2. Leadership development
Members take on leadership roles within the club serving as meeting officials, mentors, or officers to refine decision-making and organizational skills. These experiences often translate into professional and personal success.
3. Community connection
The club brings together people from diverse backgrounds and professions, cre -
ating rich opportunities for: networking, collaboration, and friendship. Members connect over a shared desire for growth and impact.
Some of the top benefits members gain from Ebony Toastmasters include:
• Overcoming fear of public speaking
• Strengthening communication skills
• Boosting self-confidence
• Building leadership capacity
• Learning to organize and chair meetings
• Delivering impactful presentations
• Giving and receiving constructive feedback
For many, the impact goes beyond public speaking. It’s about reclaiming their voice, sharpening their ideas, and building confidence that ripples through every part of life.
Sam and Rita Burke, celebrated children’s authors and owners of Burkes Bookstore, have played a key role in Ebony Toastmasters’ success. Rita shared on LinkedIn, “A vibrant, President Distinguished community club where leadership and communication skills are honed, and lives transformed. We provide a cost-effec-
tive way to build confidence and develop both formal and informal public speaking skills.”
At a recent executive meeting held on October 8th, 2025, members reflected on how the club has shaped their journeys. Attendees included: Rita and Sam Burke, Treasurer Kenny Adio, Secretary Natalie Meade, and members Yolanda Haywood, John Leigh, and Catherine Emmanuel.
Each person shared a powerful story about how Ebony Toastmasters helped them grow. Their enthusiasm filled the virtual room, revealing a shared truth: this club changes lives.
Ebony Toastmasters is a community of courage and connection. Through its programs, mentorship, and shared wisdom, members gain skills that extend far beyond the podium. They learn to; listen, lead, and lift others.
If you’re ready to strengthen your communication, leadership, or confidence, join Ebony Toastmasters. Visit ebonytoastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org, or learn more about Toastmasters International at toastmasters.org.
When your voice grows stronger, so does your life.
Netflix accused of weaponizing kids’ shows with radical LGBT agenda
SIMONE SMITH
simone@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
As Chief Correspondent at the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper, an email recently landed that demands attention. It accuses Netflix of crossing a line, transforming children’s entertainment into a weaponized tool to push LGBT radical gender ideology through shows that parents once trusted implicitly.
The email alleges that popular children’s programs on Netflix, including cartoons and kids’ shows, now serve as Trojan horses introducing ideas aimed at confusing and indoctrinating the most vulnerable viewers: toddlers and young children. Specific titles mentioned include: Dead End: Paranormal Park, CoComelon, The Baby-Sitters Club, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, and Ada Twist, Scientist. Allegations emphasize that these programs normalize same-sex relationships, transgender identities, and gender non-conformity for preschoolers
(Season 1, Episode 8), where a boy in a tutu and tiara sings “Just Be You” for his two gay dads, a scene described by critics as pushing gender confusion on toddlers. In Dead End: Paranormal Park, the main character is a transgender teen navigating acceptance, while The BabySitters Club features a character publicly shaming a hospital for misgendering a transgender boy.
The email claims such content is not inclusion, or creativity but rather “abuse,” “manipulation,” and a betrayal of parental trust. It frames Netflix’s strategy as a deliberate plan to “brainwash” children. The sender urges collective action, calling for a boycott of Netflix subscriptions and demands that the company remove these shows, issue apologies, and provide clear parental warnings.
Noteworthy is that technology entrepreneur Elon Musk has publicly joined this cause. He terminated his Netflix subscription, calling the platform’s kids’ content “transgender woke propaganda,” urging others to cancel as well. Social media campaigns echo an opposing wave of outrage, emphasizing parental rights to determine age-appropriate content and framing Netflix’s actions as bypassing family consent.
These events have led to a temporary dip in Netflix’s stock, though the platform continues to have millions of subscribers worldwide, making this con-
troversy a flashpoint in ongoing debates over representation, children’s media, and corporate responsibility.
The controversy raises nuanced questions about the balance between cultural representation, inclusion, and the protection of childhood innocence. It highlights a deep divide in public perception of what constitutes appropriate children’s content in an increasingly diverse society.
This situation spotlights how media consumption today intersects with powerful emotional triggers, fear for children’s wellbeing, trust betrayal, identity politics, and forces communities to confront complex cultural shifts.
As a community publication, it is crucial to present these developments transparently, providing facts for public reflection and discussion. Have you witnessed, or experienced concerns about children’s programming reflecting this issue? Does it resonate with your family’s, or community’s values?
Your voice matters. Let us know if this matters to you.
Consider your own viewing choices and discuss openly with your family and community. Stay informed, engage respectfully, and help foster dialogue that honors diverse perspectives while protecting the children we all care about.
Can a three-month emergency save Haiti, or just expose the truth?
STEVEN KASZAB
steven@carib101.com
TC COLUMNIST
especially in urban centers. Law enforce ment is overwhelmed, underfunded, and outgunned. Civil and regional governments have been hollowed out by corruption and mismanagement. The result? A nation where power flows not through justice, but through fear.
The agricultural sector once fed the nation; now it’s a shadow of itself. Mismanagement and lack of investment have left fields barren and millions vulnerable to famine. Haiti’s police force fights a losing battle against organized
crime. Many officers lack the tools, or morale to make lasting change.
Even worse, reports suggest that international cartels and extremist networks operate freely within the island. Energy supplies are stolen or controlled by criminal organizations. Hospitals and schools teeter on collapse, while stress and mental health crises spread through every community.
Transportation hubs: ports, airports, and highways, are prime targets for both foreign exploitation and local gangs. Haiti’s population is shrinking, its economy imploding, and its future slipping away. Profits made by multinational corporations rarely stay in Haiti. Instead, they flow outward, enriching outsiders while deepening poverty at home.
The myth of hope
The world says Haiti needs hope, but hope doesn’t feed children or keep families safe. Haiti’s people are resilient, yes, but resilience has limits when faced with relentless hardship. To rise again, Haiti needs a full reset of its systems, not just prayers and press conferences.
Once, Haiti thrived; ironically, during colonial times. Back then, every ounce of wealth was extracted to Europe, or funneled into elite bank accounts. The Haitian everyman remained poor then, and still does now. Today, most businesses must pay protection money to one cartel, or another just to survive.
So, what’s next? Two stark options present themselves.
Option One: Revolution
Haitians could unite to purge corruption, rebuild institutions, and reclaim the nation’s independence. This would mean revolution, not in the violent sense, but a complete social and governmental reset. A movement that cleanses politics, redefines justice, and prioritizes Haitian hands rebuilding Haitian futures.
Option Two: Strategic surrender
Or Haiti could do what many would call unthinkable; invite international powers to step in. Whether the U.S., China, the EU, or Canada, foreign intervention might stabilize the nation temporarily. It would come at a cost: sovereignty. Could a limited democracy, enforced by outside powers, bring peace and opportunity? Or would it repeat the same colonial wounds that have haunted Haiti for centuries?
A nation caught between pain and possibility
What can a nation do when it’s never truly known freedom? Haiti’s history is steeped in exploitation and oppression. Its present feels like a rerun of that past. Perhaps the only path forward is one forged through painful honesty; acknowledging that help is needed, but control must stay with the people. While foreign powers can enforce peace, they can’t instill pride, and without pride, no nation can stand.
MICHAEL THOMAS
michael@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
Picture this: you’re banned from the internet. Your service provider refuses to reconnect your devices. When you complain, you’re slapped with a $25,000 fine by a government you believed would protect you. Complain again, and it doubles.
Businesses that resist or speak up could face penalties up to $15 million. Their executives could even land in jail. This is the kind of future Canada risks if Bill C-8 becomes law.
The Illusion of Cybersecurity
Bill C-8 carries a harmless name; An Act Respecting Cyber Security, but don’t let that fool you. Behind the title lies a dangerous expansion of government power, one that quietly transforms the internet into a tool of control.
If passed, this bill gives Industry Minister Mélanie Joly sweeping authority to order telecom companies and payment providers to cut off your access to essential services. She could do this without a judge, a warrant, or any public oversight.
The bill has already passed second reading in Parliament. Once com-
Bill C-8 Can Block Your Online Access, and Fine you $25,000 for Speaking About It
mittee review ends, a final vote could happen any day.
Spying in Disguise
Bill C-8 authorizes federal agents to collect: your browsing history, location data, financial records, and metadata without a warrant, or your consent. It also forces companies to create “encryption openings,” weakening the same protections that keep your personal data safe from hackers and foreign actors.
Ironically, while the bill increases state surveillance, it does nothing to protect hospitals, schools, or public infrastructure from cyberattacks. Bill C-8 doesn’t secure anything, it controls everything.
The Digital ID Connection
This bill is infrastructure for a national Digital ID system. The government has long been preparing the ground for it but lacked the mechanism to enforce compliance. Bill C-8 provides that tool.
Once it passes, refusing to register, or even hesitating to comply could result in immediate disconnection from digital life; no appeals, no questions asked.
Christine Van Geyn, Litigation Director for the Canadian Constitution Foundation, warned that the government cannot be trusted with such power. “You may think cutting off political dissidents from necessities sounds farfetched,” she said, “but that’s exactly what happened during the 2022 Free -
Fighting
PAUL JUNOR
paul@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
The Ontario government’s new restriction on medical residency applications has sparked outrage across the province. The policy limits first-round applications to students who completed at least two years of high school in Ontario, a rule that effectively shuts out thousands of internationally trained medical graduates (IMGs).
Mainstream media quickly picked up the story. The Globe and Mail ran a piece titled “Ontario Will Apply New Limits on Residency Applications from International Medical Graduates” on October 11th, 2025. That same day, The Toronto Star published “New Rule for Medical Residency Excludes Immigrant Doctors.”
The Black Physicians’ Association of Ontario (BPAO) responded immediately through a message from its
dom Convoy protests in Ottawa.”
Banks froze hundreds of accounts under government orders, without judicial authorization. Protesters lost access to their own money during one of the coldest winters in recent memory.
With Bill C-8, such overreach becomes law.
A Chain Reaction of Control
Bill C-8 forms part of a broader framework that includes:
• Bill C-9, the Everything is Hateful Bill, redefining speech as “hate” to criminalize dissenting opinions.
• Bill C-2, the Peeping on Canadians Bill, granting the federal government vast power to collect and centralize private data.
Together, they create a lattice of surveillance and censorship, a system where speech is monitored, movement tracked, and silence enforced.
How Did We Get Here?
The foundation was laid in the Telecommunications Act of 1993. Bill C-8 amends Section 7 to include a new clause:
“(j) to promote the security of the Canadian telecommunications system.”
At first glance, it sounds reasonable, but the follow-up provision, Section 15.1, grants the Governor in Council (the federal Cabinet) the power
to prohibit telecom companies from using products, or services provided by “specified persons,” a broad and vague phrase that could apply to anyone, or any entity.
In plain terms, if the government believes a provider, or you, poses a “threat,” it can order disconnection without proof, trial, or transparency.
Why This Matters to You
Freedom isn’t lost in one sweeping motion; it erodes slowly through legislation that sounds sensible. Cybersecurity. Safety. Protection. These are comforting words used to mask control.
Bill C-8 would normalize censorship as security and redefine privacy as privilege. Once digital rights are gone, reclaiming them won’t be easy. You will need permission to access what is already yours.
A Call for Awareness
You don’t need to agree with every protester, or critic to see what’s at stake. This is about power. When the government holds the keys to your digital identity, it holds control over your livelihood, communication, and voice.
That is why Canadians must pay attention, question every clause, and demand transparency before the final vote. Silence is the soil where bad laws grow.
Once you’re disconnected, it’s too late to log back in.
for fairness: How Ontario’s new residency rule excludes immigrant doctors
president, Dr. Mojola Omole, calling the move “restrictive” and “highly exclusionary.” The province’s official statement outlined that to qualify for IMGdesignated positions in the first round, applicants must have attended an accredited Ontario high school for two, or more years. Exceptions apply only if a parent or guardian worked abroad with the Canadian Armed Forces, the Diplomatic Service, or Global Affairs Canada.
Dr. Omole condemned the new eligibility rule for its narrow scope and harmful timing. “This policy restricts eligibility in the first iteration to Canadian Medical Graduates and a narrowly defined group of Ontario IMGs,” she said. “Announced only six weeks before the match process, it has created deep distress among IMGs who’ve completed exams, prepared documentation, and built their plans to serve communities across Ontario.”
The policy, she warned, will worsen Ontario’s already critical family physician shortage. “Right now, more than 2.3 million Ontarians don’t have a family doctor,” she added. “Data shows over 58% of IMGs applied to Family Medicine programs last year. IMGs must be included to help address this crisis.”
One IMG, Bahir Bakhit, a re -
cipient of the BPAO’s HELP Scholarship, shared how support from the organization fuels his perseverance. “My journey to match into residency training in Canada is full of challenges,” he said. “With this scholarship, my goal of postgraduate medical training feels within reach. BPAO’s commitment gives IMGs like me hope for a fair future.”
The BPAO has launched a province-wide call to action under “How You Can Advocate for Policy Change.” The campaign urges Ontarians (from IMGs to community allies) to take four steps:
1. Share your story
Record a 30-second video supporting equitable residency access for all medical graduates.
2. Sign the petitions
Petition 1: Demand Fairness in Ontario
R1 Residency Applications
Petition 2: Stop the Unfair Exclusion of Immigrant Doctors in Ontario
3. Speak with the press
Physicians or residency applicants can share their experiences through BPAO’s media form.
4. Contact your elected officials
Reach out to your local MPP or MP to voice concerns about this policy.
Meanwhile, the Internationally Trained Physicians of Canada (ITPC) called on the government to:
• Reverse the directive and open the first iteration of CaRMS to all qualified candidates.
• Work with ITP-led organizations like ITPC to ensure equitable representation in future decisions.
• Publicly reject exclusionary measures and reaffirm Ontario’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion — not through slogans, but through concrete action.
For now, the BPAO remains cautiously optimistic. While it continues to challenge this decision, it hopes the Ontario government will reconsider a policy that many see as discriminatory and shortsighted. The organization insists that inclusive healthcare is smart governance.
As Dr. Omole reminds us, “IMGs are part of Ontario’s future. They bring skill, dedication, and cultural understanding our communities need. It’s time our policies reflected that truth.”
How to navigate Canada’s silent youth employment collapse with resilience and strategy
SIMONE SMITH
simone@carib101.com
It’s late October in Toronto, and the lights of retail windows flicker earlier this year. Behind the glittering displays, something quieter, and heavier is happening: the 2025 holiday job market is collapsing faster than most realize.
Seasonal job postings across Canada have plunged 15% from last year and remain 16% below pre-pandemic levels. For many Caribbean and international students who depend on these short-term jobs to cover tuition and send money home, this is emotional turbulence masked as market data.
Scarcity rewires how we see possibility. When you are an international student trying to balance rising rents, shrinking hours, and the weight of family expectations, your nervous system becomes a data processor of worry. The instinctive, survival-oriented part of the brain (the reptilian brain) narrows focus to immediate needs, “How will I pay for food this month?”
Meanwhile, the intuitive brain whispers narratives of identity and belonging, “Maybe I don’t fit here.” These are identity crises that are built on exclusionary hiring policies and racialized screening practices.
According to Statistics Canada, youth aged 15–24 lost 28,000 jobs in April alone, pushing unemployment to 11.3%. Beneath that number lies another truth; racialized youth, particularly African Caribbean Canadians, face systemic bias that quietly dictates who gets a second interview and who doesn’t.
The collapse of seasonal employment exposes something more profound about Canada’s economic psychology: the country’s labor systems depend on the emotional endurance of its newcomers. Employers want “Canadian experience,” yet gatekeep access to it. Credentials from Jamaica, Trinidad, or Guyana are often dismissed, forcing highly educated youth into minimum-wage survival.
When formal systems fail, Caribbean communities have historically turned to what sociologists call “social capital resilience” networks of mutual aid, informal economies, and cultural trust. A young student from Scarborough recently described it best, “When the system closes the door, community becomes the key.”
Across Toronto, WhatsApp groups, neighborhood associations, and creative collectives have become informal job boards and support hubs. These are coun -
tercultures of care. They shift power back to the community level, where recognition replaces rejection.
The forces shaping this moment are structural and psychological. Automation is replacing frontline retail jobs, tariffs have disrupted manufacturing supply chains, and inflation is squeezing corporate margins, shrinking hiring budgets.
According to the Brookfield Institute, one in five Canadian jobs could be fully automated by 2028, many of them entrylevel positions once seen as gateways for students. The U.S.–Canada tariff dispute cost over 33,000 jobs in March. Inflation continues to pressure businesses into hiring freezes. Each policy decision trickles down emotionally before it does economically, in the form of anxiety, loss of control, and shrinking self-worth among marginalized youth.
Crisis also opens space for creative reinvention. The same technologies that automate cashier roles are expanding opportunities in logistics, AI ethics, and digital marketing. The challenge is not whether Caribbean students can adapt, they always have, but whether institutions will finally reward adaptability rather than punish difference.
What if the employment conversation shifted from, “Getting a job” to “Building a skill base rooted in community?” What if youth viewed 2025’s job crisis as a laboratory for experimentation?
Educational psychologists call this the “growth mindset pivot,” transforming setbacks into feedback loops for skill-building. Caribbean students can reclaim agency by expanding into emerging sectors like green tech, digital design, and entrepreneurship.
At the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper, where we work closely with equity-focused entrepreneurs and cultural curators, this strategic reframing has already changed lives. Students are learning to pitch their cultural fluency as a strategic asset, not a liability. They are forming collectives that cross disciplines, combining art, wellness, education, and technology, to create sustainable income ecosystems.
Community journalism must now do what traditional media often avoids: make visible the emotional labour behind economic struggle. Every statistic has a heartbeat. Every decline in job postings is someone’s deferred dream. It is also someone’s awakening: to purpose, to self-reliance, to collective possibility.
So, here’s the call: if the economy is tightening, our interconnection must expand. Mentor a student. Hire locally. Share information. Teach skills. Reimagine success as solidarity. This is how communities in crisis rewrite their own scripts. Not through rage or surrender, but through radical reengagement.
Five warning signs your child is struggling with math, and what you can do
PAUL JUNOR
paul@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
A new report from Tutor Doctor is shedding light on a growing concern among parents, math struggles. Based on a year of firsthand inquiries from families, the 10-page report outlines why students fall behind, what’s at stake if they don’t catch up, and what solutions actually work.
Released on October 7th, 2025, the findings reveal an alarming trend: more parents are seeking math help than ever before, and the problem runs deeper than poor test scores.
• Math tops all subjects. Nearly 45% of all parent inquiries focused on math more than any other subject.
• Emotional toll. Over 20% of messages in-
cluded urgent, emotionally charged language, showing how math stress affects entire families.
• Foundational gaps persist. Pandemic disruptions made existing learning gaps worse. In 2024, half of Grade 6 students failed to meet the provincial math standard.
• Math anxiety on the rise. Between 20% and 30% of students now experience math-related anxiety, sometimes as early as Grade 1.
Tutor Doctor’s Education Experience Specialist, Becky Ward, sees these struggles firsthand, “The students who come to us often already believe they are bad at math, and that belief holds them back,” she explains. “Breaking through that mindset is half the battle.”
The report, titled “5 Signs Your Child Might Need Extra Help With Math,” identifies five key warning signs every parent should know.
1. Falling behind on foundational skills
Math is like building a house. Without a solid foundation, everything above it crumbles. When children struggle with fractions, decimals, or basic equations, each new concept
becomes harder to grasp. What to look for at home:
• Repeated struggles with homework
• Lower test scores despite hard work
• Frustration, or tears when facing new topics
2. Feeling lost in a one-size-fits-all classroom
Many teachers lack sufficient training to support every learner. In fact, only one in eight teacher trainees report receiving enough math instruction to teach it confidently. Students who learn differently often feel left behind in this system.
3. Showing signs of math anxiety
According to studies from BrainsCAN (2023) and Education Week (2025), math anxiety affects up to 30% of students. Anxiety can manifest as:
• Meltdowns before tests
• Headaches or stomach aches on math days
• Shutting down completely during lessons
4. Asking “what’s the point?” When children can’t connect math to real life,
motivation disappears. Without understanding the “why” behind lessons, they disengage. Relevance is key; students need to see how math applies to their world, from budgeting to building.
5. Confidence and identity taking a hit Math struggles often erode a child’s self-esteem. A 2025 Education Week survey found that 67% of U.S. teachers believe math anxiety directly affects learning. Students begin to internalize failure, defining themselves as “not a math person.” Over time, this mindset can limit academic and career opportunities. Ward emphasizes that confidence and competence grow together. “Once students start believing they can do math, everything changes,” she says. Personalized, one-on-one tutoring helps rebuild confidence, close learning gaps, and create longterm success.
The report calls on schools and policymakers to take math anxiety seriously and to support early interventions that address both academic and emotional needs. Parents who want to explore the full findings can visit tutordoctor.com/math-findings-report2025.
How AI search is changing business visibility for creatives
When most people in our community think of artificial intelligence, they imagine futuristic robots, or faceless tech companies making quiet decisions about their data. Few realize that AI has already reshaped something as ordinary as the Google search bar, and, in turn, how Black, Indo, Caribbean, and African entrepreneurs get seen online.
If you have searched for anything lately, you have probably noticed this: the answer appears instantly at the top of the page, no scrolling required. That’s Google’s new AI Overview, an evolution beyond traditional search engine optimization (SEO) into something called “Answer Engine Optimization” or AEO.
That change might sound small, but for artists, educators, small business owners, and content creators trying to build visibility,
“The superfluous,” said Voltaire, the French philosopher, “Is a very necessary thing.” Alas, his thinking predated our understanding of the norovirus. The norovirus is one of the most common viruses on the planet, yet it seems to be doing nothing useful, let alone necessary. It’s just making hundreds of millions of people worldwide sick in any given
it’s a seismic shift.
Traditional SEO worked like climbing a digital ladder. If you carefully placed keywords, built backlinks, and met user intent, your website could earn a coveted Top 3 spot. Visibility equaled validation, proof your work mattered.
AEO changes the game. Now, Google’s AI scans multiple sources, summarizes the best insights, and presents them as an instant, unified “answer.” Your content might not even appear as a clickable link, but if your writing is accurate, engaging, and helpful, it could be referenced within that AI summary itself.
For independent creatives, this creates both tension and opportunity. It feels like losing control, but psychologically, it also invites a deeper question: What if success online isn’t just about being the loudest voice, but the most useful one?
Let us break the mystery. Instead of fighting AI, the smartest strategy is to collaborate with it. The same tools that seem to threaten visibility can also boost it, if you know how to write for the machine and the human brain.
To appear in those AI-generated results, your content should directly answer human questions, the ones real people from your audience are literally typing:
• What is this?
• How does it work?
• What are the benefits?
• What are the steps involved?
• What tools can help me do this better?
AI models like ChatGPT can help you build these answers strategically. Ask it to “Generate 10 long-tail questions about wellness workshops for Black entrepreneurs,” or “Outline how to structure a grant-writing guide that could appear in Google’s AI overview.” Then refine, humanize, and verify the output. Here’s the part few marketing blogs talk about: AI visibility is about trust perception. The intuitive part of the human brain (the limbic system) responds to clarity, confidence, and connection.
When people read AI-generated summaries and see your content quoted, it signals authority. That is social proof amplified by technology. Yet, the primitive brain (the one that seeks safety) still wants authenticity. People need to feel your humanity behind the algorithm.
That is why your tone, transparency, and purpose matter more than ever. Write like a guide, not a salesperson. Explain how your content serves the collective good. Use story to show (not tell) how your message
The virus making hundreds of millions of people worldwide sick in any given year
through contaminated food, water, surfaces, and most usually, dirty hands.
The virus is found only in humans, not animals, and it doesn’t need much help to make trouble. A microscopic particle is enough to make you sick. Once ingested, it multiplies rapidly and exits just as quickly, shedding billions of copies that can infect others. It’s so efficient that it’s been called “the perfect pathogen.”
Most outbreaks emerge in familiar places like restaurants, daycare facilities, cruise ships, or long-term care homes. The virus is so hardy that it survives freezing, mild heating, and many cleaning products. Even alcohol-based hand sanitizers, so effective against most bacteria, don’t reliably stop it.
Soapy water is the best prevention.
Symptoms of infection include sudden nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. It comes on fast, but is usually over in two, or three days. Most people recover without lasting harm, though the elderly, very young, or those with weakened immune systems can become dangerously dehydrated.
Unlike other viruses, getting it once doesn’t make you stronger. You might think that exposure would at least give your immune system a workout and lead to lasting protection. Unfortunately, norovirus doesn’t play by those rules. Your body does mount a defense and produces antibodies, but they fade quickly, usually within six months to two years, and only protect you from the exact strain that made you sick. Norovirus keeps changing. It mutates its surface proteins just enough to fool your immune system the next time around. That’s why you can catch norovirus again and again. There is literally nothing good about norovirus unless you count that it makes victims better appreciate good plumbing.
Scientists have been working for years to develop a vaccine, but so far, the virus’s habit of constant reinvention has stymied efforts. There are dozens of strains, and new ones emerge every few years.
Norovirus often strikes just after a family dinner. Within 24 hours, one person starts feeling queasy, another rushes to the bathroom, and soon everyone is apologiz-
was shaped by lived experience.
For Afro/Indo-Caribbean content creators, embracing these tools is about amplification. We already know how to innovate with limited resources. AI is just a new instrument in that same rhythm, a tool that can help our stories reach global ears without stripping away cultural nuance.
Think of it as digital call-and-response: AI calls the question, and your content answers in your voice. If our community learns these patterns early, we will shape this new media era. We will shape it.
The real reward for mastering AEO is the freedom that comes from understanding how modern attention works, and how to direct it consciously toward positive representation and economic growth.
As one AI strategist recently told me, “AI won’t replace us, but it will reward those who learn how to think alongside it.” That is the challenge, and the invitation. If you’re an artist, educator, or entrepreneur within the African Caribbean community, start where you are. Experiment with AI writing tools, test your headlines, and watch how your content performs in both search and AI overviews. The future of visibility is about learning the new language of being seen.
ing, or looking for culprits in the cooking. It’s not the food. It’s norovirus that came uninvited on unwashed hands.
What can we do? The answer is oldfashioned but effective. Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before preparing food and after using the bathroom. Keep kitchen surfaces clean. Cook shellfish thoroughly, since oysters and clams can carry the virus if harvested from contaminated waters, and if someone in your home is sick, disinfect using a bleachbased cleaner and handle laundry and dishes with care. Norovirus may be hard to kill, but it doesn’t like hot water, chlorine, or good hygiene habits.
The larger lesson in all this is about humility. For all our medical advances, a virus invisible to the naked eye can still level us for days. Immunity isn’t always cumulative, and strength doesn’t always come from exposure. Sometimes, health depends less on what we can endure and more on what we can avoid.
Can Canada’s working class afford another year like this?
scrape through a week, but who wants that? Services we relied on have been trimmed away because rent, groceries and gas come first.
The cost of living is crushing us. It saps our energy, dulls our hope and makes a normal, honest life feel like a daily grind. Working people, their families and their neighbours are paying a steep price for stagnant wages and unpredictable policy. That wears you down.
Years ago, a group of frustrated Canadians camped in front of Parliament Hill. The convoy grabbed headlines with a raw, simple cry for “freedom.” For many, that word meant more than one thing: economic dignity, transparent leadership, and a government that feels their pain. Some of us saw a circus; others saw people who had finally run out of patience. The Legislature and media turned them into villains. Many participants still face legal and social consequences. I
don’t agree with everything they did, but I understand the anger that led them there. What matters is this: Canadians feel unheard. The leaders we elect often ignore our daily struggles until an election cycle forces their attention. If we want change, we should bring our demands to every provincial legislature. A visible, organized push (peaceful but persistent) would remind officials who they serve.
The crisis has exposed a new social fault line. Our society feels sorted into classes, like a caste system where opportunity and security are unevenly distributed. Hardworking people feel trapped between rising costs and flat wages. That gap is in the contents of our carts, the dents in our cars, and the calls we make to family when a bill comes due.
We need three things from our leaders. First, transparent, accountable policy that targets the real drivers of inflation:
housing, food supply chains and excessive corporate consolidation. Second, wage policies that match the cost of daily life. Third, accessible public services so people don’t have to choose between groceries and medicine. This is personal. I shop, feed my family and pay bills. I want to keep working without watching my standard of living dissolve. So do millions of others. If the political class won’t act early, we must nudge them, loudly, clearly and where they will feel it: in their offices, their towns and at their legislatures.
Bring petitions. Organize peaceful assemblies. Vote in local elections. Write to your MP and MPP. Don’t let the crisis become business as usual.
We can erect pressure without violence. We can demand dignity without chaos. If nothing changes, more people will reach the breaking point the convoy exposed. This is a warning.
This week’s Community Highlight is bursting with brilliance, bold moves, and heartwarming hustle! From empowering Black youth to rise and thrive, to a groundbreaking Canada-Nigeria film collaboration led by Omoni Oboli and Patricia Bebia, creativity and culture are taking center stage. The City of Toronto is calling on YOU to help shape the 2026 budget, and we are walking in solidarity to protect civil liberties and amplify voices that matter. Plus, as winter approaches, we are spotlighting a vital initiative connecting older adults with snow removal services, because community care never goes out of season
Empowering Black youth to unlock their potential and thrive
The Leadership by Design (LBD) program is a multi-year program that supports the success of academically promising Black youth and does so in partnership with parents, the community and educational institutions including universities. This program is now accepting applications. We are seeking to enroll academically promising students who are currently enrolled in Grade 10.
We need your help connecting with eligible students. Please share this information with your friends, families and networks.
• Are you a parent of a Grade 10 child who self identifies as Black?
• Have you always wished for an individual or organization to step in and add to your efforts to make your child successful?
• Do you believe your child’s prospects for future success would be enhanced by the learning of leadership skills, an effective career-exploration program and the provision of opportunities which amplify your child’s talents and optimize their ambitions?
The Leadership by Design program provides these opportunities. Have your child apply for admission. Act now before the deadline of Monday, October 27th, 2025. Visit: https://llileaders.com/lbd-admissions/
Omoni Oboli and Patricia Bebia launch Landmark Canada; Nigeria Film Collaboration
Two of the most dynamic voices in African and Canadian cinema and media (Omoni Oboli and Patricia Bebia) have joined forces to launch a groundbreaking partnership that will see them develop a slate of films bridging Nollywood and Canadian storytelling through their new platform, NicaPro.
Omoni Oboli is one of Nollywood’s most celebrated creative forces, commanding both the big screen and the digital space. As an award-winning director, producer, and actress, she has earned several national and international honors for her groundbreaking work.
Patricia Bebia, an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and director, is equally a force in Canadian and international media. Patricia has built a formidable platform for storytelling, cultural exchange, and empowerment.
Together, Omoni and Patricia’s collaboration will merge their creative power, industry influence, and international networks to tell bold, globally resonant stories. Their partnership will also include a women’s empowerment dimension, as Omoni’s Reel Women’s Network collaborates with Patricia’s Heels on Reels initiative to create the Future Reel Network, a notfor-profit arm that will provide mentorship, training, and career-shaping opportunities for women in film across Canada, Nigeria, and beyond.
On October 9th, 2025, the two visionaries hosted a high-profile press conference at CBC Television’s Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, with simultaneous outreach to Nigerian and Canadian media, to announce their vision and unveil details of their first projects together.
The campaign will spotlight:
• The vision and scope of the joint film slate, with six feature films planned over three years.
• The cultural and economic significance of this Canada–Nigeria creative partnership.
• The Reel Women’s Network × Heels on Reels collaboration empowers women in film through the Future Reel Network.
• Their role as trailblazers shaping a new model of global storytelling.
This collaboration marks a powerful step forward for cross-continental filmmaking, merging the creative strengths of Nollywood and Canada’s screen industry to create stories that entertain, inspire, and unite audiences around the world.
City of Toronto announces 2026 Budget Consultations
Today, Councillor Shelley Carroll (Don Valley North), Chair of the Budget Committee, announced the launch of the City of Toronto’s 2026 Budget consultations. For a third consecutive year, the city is inviting residents to help shape Toronto’s Budget by completing an online survey and attending one of six in-person, or virtual consultations.
Online survey
Until Friday, October 31st, Toronto residents can complete an online survey at www.toronto.ca/budget. The survey is available in 12 languages: English, French, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Farsi, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil and Urdu.
In-person and virtual consultations
A total of six consultations will be held across Toronto and online:
In-person consultations
• Tuesday, October 14th, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., St. Lawrence Market North, Market Hall, 92 Front St. E.
• Saturday, October 18th, noon to 2:00 p.m., Etobicoke Olympium, Large Gym, 590 Rathburn Rd.
• Wednesday, October 22nd, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., North York Memorial Hall, Burgundy Rooms A & B, 5110 Yonge St.
• Thursday, October 23rd, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Scarborough Civic Centre, Rotunda, 150 Borough Dr.
Virtual consultations
• Monday, October 27th, noon to 2:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 29th, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Members of the public can register to attend an in-person or virtual consultation at www.toronto.ca/budget.
For accessibility support, contact engagement@toronto.ca or call 416-3925398.
The city is working with community partners to facilitate communityled consultations with Black, Indigenous, equity-deserving communities and youth across Toronto.
The consultation results will inform decision making at the city and ongoing discussions with the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada to build a strong financial future for Toronto. A summary will be provided to the Budget Committee at its first meeting on Thursday, January 8th, 2026, and will inform the Mayor’s proposed budget, which will be re -
leased by Sunday, February 1st, 2026.
More information is available in the 2026 Budget process backgrounder (www.toronto.ca/news/city-of-toronto2026-budget-process).
Walk in solidarity for civil liberties Across Canada and around the world, the space for civil liberties is shrinking. These are critical times, and coming together in solidarity has never mattered more.
On Sunday, October 26th, 2025, people across Canada will join the Walk for Civil Liberties in Toronto and in communities from coast to coast. It’s a moment for individuals and civil society organizations who believe in rights and freedoms to come together and show that we care for one another and the values that unite us. When you take part, you show that people in Canada will not stay silent while our rights and freedoms are threatened. Your presence is a message of unity, compassion, and shared purpose.
Registration is free. If you are the first person to sign up in your province or territory, we’ll send you a Walk for Civil Liberties t-shirt and keychains to share with others who participate with you.
Connecting older adults with snow removal services this winter
Throughout the winter season, the City of Vaughan provides an extensive snow removal and road maintenance program to help keep the public safe. Some residents require extra assistance with snow-clearing at their property and Community and Home Assistance to Seniors (CHATS)’ Snow Clearing Program can help.
CHATS is a non-profit organization that has been providing home and community support to older adults across York Region and South Simcoe since 1980. They offer a Snow Clearing Program in Vaughan, which is a paid service that connects older adults to pre-approved companies that provide driveway snow clearing and walkway clearing to the front/main door. The cost for snow clearing is paid for by the homeowner.
The CHATS Snow Clearing Program runs from Saturday, November. 15th, 2025, until Wednesday, April 15th, 2026. It’s available to Vaughan residents aged 55 and older, or with age-related illnesses, for up to a maximum of 150 residents this winter season. Subsidies are available based on the completion of a financial assessment.
As capacity is limited, early registration is encouraged and can be done by calling 1-866-677-9048, ext. 7669 (SNOW), emailing snow@chats.on.ca or applying online at chats.on.ca/snow.
The silent epidemic: When the future dies before us
SIMONE SMITH
simone@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
The camera pans across a bustling city street, young faces laughing, texting, rushing toward futures they assume are guaranteed. There is unfortunately a hidden crisis unfolding in editing rooms worldwide, where statistics tell a darker story.
When I first read the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation report, I saw a story begging to be told. Global life expectancy had returned to pre-pandemic levels, 76.3 years for women, 71.5 for men.
Humans now live twenty years longer than in 1950. Yet something was terribly wrong.
The plot twist? While overall mortality rates had declined since 1950 across all 204 countries studied, deaths among adolescents and young adults were rising sharply. It was as if the script had been flipped; medical progress advancing on one track, youth mortality accelerating on another.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. We are celebrating longer lives while ignoring that our young people are dying in increasing numbers.”
The investigation begins with a global sweep, showing the stark contrast between regions. Life expectancy ranges from 83 years in high-income areas to just 62 years in sub-Saharan Africa. The real shocker comes when the camera zooms in on the 15-39 age demographic.
In high-income North America, deaths among those aged 20-39 have
surged primarily due to suicide, drug overdose, and alcohol-related causes. Meanwhile, in sub-Saharan Africa, infectious diseases and injuries claim young lives with devastating efficiency.
For children aged 5-14, iron deficiency emerges as the leading risk, followed by unsafe water, sanitation issues, and malnutrition. As the narrative progresses to the 15-49 age group, the dangers shift dramatically: unsafe sex, occupational injuries, high BMI, high blood pressure, and smoking dominate the landscape.
The research reveals how interconnected these crises are, how economic pressures, mental health challenges, and systemic failures create a perfect storm threatening young lives worldwide.
The research doesn’t shy away from controversial political angles either. It examines how recent policy shifts have weakened global cooperation and strained developing nations already struggling to
protect their young populations.
The research focuses on forward movement, what can be done, what is being done, and what must happen next. There are policymakers who have expanded health priorities to include adolescent and young adult health, demonstrating how strategic investments can yield tremendous returns. The question is whether we will continue celebrating overall life expectancy gains while ignoring the specific crisis facing our young people, or whether we’ll recognize that a society’s true measure of health isn’t just how long its elderly live, but how well it protects those just beginning their journeys.
We are left with a call to action and a lingering question: What future will we choose to create? I hope this article has moved readers from passive observers to engaged stakeholders, using the power of storytelling to transform abstract statistics into personal imperatives.
Bill C-9: Protecting Canadians, or silencing protesters in disguise?
PAUL JUNOR
paul@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
When the federal government introduced Bill C-9 — An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime, and access to religious and cultural places), it promised to make Canadians safer. But 37 civil society organizations say the bill may do the opposite.
In a joint letter released on October 6th, 2025, the coalition urged the government to reconsider. The groups argue that while the bill claims to protect communities from hate, it could erode Charter-
as schools, community centres, and other specified places. It also seeks to “address and denounce hate-motivated crime.” The proposed amendments to the Criminal Code include:
• Making it a crime to intimidate, or obstruct people accessing places of worship, schools, or community centres used by identifiable groups.
• Establishing hate-motivated crime as a distinct offence to ensure accountability.
• Criminalizing the promotion of hatred by publicly displaying certain terrorism or hate symbols.
• Defining “hatred” to clarify when conduct crosses into criminal territory.
• Removing the requirement for Attorney General consent before laying hate propaganda charges.
The two new offences (intimidation and obstruction) carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, or two years less a day for lesser offences.
The bill draws on the Supreme Court of Canada’s existing definition of hatred, which focuses on “detestation or vili-
fication.” It excludes mere dislike, disdain, or acts that offend, or humiliate. Legislators say codifying this language will bring clarity and consistency to hate crime prosecution.
Still, the coalition warns that the bill’s language is too broad. The new intimidation offence, they argue, could suppress constitutionally protected expression and peaceful assembly. Ironically, the law could stop marginalized groups and workers from protesting outside their own institutions precisely the spaces where dissent matters most.
The signatories describe parts of the bill as “vaguely defined” and “devoid of clear safeguards.” They caution that linking hate speech to Canada’s terror list (a process with little transparency or appeal) risks sweeping up peaceful activists in its dragnet.
Another concern is the removal of the Attorney General’s oversight in approving hate propaganda charges. Without that check, the coalition says, the bill could open the door to selective enforcement, especially against groups already subject to disproportionate surveillance and policing.
Anaïs Bussière McNicoll, Director of the Fundamental Freedoms Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, stated bluntly, “Bill C-9 risks criminalizing peaceful protests near tens of thousands of locations in Canada. In doing so, this bill would disproportionately harm the very communities it claims to protect.”
Howard Sapers, Executive Director of the CCLA, added that civil society groups from across the country are preparing to raise these concerns with Parliament’s Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, which is now studying the bill.
Despite the controversy, many believe the debate is far from over. The coalition’s appeal is not a rejection of hate crime laws but a call for balance protecting Canadians without eroding their right to protest, question, or dissent.
For now, the government faces a pivotal test: can it combat hate while preserving the democratic freedoms that define Canada?
Those who want to review Bill C-9 in full can visit the Department of Justice website at www.justice.gc.ca
Who really profits from Canada’s billion-dollar mega projects?
STEVEN KASZAB
steven@carib101.com
TC COLUMNIST
Land was handed to private developers at almost no cost. Regulations loosened. Billions poured in, but when the economy crashed, the work stopped. The unfinished condos now sit empty, many too unsafe to salvage. The private sector walked away with billions. The Spanish public was left buried in debt.
That’s the danger of public-private partnerships done wrong. In Spain’s case, iron-clad contracts shielded corporations while leaving taxpayers exposed. Those agreements gave private firms total financial control, ensured debt remained a public burden, and freed contractors from accountability.
It’s a story Serbia seems poised to repeat. The government is pouring public money into a 52,000-seat national stadium, touted as a symbol of Serbian pride ahead of Expo 2027. Yet, construction hasn’t even started. Costs have soared, corruption probes are underway, and basic safety and environmental reviews were ignored. Contractors enjoy unchecked freedom while the project’s finances re -
main opaque.
Now, Canadians should ask hard questions about our own government’s secretive deals. The Ford Administration’s partnerships with private corporations for housing builds, EV plants, and battery factories mirror these patterns of secrecy and risk. Billions in public funds have been handed to corporate giants through nondisclosure agreements the public can’t access.
If this sounds familiar, it should. Lack of transparency is the private sector’s favorite tool, and politicians often play along.
• Where’s the public oversight?
• Who signed these deals?
• How much was loaned, at what rate, and for how long?
• Can these corporations walk away without paying us back?
Perhaps most importantly, has anyone in government, or the corporate sector personally benefited?
When public funds become private leverage, accountability vanishes. Governments tout “job creation” and “innovation,” but the reality often looks different. Temporary employment. Inflated costs. Quiet profits. Then silence.
Mega builds, from Olympic stadiums to massive infrastructure projects, rarely deliver lasting social, or economic benefits. They feed political egos, generate glossy photo ops, and create shortterm boosts in employment, but leave long-term public debt. The few who profit are those closest to the contracts.
True transparency requires power to investigate beyond politics. Ontario’s Auditor General and Ombudsman must have full authority to review contracts and trace every dollar without government interference. That is the only way to protect public money and restore trust.
Until then, taxpayers will keep funding the photo ops while others pocket the profit.
Fighting for every dollar: Ontario workers stand up to wage theft
PAUL JUNOR
paul@carib101.com
TC REPORTER
The Workers’ Action Centre (WAC) continues to play a crucial role in protecting Ontario’s workers and helping them understand their rights under the Employment Standards Act (ESA). This law applies to nearly every employee in Ontario, whether you are on probation, part-time, or hired through a temp agency.
One of the most pressing issues WAC tackles is wage theft, when employers fail to pay workers what they have earned. Through education, advocacy, and direct support, the Centre is pushing for stronger enforcement and greater public awareness of this wide -
stand:
1. Minimum wage: As of October 1st, 2025, every employee aged 18 and older must earn at least $17.60 per hour.
2. Overtime pay: You must receive 1.5 times your regular rate for every hour worked over 44 hours per week.
3. Public holidays: You’re entitled to nine paid public holidays each year, or a substitute day off with public holiday pay.
4. Vacation rights: After one year of work, you earn two weeks of paid vacation or 4% vacation pay on each cheque. After five years, you receive three weeks or 6% vacation pay.
5. Accurate pay stubs: Employers must provide clear statements listing hours worked, wages, and deductions.
6. Deductions: Employers can only deduct pay if required by law, court order, or with your written consent.
7. Termination pay: After three months of work, you’re entitled to one week of notice or pay per year of service, up to eight weeks.
WAC recommends a few key steps to help protect yourself:
• Keep your own records. Track your hours, pay, and work dates.
• Know your employer. Record their full contact and company information.
• Save every document. Keep copies or photos of contracts, pay stubs, cheques, and communication with supervisors.
These small habits can make a big difference when filing a claim or seeking legal help.
A 2024 WAC survey of more than 500 low-wage workers paints a sobering picture:
• 60% reported at least one pay-related violation.
• 28% lost under $500, while 20% lost more than $5,000.
• 62% never received proper overtime pay.
• 51% weren’t paid for all hours worked.
• 46% missed paid public holidays.
• 47% were paid late.
• 20% went into debt because of missing wages, and 26% had to borrow money to cover bills.
These are signs of a broken system that
leaves vulnerable workers behind.
At a recent presentation for Workers’ Justice: A Community-Based Course on Rights and Action, Chris Ramsaroop, organizer with Justicia for Migrant Workers, revealed troubling statistics. Between 2017 and 2023, the Ministry of Labour issued fewer orders to pay wages, dropping from 5,000 to around 2,300 per year. Over 22,000 wage payment orders remain outstanding from 2017 to 2024. Even worse, only 41% of owed wages (about $60 million) were ever paid to workers.
These numbers show how deeply wage theft affects lives across Ontario. Behind every statistic is a person, someone who worked a double shift, skipped meals, or borrowed money just to survive.
Until the provincial government treats wage theft as a serious crime, this cycle of exploitation will continue. Workers deserve not only fair pay, but justice.
If you believe your employer owes you money or you want to learn more about your rights, visit workersactioncentre.org. Knowledge is your first line of defense, and your paycheck depends on it.
Can Canada survive the hidden costs of the EV boom?
in government subsidies, tax breaks, and interest-free loans. Sounds great, right? Except there’s a problem; no one outside the government knows what’s in these contracts. The deals between politicians and corporations are sealed tight. No transparency. No accountability.
Canadians deserve to know: What legal guarantees exist to protect our jobs and investments if these firms decide to walk away? None of these contracts are public. In fact, they’ve been designed to stay hidden. That’s corporate control.
The danger isn’t hypothetical. Fraser Lake, British Columbia, just got blindsided when West Fraser Timber Ltd. announced its closure. Overnight, 177 workers lost their livelihoods. In northern Ontario, a pulp and paper mill owned by Indian interests is shutting down too, taking hundreds more jobs with it. The ripple effect hits everyone: small business owners, local governments, and families struggling to make ends meet.
The same cycle could strike our new EV plants. For a few years, they’ll employ thousands, fueling housing growth and new small businesses, but when the corporate board decides production is cheaper elsewhere, what happens next? Towns collapse, and taxpayers eat the loss.
Even if governments sue, legal battles drag on for decades. Meanwhile, the workers (our neighbours, our friends) are left behind.
We’ve seen it before. These mills and plants often rely on exports to foreign markets like China. When those markets shift, or find cheaper suppliers, Canada’s industries crumble. Instead of chasing global profits, we should be investing in ourselves, building products for our own people and markets.
jobs, and “foreign investment.” What we really need is domestic innovation; to reimagine Canadian industry for Canadian needs. We should use taxpayer dollars strategically, not blindly.
Maybe that’s why populist movements keep rising. Middle America turned to Trump because they felt ignored by global elites. Could the same thing happen here? Will Pierre Poilievre rise by tapping into that same anger; speaking to working Canadians who feel abandoned by corporate globalism?
The question isn’t whether internationalism has failed. It’s whether we’ve learned from its failures.
Across the country, international firms are setting up EV plants with billions
Who pays for retraining, relocation, and recovery? The communities do. Again.
Foreign investors don’t care about Canadian communities. They care about the bottom line. Every time we hand them public money without safeguards, we weaken our own economic foundation.
Governments keep falling for the same sales pitch promises of prosperity,
We need to rebuild from the inside out. Our strength lies in our land, our labour, and our creativity. When we invest in our own industries, we create resilience. When we depend on others, we create risk.
Canada’s future doesn’t belong to faceless corporations, or foreign interests. It belongs to us, the people willing to work, imagine, and build something real. Let’s stop waiting for others to save us. Let’s build a Canada that saves itself.
JACOB ETTINGER
Frame by frame, ever clapping
The flicker of a screen illuminates a young boy’s face in a dimly lit Brampton basement. Eleven years old, fingers trembling slightly as he uploads his first video to YouTube, unaware that this moment marks the beginning of an extraordinary journey into visual storytelling…
Outside, the Canadian winter howls, but inside, a fire has been ignited that would eventually illuminate screens across continents. Jacob Ettinger, now a celebrated director and cinematographer, didn’t follow the traditional path to success. Instead, he carved his own through the digital wilderness, armed with nothing but curiosity, determination, and an eye for capturing what others might miss.
“I had to sit there and watch it, which is hard for a filmmaker, but I realized that I could do anything with the right people,” Ettinger reflects on the first time he showed one of his films, his words carrying the weight of someone who has transformed uncertainty into artistry, fear into fuel, dreams into reality.
Born and raised in Brampton, Ontario, Ettinger’s heritage is as diverse as the visual landscapes he now creates. “I am mixed, my dad is Jamaican, and my mom is German,” he shares, his voice tinged with a wistfulness for connections not fully explored. “We have a family crest, but we don’t really claim to be Germans. I didn’t get a chance to really learn about that side of me.” This would later form his unique perspective behind the camera, a lens that captures both the seen and unseen, the spoken and unspoken, the harmony and dissonance of human experience.
Growing up Canadian in every sense (hockey, biking, skateboarding) Jacob was a suburban child whose artistic inclinations first found expression through drawing. “I was into cartoons,” he recalls, “My family was artsy.” It was when someone handed him a camera that his true calling emerged. By age eleven, he was already experimenting with visual narratives, posting his creations online and unknowingly laying the groundwork for what would become Ever Slate Productions, a name that would one day resonate through the music and entertainment industry.
What drives someone to pursue such a demanding field without formal training? The answer lies in Jacob’s relationship with cinema itself. “I used to watch movies a lot, and I still watch a movie a day,” he confesses. His particular affinity for cosmic horror films like “Predator” and “Aliens” reveals something profound about his artistic sensibility. “I think, first of all, I was scared when watching them, but the more I watched them, I could see that there was depth to each character. You could see the character development, they all had layers to peel back.”
This ability to see beyond surface terror to underlying humanity would become a hallmark of his work. From teenage prank videos to sophisticated horror-themed music videos, Jacob’s evolution as a storyteller mir-
rors his personal growth. His most ambitious project, a horror narrative featuring a homeless man transported to another world after being bitten by a vampire, required fifteen-hour days, intricate makeup, and complex set pieces.
It brings him back to his first screening at Jack Rollers, attended by 100-200 people, which marked a pivotal moment of self-realization. The theater was dark, filled with expectant faces. Jacob sat among them, his heart pounding against his ribs like a trapped bird. As his creation unfolded on screen, he watched the audience, their gasps, their leaning forward, their collective intake of breath at key moments. In that crucible of public reaction, something fundamental shifted within him. The fear of judgment transformed into the power of connection. He realized that filmmaking was about creating shared emotional experiences that transcended individual perspectives.
“I did not go to post-secondary school for this. Everything is selflearned,” Jacob states matter-of-factly. This autodidactic approach, while challenging, granted him a versatility rarely found in formally trained filmmakers. “When you are learning by yourself, you have to network, but I also was able to do everything. I wear a lot of hats on set.”
His recent four-day production project across Toronto, involving stunt actors and prosthetics, demonstrates how far he has come. Each day presented new challenges: unpredictable weather, equipment failures, creative differences, but Jacob’s stresstolerant nature and flexible approach allowed him to navigate these obstacles with remarkable composure. “We went from North-west to east end Toronto,” he recounts, “And it is my most challenging video to date. We had to deal with stunt actors, prosthetics, each day was 10 hours long.” Yet even as he describes these grueling conditions, his eyes light up with the unmistakable fire of someone who has found their true calling.
Yet, even as he achieves professional milestones, Ettinger remains grounded in community values. “One thing that I want to do is mentor younger filmmakers,” he shares, his voice softening with conviction. “In my niche of music videos, people unfortunately age out. I want to keep long form videos alive. I want to teach kids to not just rely on school. Learn by doing.”
This commitment to nurturing the next generation reflects Jacob’s understanding that true success extends beyond personal achievement. His transition of Ever Slate Productions toward a communityfocused model speaks volumes about his values. The name itself, a clever play on “ever” (forever) and “slate” (the clapperboard used before each scene), encapsulates his lifelong dedication to the craft.
“I am forever clapping,” he quips, revealing the writer’s mind behind the visual artist, but there is more to the story, he hints, a deeper
meaning that he reserves for another time, another conversation. This deliberate withholding creates an irresistible curiosity, drawing us further into his world.
Ettinger’s influences reveal his appreciation for both technical mastery and artistic vision. Director X inspired his commitment to the visual language of 90s and 2000s music videos, while contemporary artist Fatty Soprano taught him creative composition techniques. “Instead of shooting something straight on, he would shoot it through a piece of broken glass,” Ettinger explains, illustrating how alternative perspectives can transform ordinary scenes into extraordinary visual poetry.
“I would love to work with Fatty Soprano,” he admits, his voice tinged with admiration. “People don’t clock this man. I want to work with him and haven’t found the right project yet. Cinematography is on point. His aesthetics are soft, and moody. He is not into storytelling; he uses creative artistic visuals that have impact using colour. Studying his work, I have learned creative composition. Instead of shooting something straight on, he would shoot it through a piece of broken glass. I have learned that there are other creative ways to frame a shot.”
With over twelve years of digital media experience, collaborations with notable artists like Armani White and Roy Woods, and partnerships with brands including Warner Music Canada and Rolling Loud, Jacob has established himself as a formidable force in the industry. His portfolio spans music videos, commercials, and event cinematography, with a particular focus on festival and concert filming that captures the raw energy of live performance.
As our conversation draws to a close, Ettinger reflects on the journey that brought him from that basement in Brampton to the forefront of Canadian filmmaking. “I am transitioning my production company to more of a community vibe, that helps younger filmmakers.” This evolution from individual artist to community mentor represents the next chapter in his remarkable story, a story that continues to unfold with each frame he captures, each artist he collaborates with, each young filmmaker he inspires.
The boy in the Brampton basement has grown into a visionary who understands that the most powerful stories are those that connect us all, frame by frame, heart by heart.
Written by Simone J. Smith Toronto Caribbean News
Photo Credit: @TrudyEStone
Photo Credit: Sanj P Photography
I n p e r s o n a n d v i r t u a l l y
O n l i n e c h a t a n d t e x t s u p p o r t
6 4 7 - 6 9 4 - 2 8 1 8
O
We l l n e s s p r o g r a m s
E d u c a t i o n a n d t r a i n i n g
w o r k s h o p s I n f o r m a t i o n a n d r e f e r r a l s
i c e s ?
2 4 / 7 S u p p o r t a n d c r i s i s l i n e 1 - 8 0 0 - 2 6 3 - 6 7 3 4
F r e e c o u n s e l l i n g a p p o i n t m e n t s c a n n ow
b e s ch e d u l e d o n eve n i n g s a n d we e ke n d s
T o l e a r n m o r e c a l l 9 0 5 - 8 9 5 - 3 6 4 6 i n f o @ w o m e n s s u p p o r t n e t w o r k c a
Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Angel Gala
saturday, october 25th, 2025 cocktails 6:00 pm
woodbine banquet hall, 30 vice regent blvd etobicoke (hwy27, south of rexdale blvd)
You care for your loved ones. When one of yours needs one of ours, social workers and social service workers are ready to provide trustworthy and quality care.
We are the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. As the provincial regulator, we ensure all our registrants follow the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice to protect the public, and provide ethical, effective and community-centred care.
If you or someone you love needs help, you can trust one of ours with one of yours.
Running low on energy? The secret might be nitric oxide
W.
Do you ever find yourself a little low on fuel, right when you could really use some? Men may discover they need a touch of help with their tiger, so to speak, but being low on steam could occur at less exciting moments too, like when walking up the stairs. I’m referring to instances when you expect your body to have the same vibrancy of youth, but it just doesn’t anymore.
You can chalk it up to age, stress, or not enough sleep, and you can aim to get more sleep and eat a better diet. There is no denying that aging is a major factor, and there’s nothing that can be done to
stop that march. Don’t forget, there are safe, natural remedies that can address a lack of energy. One of the proven ones is nitric oxide, something that your body produces naturally to help your blood vessels relax and expand, improving circulation, and supporting the delivery of oxygen and nutrients throughout your system.
As we age, our bodies produce less of it. A lot less. By the time you’re 40 or 50, your nitric oxide levels may have dropped by half. That has ripple effects not just for heart health, but for stamina, recovery, even brain function. If it’s a dietary source of energy you want, then turn to beets. They are one of the few foods that directly increase the body’s ability to produce nitric oxide, but not everyone wants to eat beets every day.
Sometimes diet isn’t the answer, especially if your system has trouble converting nutrients effectively. Consider trying remedies you can find in natural health food stores. There are many products purporting to do what beets do, but
few that have the credibility of Neo40. It’s nitric oxide in tablet form, containing a combination of beetroot powder, L-citrulline (an amino acid that supports nitric oxide production), and sodium nitrite (a form of nitric oxide). Putting a tablet of Neo40 on the tongue and letting it dissolve enables the body to replenish nitric oxide levels quickly.
It’s amusing what scientists celebrate. They might forgive us for not following along, but in this case, you might be pleased to know that nitric oxide won the “Molecule of the Year” award in 1992. They brought out the big spotlights in 1998 when the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Robert Furchgott, Louis Ignarro, and Ferid Murad for their discovery that nitric oxide acts as a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system. It was groundbreaking science because it revealed that this short-lived gas has an important role in communicating between cells and regulating blood flow. Knowing the role of nitric oxide, researchers soon found the pharmaceutical path-
way to Viagra, which is not nitric oxide, but it functions in a similar way, enabling signals to blood vessels to stay dilated. In taking up this column, I promised to cut through the noise with a cleareyed view of what’s actually working for people. Viagra is one of those things, but so too is Neo40, and a nitric oxide tablet has the benefit that it suits a wider set of purposes for men and women. I recommend having a look at the information online from both the company involved, called Humann, and even the critics of natural supplements. This is one of the ones that gets a thumbs up. It’s a good product.
On a personal note, I witnessed first-hand its effectiveness. In the years after my father suffered a heart attack at the age of 74, he always had Neo40 on hand to help when he needed a boost.
This column offers opinions on health and wellness, not personal medical advice.
If you’ve ever found yourself on a street corner in Trinidad in the early hours of the morning, maybe after a fête or a Carnival night that went longer than planned, you probably remember the smell before anything else — a wave of sweet corn, smoky pimento, coconut milk, and bubbling broth hanging in the humid air. You’d follow your nose and the sound of ladles hitting metal pots until you reached the stall with the longest line. And at the front, a vendor with a towel over their shoulder, ladling out comfort in a cup.
That’s Trinidad Corn Soup. Not just food — it’s culture in liquid form.
Where It All Began
Corn soup in Trinidad isn’t some fancy culinary invention. It was born from necessity — from people taking what they had and turning it into something that could stretch, feed a crowd, and warm a soul. The backbone of it is corn, which has been cultivated in the Caribbean for centuries, long before the arrival of Europeans. Indigenous peoples like the Arawaks and Caribs grew maize as a staple, roasting it, grinding it, and boiling it into stews.
When Africans were brought to the Caribbean through slavery, they adapted that ingredient into their own foodways — mixing maize with root vegetables, herbs, and spices. Later, the East Indian indentured labourers who arrived after emancipation brought their love for peas, lentils, turmeric, and cumin. Over time, those flavours collided in the Caribbean melting pot — literally — and Trinidad Corn Soup emerged from that mixture of influences.
It wasn’t written down, it was passed down. Every vendor or grandmother would claim their version is the right one — and they’re not wrong. It’s a dish that belongs to everyone who makes it.
The Soup That Became a Ritual
You can’t really talk about Corn Soup without talking about lime culture. In Trinidad, a “lime” isn’t a citrus fruit — it’s a vibe. It’s what happens when friends gather for no particular reason, just to hang out, talk, laugh, and, inevitably, eat.
And when the lime goes late — especially during Carnival season — the corn soup pot comes out. It’s the unofficial closing act of every good night out. The unspoken rule is that no matter how much you drank, danced, or how late it got, you end the night with a hot cup of soup on the sidewalk, plastic spoon in hand.
There’s something almost poetic about it. The same energy that goes into the rhythm of a steelpan or the roll of a tassa drum finds its way into that pot — layers of heat, sweetness, and comfort, simmering together until it tastes like home.
Why It’s More Than Just Soup
In Trinidad, food isn’t separate from identity. Every dish tells a story about where the island came from, who shaped it, and how those influences still live in the everyday. Corn soup is humble, but that’s part of its magic. It’s the perfect reflection of Trinidad’s spirit — resourceful, vibrant, and unpretentious.
Trinidad Corn Soup: The Heartbeat of a Lime
The base — corn, split peas, and coconut milk — brings together the island’s agricultural roots and its multicultural table. The ingredients are simple, but the process is a ritual: sautéing onions, garlic, and pimentos until fragrant; letting the split peas break down just enough to thicken the broth; dropping in chunks of corn on the cob that soak up every bit of flavour; and rolling small dumplings between your palms before tossing them in.
And of course, no Trinidad Corn Soup is complete without a hit of scotch bonnet pepper — not for the faint of heart, but essential for that kick of life that wakes you up at 2 a.m.
The Evolution of a Street Legend
Like most Caribbean street food, corn soup started out as a working-class meal. Vendors would set up near markets, construction sites, or transport hubs, serving it by the cup or bowl to workers looking for something hot and filling after a long day.
But over time, it became synonymous with nightlife. By the late 1970s and ’80s, when Trinidad’s Carnival scene exploded into a global phenomenon, corn soup vendors became part of the landscape — parked outside fêtes, dancehalls, and later, nightclubs.
It evolved without losing its roots. Some started adding bits of smoked meat for extra depth. Others played with coconut cream for richness, or used creamed corn to thicken it. In the diaspora — Canada, the U.K., and New York — the soup made its way into homesick kitchens, where sweet corn from a can replaced cobs, and scotch bonnet gave way to whatever hot pepper was available.
Today, you’ll find it at Caribbean festivals, pop-ups, and restaurants, but no matter how it’s presented — in a paper cup or a ceramic bowl — that first spoonful always brings you back to the island.
A Bowl of Balance
What makes Trinidad Corn Soup special isn’t just its taste, it’s how it feels. It strikes this perfect balance between spice and sweetness, earthiness and comfort. The split peas give it body, the corn brings natural sugar, and the coconut milk smooths it all out.
The dumplings — usually small, round, or torn pieces — add chewiness, like little surprise bites of dough that soak up the broth. And then there’s that pop of freshness from shado beni (culantro) and thyme. It’s not heavy like chowder and not thin like broth — it’s right in the middle, hearty but never overbearing. And it’s completely vegetarian by nature, which is rare in Caribbean cuisine. That’s why it’s become the go-to soup for everyone — from the devout to the carnivore, it checks all the boxes.
Cultural Symbolism: Soup as Solidarity
If you’ve ever been to a big event in Trinidad — a rally, a community celebration, or even a political meeting — chances are there’s a pot of corn soup somewhere nearby. It’s not just nourishment; it’s an equalizer. Every-
one, no matter their background, religion, or income, lines up for the same thing.
That moment — standing shoulder to shoulder with strangers, holding a steaming cup — says a lot about what makes Trinidad unique. It’s community in practice.
Even abroad, in places like Toronto or Brooklyn, Caribbean communities keep the tradition alive at festivals and gatherings. You’ll hear people say, “Boy, I find a real good corn soup spot,” with the same excitement others might reserve for discovering a new restaurant downtown. Because for Trinidadians, finding authentic corn soup away from home is like finding a piece of your identity again.
The Recipe: Trinidad Corn Soup (Serves 6–8)
Ingredients:
• 1 ½ cups split peas, rinsed
• 6 cups water (plus more if needed)
• 3–4 ears of fresh corn, cut into rounds (or 2 cups canned/frozen kernels)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil or coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pimentos (or 1 red bell pepper), diced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 cups pumpkin or butternut squash, cubed
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper (whole, for flavour without breaking it)
• 2 cups coconut milk
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh chives or shado beni (culantro), chopped, for garnish
For the Dumplings:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup water (add slowly)
Instructions:
1. Prepare the split peas base. In a large pot, combine split peas and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and simmer until peas are soft — about 45 minutes. You want them mostly broken down but not mush.
2. Build your flavour base. In another pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, pimentos, celery, and carrots. Sauté until fragrant and starting to brown. Stir in turmeric and thyme.
3. Add pumpkin and corn.
Toss in the pumpkin cubes and corn pieces, stirring to coat them in the aromatics. Add the cooked split peas and enough of their cooking liquid to cover everything. Drop in the bay leaf and scotch bonnet.
4. Simmer to perfection. Let everything bubble gently for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water if it gets too thick.
5. Make the dumplings.
Combine flour, salt, and water to form a soft
dough. Roll into small balls or pinch off little pieces and drop them directly into the pot.
6. Add coconut milk.
Pour in the coconut milk and simmer another 10–15 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.
7. Finish and serve.
Fish out the scotch bonnet and bay leaf. Sprinkle with chopped chives or shado beni, and serve hot — preferably in a Styrofoam cup for authenticity.
Modern Twists (and How the Diaspora Keeps It Alive)
In Toronto, New York, or London, you’ll find Trinidad Corn Soup reimagined in all sorts of ways. Some chefs serve it with roasted corn for extra smokiness. Others blend part of the soup to make it creamier. Vegans boost it with coconut cream and lentils; some even top it with a drizzle of hot pepper oil or fried plantain strips.
But what’s beautiful is how even with all these tweaks, the soul of it stays the same. It’s still that late-night saviour, the comfort food you reach for when life feels a little cold.
You’ll even see it served at Caribbean weddings or high-end events now — elegantly plated, garnished with micro herbs. Yet no matter how fancy it looks, it still carries the same humble spirit of the roadside pot that started it all.
A Taste of Home, Anywhere
Ask any Trinidadian living abroad what they miss most, and corn soup is likely on that list. There’s just something about it that feels grounding — it’s not about hunger, it’s about memory. Every sip takes you back to steelpan rhythms, late-night limes, and the feeling of community that’s hard to replicate elsewhere.
Cooking it abroad becomes an act of reconnection. The sound of the peas simmering, the scent of coconut milk, even the steam that fogs up the kitchen window — it all reminds you that no matter how far away you are, you can always stir a bit of home back into your life.
Closing Thoughts
Trinidad Corn Soup is proof that food doesn’t need to be extravagant to be extraordinary. It’s made from the simplest things — corn, peas, coconut, spice — yet it carries the weight of history, culture, and community. It tells a story of resilience and creativity, of people who learned to take what was available and make it beautiful. It’s a dish that warms your body but also reminds you that togetherness, laughter, and love are the real ingredients that make it special. So next time you’re craving something hearty, skip the canned stuff. Put a pot on the stove, grab your wooden spoon, and make a little piece of Trinidad magic. Because once you’ve had that first spoonful, you’ll understand why a bowl of corn soup is never just about the soup — it’s about the people, the memories, and the rhythm of an island that never stops dancing.
BY GEORGE SHEPPARD
Tough on crime? Or just too blind to see change?
“An eye for an eye…” The attitudes of people on the treatment of prisoners have been debated and discussed a great deal. Advocacy groups, on both sides of the issue, have made their voices heard, from getting “tough on crime” to “getting rid of prisons.” People who have studied this have found some common ground to move forward. There is widespread agreement on holding people accountable for their crimes. Likewise, since most of the people serving prison sentences will, at some point, be released into the community, there needs to be consideration given to rehabilitating them. We need to find a way to reduce the chance of prisoners reoffending and ending up back behind bars.
It’s simple logic. Every sentence eventually ends. What kind of neighbour, employee, or community member, do we want walking out the prison gates when that day comes? If we treat prison as only a warehouse for punishment, we are ensuring a revolving door of crime and suffering that affects victims, families, and communities alike.
Since 2012, a person who has been convicted of a crime, and served time in a correctional facility in Canada is 24% more likely to reoffend and end up back in prison. This poses a potential danger to the community-at-large and places a strain on the correctional system. The key to better preparing inmates for their eventual release is to address their basic life skills, to assess their barriers to success and provide them with the skills necessary
for an effective transition. There are those who feel this is being ‘soft,’ that a second chance is a waste of time.
Ignoring rehabilitation is negligence. If nearly one-quarter of people leaving prison reoffend, then we have a public safety problem that punishment alone cannot solve. Crime prevention begins inside prison walls, not just in the courts.
Since 97.6% of all inmates will be released, focusing on their rehabilitation is necessary for the inmate, and society as a whole. “With a focus on self-improvement and reintegration into the community, and not just on punishment, the correction system can fulfill its purpose; to change and correct, not just to punish.”
The traditional ways in prisons were not aimed at changing an inmate’s behavior; instead, a culture of mistrust, disrespect and dominance was viewed as acceptable. The result? When a person finished their sentence, they were released as possibly an angrier malfunctioning citizen, ill-equipped to adjust, and more likely to re-offend.”
We shouldn’t be surprised when that happens. A system built on domination and fear produces resentment and dysfunction. If we want changed behaviour, we must model it. Prisons can be places of structure and discipline without being places of humiliation and hostility.
While an inmate is serving their sentence in prison, rehabilitation and treatment plans need to be put in place, to decrease the chance that the convicted person will reoffend. At no time is this meant to remove accountability for the
Children should never be involved in adult feuds
SYDNEE WALCOTT
sydnee@carib101.com
VARIETY CORNER
The release of rapper Cardi B’s sophomore album, “Am I The Drama?” ignited the rapper’s longstanding feud with rapper Nicki Minaj, and this time around, things went too far.
The two rappers began feuding in 2017 after fans compared them following the release of Cardi B’s major label debut single, “Bodak Yellow.” It seemed like the two called a truce at the 2018 Met Gala when they were photographed being cordial towards one another. Still, the beef took a violent turn a few months later when the two got into a physical altercation at a New York Fashion Week party, where Cardi B reportedly threw a shoe at Minaj.
After a few years of silence, the feud was ignited for a short period when the two rappers were in the same space for the first time in a few years at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). Footage of Minaj, who hosted the show, showed her being mad at someone, and Cardi B took to X to post the following tweet: “I ain’t even flinch.” This time around, Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, and Cardi B’s then-husband, rapper Offset, got involved
crime that was committed. Actually, by putting effective treatment plans in place, an incarcerated person may be better able to understand the wrongful act they committed. If brought in gradually with the right intentions, the rules and routines of the prison staff can help break a pattern of disrespect that may have existed in the lives of inmates for a long time. This is where the old saying, “To know respect you have to be shown respect.” Breaking the “cycle of disrespect can often become a springboard to an inmate receiving the treatment they may need for life after prison and successful reintegration.
Rehabilitation programs for prisoners cannot take a “one size fits all” approach. Trained professionals must complete a risk/danger assessment of each inmate. This will determine the required needs of the individual, hopefully lessening the obstacles that may affect a successful re-entry into society. The key to a prisoner having a successful plan to follow while they are serving their sentence is to develop a plan that focuses on their specific needs. Frequently, treatment involving issues of mental health, physical abuse, prolonged substance abuse/addiction, and anti-social attitudes are identified as critical and essential.
This kind of tailored approach demands resources and commitment, but the payoff is enormous. Each person who successfully reintegrates represents one less future victim, one less costly re-incarceration, and one more productive citizen contributing to the community.
An inmate serving time in a facility needs to understand that change must
occur if they are to lead a successful life after their sentence has been completed. For those without basic education and limited skills, if issues of addiction, anger management, and possible trauma are not treated, adjusting to life after release will hold many challenges and struggles. While no system, or rehabilitation plan can guarantee success after prison, failing to assess, treat, and provide skills to an inmate will undoubtedly increase their likelihood of reoffending by 72%. The toll on society, and the pressure it could place on the correctional system, is too great to not invest in rehabilitation planning for prison inmates.
The key rests with not focusing on “punishment for punishment’s sake,” but to provide a path of intervention and programming aimed at factors that may reduce the likelihood of a released inmate reoffending. The role of discipline, for people who are not familiar with it, is important; so is self-discipline. These can be achieved if a person’s needs are met, and an effective realistic rehabilitation plan is put in place. Our criminal justice system relies on its “correctional” services to correct; otherwise, it would be the department of “punishment.”
“An eye for an eye? Leaves the whole world blind.”
If we truly want safer streets and stronger communities, we must look beyond slogans. Locking someone up may satisfy anger in the moment, but the real safety comes when we hand them the tools, and the key, to change.
in the feud. Petty posted a video saying they should link, and Offset posted a response video laughing, saying he was flying to Atlanta to stream with Kai Cenat at the time.
The feud was ignited once again in September 2025, following the release of Cardi B’s sophomore album, with the two rappers going back and forth on X, where Minaj infamously referred to Cardi B as “Barney B,” after the children’s television show character. Not only did the two throw jabs at each other regarding their careers, but they also brought up each other’s children in the feud.
The dark route started when Cardi B posted a tweet telling Minaj to go celebrate her son Papa Bear’s birthday instead of feuding with her on X. Minaj fired back by calling Cardi B’s oldest daughter, Kulture, ugly and referring to her as “Kulture Vulture” in a series of tweets. Cardi B responded to those tweets with a series of her own tweets, referring to Papa Bear as having non-verbal autism.
Both rappers were wrong to bring children into the mix. It’s one thing for the two of them to feud and make comments about one another, but it’s another to bring innocent children into the mix. Kids are off limits, and there’s no coming back from this now that children have been made the subject of vile tweets. As we all know, words carry a lot of weight and cannot be taken back. We also have to remember that both Kulture and Papa Bear may come across these tweets when they’re older.
Betrayal’s silent epidemic: How cheating literally breaks hearts
SIMONE SMITH
simone@carib101.com
HUMAN SPECIALIST
The phone lights up with a message not meant for your eyes. Clearly, you were not supposed to see the message that was passed between your partner, and, well, whoever this is. In that moment, as your heart pounds and your stomach drops, your world splits in two: before and after. What you may not realize as you process this intimate betrayal is that the pain you are feeling is carving pathways into your physical health that will persist long after the tears have dried.
Recent research reveals that infidelity touches more relationships than we care to acknowledge. Approximately 25% of men and 14% of women admit to sexual infidelity, with emotional and online betrayals becoming increasingly common. The numbers rise even higher among unmarried couples, suggesting that commitment alone doesn’t inoculate against this particular relationship wound.
What makes these statistics more than just relationship trivia is the emerging science connecting betrayal to tangible health consequences. Being cheated on has been linked to significant long-term mental health challenges: depression, anxiety, lowered self-esteem, even symptoms resembling PTSD. The impact doesn’t stop there.
The latest longitudinal studies show something startling: individuals who have experienced partner infidelity develop more chronic health conditions: heart disease, migraines, arthritis, diabetes, and sleep disorders. This connection persists regardless of age, gender, income, or support systems, suggesting that the stress from infidelity creates lasting physiological changes.
The mechanism lies in our body’s response to profound emotional trauma. Betrayal triggers the release of stress hormones like cortisol, and when these remain elevated over time, they fuel inflammation, suppress immune function, and contribute to a host of physical ailments. Essentially, the emotional pain of infidelity translates into physical damage, a mind-body connection that researchers are only beginning to fully understand.
As we investigate further, certain psychological patterns emerge that predict greater likelihood of infidelity. People low in conscientiousness or agreeableness, or high in extraversion show increased risk. Women
high in neuroticism and individuals with “dark triad” traits: manipulativeness, selfcenteredness, and impulsivity, also demonstrate higher correlation with cheating.
Attachment styles play a crucial role too. Those with anxious attachment may seek validation outside relationships, while avoidant individuals struggle with the intimacy that fidelity requires. Even personality traits like openness to experience, generally positive, can increase risk when it extends to sexual novelty-seeking.
What’s particularly fascinating is how partner effects create a dynamic where one person’s traits can influence the other’s behavior. People with extraverted, neurotic, or narcissistic partners may find themselves more likely to cheat, possibly in response to feeling overshadowed, or devalued.
The point of this article is not to place blame; I want readers to understand complexity. The reasons behind infidelity are rarely simple moral failures. Often, they stem from: unmet emotional needs, cognitive distortions that minimize impact, or deeper psychological patterns.
What we’re learning is that both betrayal and being betrayed touch something fundamental in our human experience, the need for security, respect, and authentic connection. When these needs are threatened, or unmet, the consequences ripple through our psychological and physical
The Canadian Gun Amnesty Program is a
BY HERBERT HILDEBRANDT POLITICAL PARLEY
Every few months, it seems Ottawa puts on the same show. A press conference, a promise, a podium, and a headline that reads something like, “We’re cracking down on gun violence.” The message is always the same. Law-abiding hunters and sport shooters have nothing to fear, we’re told, because this is about safety. Yet gun crime keeps climbing, families are feeling unsafe in their own homes, communities keep grieving, and those who follow the law are the ones paying the price.
The Liberal government, first under Justin Trudeau and now under Mark Carney, launched its so-called “assault-style” firearms ban and amnesty program years ago. It was supposed to reduce violence, get illegal guns off the streets, and protect Canadians from tragedy. The program was wrapped in moral language and sold as common sense, but the reality looks nothing like the promise.
Illegal firearms continue to pour into Canada through trafficking networks, unregistered handguns, and smuggling routes from the United States and beyond. These are the weapons driving gang violence and murders in our cities. Yet, the people being targeted are not gang members, they are farmers, hunters, sport shooters, and collectors who commit crimes at rates lower than any other demographic in the country.
The amnesty program has become a slow-motion farce. Deadlines have come and gone, with extensions announced so quietly you would miss them if you blinked. A small pilot program in Nova Scotia is supposedly underway, but the national rollout has stalled again. Businesses that participated were compensated handsomely, yet private owners remain in limbo. Billions of taxpayer dollars have been promised for buybacks and bureaucracy while nothing meaningful has changed on the streets. Some insiders now whisper that the government may abandon the program altogether.
If it ends, it will not be because the policy succeeded. It will be because it was unworkable, and quite frankly, dishonest from the beginning.
The same confusion surrounds the federal freeze on handguns. The Liberals banned transfers to new owners, effectively locking an entire category of legal firearms in place. Collectors can keep what they own, but no one else can acquire one. The message is clear: your property is tolerated, not trusted. The government has also reclassified hundreds of long guns as prohibited, often using vague or cosmetic definitions. It is politics by optics, not by logic.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree recently proved just how hollow this policy has become. When questioned in Parliament by MP Andrew Lawton of Elgin–St.
wellbeing.
The path forward requires us to reframe how we approach relationship health. Just as we have learned that emotional trauma requires intervention, we must recognize that betrayal wounds demand comprehensive healing, addressing both psychological and physiological impacts.
For those recovering from infidelity, this means acknowledging the full scope of the trauma and seeking support that addresses both emotional and physical health. For couples, it means developing communication patterns that address underlying needs before they seek expression outside the relationship.
As a community, we are beginning to understand that relationship health is public health. The silent epidemic of betrayal and its physical consequences demands our attention, not as moral judgment, but as a call for deeper empathy, better education, and more comprehensive support systems.
The next time you hear of infidelity, remember that you are witnessing a moment that could reshape someone’s health trajectory, a reminder that how we treat each other in our most intimate spaces echoes throughout our bodies and our communities, leaving traces that may outlast the relationship itself.
dog and pony show
Thomas–London South about the most basic classifications of firearm licences in Canada, Anandasangaree was visibly uncertain. He fumbled and could not explain the difference between a restricted and non-restricted licence, nor could he clarify what the government’s own regulations mean for everyday gun owners. This is the man responsible for overseeing firearm policy in Canada, and he cannot define the terms that shape the lives of hundreds of thousands of citizens.
Mark Carney continues to defend the program, calling it voluntary and efficient. Yet, the word “voluntary” loses all meaning when non-compliance risks criminal charges once the deadline passes. It is compliance through threat, not through consent.
The irony is staggering. Licensed firearm owners in Canada are subjected to one of the most rigorous vetting systems in the Western world. They complete safety courses, secure storage inspections, and daily background verification through the RCMP. They are fingerprinted, photographed, and tracked. If they make one administrative error, they can lose everything. Meanwhile, the guns used in most shootings come from illegal sources, ghost gun parts, or well-organized cross-border trafficking rings that involve customs agents, baggage handlers, and truck drivers.
The 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting remains a tragic example. Every weapon
used by the killer was illegally obtained, many smuggled from the United States. No number of buybacks, freezes, or reclassifications would have stopped that man. He did not care about the law, and criminals never do.
So, what would be effective? Start with serious border enforcement. Strengthen the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency. Give them the tools and funding to track smuggling networks and intercept firearms before they hit the streets. Follow the money and target the traffickers. Stop pretending the problem is the guy who locks up his deer rifle every night.
Next, invest in communities where gang recruitment thrives. Focus on prevention, mentorship, and economic opportunity. Crime does not happen in a vacuum; it grows where despair meets easy profit. Empower the next generation to choose something better than the gang corner.
Finally, treat law-abiding gun owners fairly. They are not the enemy. They are farmers, veterans, athletes, and families who enjoy a sport and respect the law. Stop vilifying them to score points with urban voters. The gun debate in Canada has drifted into symbolism and fear. It has become less about safety and more about signaling moral virtue. The real work of public safety is harder and less glamorous. It happens at borders, in police investigations, and in community programs, not in press conferences.
Risk, regrets, and the architecture of a meaningful life
DANIEL COLE
daniel@carib101.com PERSONAL
By design, humans are more inclined to seek the path of least resistance; it’s our innate neurological wiring. We want control, security, assurance, certainties, and clearly predicated outcomes. The “problem” is that a meaningful life is an existential gamble. The profound decisions that define our life trajectories: resigning from a stable career to launch an enterprise, committing to a lifelong union, or dissolving one marred by discord. These are existential gambles, where missteps can lead to financial ruin, emotional distress,
Here is the truth: our very sheer existence is a template built on risk; to live is, by definition, to risk. To be born is to risk dying, and no matter how riskaverse we are, the human mortality rate is still a staggering 100%. Every breath we take, every choice we make, places us on a continuum between comfort and chaos. To get married is to risk divorce. To drive is to risk having an accident.
T.S. Elliot once remarked, “Only
BY LISA THOMPSON
LEGAL LISA
those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” This truth is historical. Every advancement in science, art, technology, or even civilization itself has been born from the audacity to risk failure and living at the edge of chaos. Neuroscientific studies reveal that the human brain perceives uncertainty as a threat, activating the amygdala, the same region responsible for the fear response. This explains why we often equate unfamiliarity with danger, even when the actual risk is minimal. In effect, we become prisoners of our own evolutionary wiring.
When the stakes are high, we are likely to play it safe. Dr. Ben Carson, in his book, “Take the Risk” provides a framework, a practical model for decision-making. Here are four questions that distill complex life choices into manageable clarity:
• What is the best thing that can happen if I do this?
• What is the worst thing that can happen if I do this?
• What is the best thing that can happen if I don’t do it?
• What is the worst thing that can happen if I don’t do it?
This framework is about bringing awareness to it. By naming our fears, we reduce their power. The real danger is not in risk
itself, but in unconscious avoidance of it. We often live as though safety were a destination. The goal of life is not to arrive safely at death; after all, none of us is getting out of here alive. This truth should not provoke despair, but liberation. The purpose of recognizing life’s fragility is not to live recklessly, but to live deliberately, to stop mistaking survival for living.
Our perception of danger is heavily influenced by the stories we consume. We exaggerate the probability of dramatic risks (plane crashes, shark attacks) while ignoring everyday hazards that quietly shape our fate (poor diet, chronic stress, lack of purpose). Daniel Kahneman, the Nobel laureate in behavioural economics, termed this “availability bias” the human tendency to overestimate the importance of information that comes easily to mind. Thus, the risks we fear most are seldom the ones that matter most.
So, here is your call to action: In the last two months of this year, attempt something you’ve been afraid to do, ask yourself, what is the worst-case scenario? Even if you fail, so what? You pick yourself back up and try again. Remember the words of Marianne Williamson, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.”
Trust, faith, and the cost of kindness for members in the Black Church
In a candid interview, Dalston Spencer shared a sobering account of how faith, trust, and professional image can sometimes collide in painful ways. “I accepted her as credible without doing my own due diligence,” he admitted. “I relied on others’ recommendations; that was a hard lesson. As President Ronald Reagan once said, ‘Trust but verify.’”
Spencer explained that his decision to engage in a financial transaction with a woman introduced through church circles was guided largely by faith and compassion. “About seventy percent of my decision came from my Christian values, the good Samaritan mindset,” he said. “The other thirty percent was from seeing her in our community, doing professional presentations. I believed her words.”
That belief, however, led to disappointment. “I sent her a large sum of money and had to go to court to get repaid,” Spencer recalled. Before the case reached court, she told him, ‘I thought I was dealing with a Christian, not a businessperson.’
Spencer’s response was clear, “I am both. I’m a licensed mortgage broker. I live by faith, but I also work in the corporate world. You must stay alert, battle-tested, and ready, because in shark-infested waters, not every red snapper is your friend.”
Continuing our interview, Dalston Spencer cited the biblical verse Matthew 5:39 “turn the other cheek” but added, “I only have two cheeks.” His remark underscored a new awareness born from another hard lesson, this time involving a tenant rather than an investor.
Spencer and his wife decided to
rent out their basement after their adult children moved out. “We listed it in the local paper, and someone responded,” he recalled. “He mentioned that my wife had worked with his close friend, and she could vouch for him.” Relying again on trust and community reference, Spencer entered into a tenancy that would later test his patience and faith.
What began as a simple rental turned into a battle of boundaries. “He acted as though he was the landlord,” Spencer explained. “When tradespeople came for repairs, he told me I wasn’t allowed to enter the basement.” Recognizing the tenant’s familiarity with the Landlord and Tenant Tribunal, Spencer documented every exchange; photos, notes, and monthly receipts stamped ‘Refused to Accept’.
“I didn’t react emotionally,” Spencer concluded. “I followed procedure and let the evidence speak. The corporate world taught me: document, don’t debate.”
Reflecting further, Dalston Spencer explained how both the failed investment and the rental dispute forced him to reassess his approach to trust and generosity. “I provided all the documents to show that I had lent money under a proper agreement,” he said. “She delayed and delayed, hoping my wife and I would become frustrated and simply walk away.”
When asked if he began questioning his role in helping others within his community, Spencer admitted, “Yes. Those experiences made me more alert and cautious. I learned the importance of doing my own due diligence instead of relying on others’ words or appearance.”
After both cases were finally settled, another opportunity appeared less than a year later; someone approached
him again with a new investment and rental proposal. This time, Spencer was prepared. “I’ve learned to put my faith more in God, not in people,” he said firmly. “We now protect our security and our family. We’ve agreed, no more rentals, no more lending money. We’re not a bank.”
Spencer emphasized that compassion remains a part of his values, but now with clear limits: “If someone needs help, we’ll pray for them or guide them, but we won’t hand over our savings.”
As our interview drew to a close, Dalston Spencer spoke candidly about how his faith and approach to life have evolved after being twice tested by deception. Known publicly as a man of faith and integrity, Spencer admitted that his kindness once made him a target for “Wolves in sheep’s clothing.”
“How do I protect myself now?” he said. “If I’m in doubt, my first call is to my legal professional. That’s my number two, but my number one is God.” He paused, then added, “The major key to my better future is to trust God and leave the consequences to Him.”
Spencer no longer acts on emotion or reputation alone. “Before, I trusted people because of their position, or the word of others. Now, I take everything to God in prayer. I won’t move or decide until I receive divine revelation and peace about the direction.”
His closing words carried a powerful message, one that resonates with anyone torn between faith and justice, “Legal fairness can protect your rights, but divine faith protects your peace. When you’re kind and vulnerable, let God be your first counsel, and let the law handle the rest.”
Why corporate cannabis needs the blockchain to earn your trust
est challenge: transparency. How can you be sure that the edible you just bought, the one that cost a premium, was actually grown under the ethical conditions they claim? How do you know that a potency test certificate hasn’t been quietly “massaged”?
The answer, whispered in boardrooms and coded in server farms, is the blockchain.
Forget the cryptocurrency hype for a minute. Think of blockchain as the ultimate, unblinking witness. It’s a distributed digital ledger where every event; a seed planted, a plant harvested, a test conducted, a product shipped is recorded in a block of data, timestamped, and linked irrevocably to the block before it. Once that data is sealed, it’s permanent. You can’t bribe a server, and you can’t quietly erase publicly viewable history.
The traditional cannabis supply chain is a clandestine affair of handoffs and paperwork. It’s a journey so convoluted it practically begs for errors: from the remote grow operation to the processor, to the extractor, to the packager, and finally to the provincial warehouse and the local dispensary. At every stop, trust is required.
Trust is a luxury that corporate cannabis hasn’t earned.
That’s why this new digital tracking system is so compelling. Imagine pulling out your phone in the dispensary. A quick scan of a QR code on a dried flower package reveals not just the THC
percentage, but the specific grow room it came from, the exact day it was trimmed, the name of the lab that performed the safety testing, and even the pH levels of the water used during its final week. The story of that product is laid bare, unedited, right in your palm.
This intense, almost invasive, accountability is a game-changer for Licensed Producers (LPs). They aren’t adopting blockchain to be nice; they’re doing it to survive. In a market drowning in oversupply and plummeting prices, the only way to distinguish a premium product is with an indisputable record of quality. Blockchain moves quality control from a marketing claim to a mathematical certainty.
For the government regulators, the system provides a digital leash. Health Canada demands every step be tracked, but human-entry systems are fallible. Blockchain automates much of this, drastically reducing the chances of misplaced products, or reporting fraud. It’s a safeguard for public health, ensuring that if a bad batch appears, its origins can be traced and contained with chilling speed.
The cultural significance here is deep. Cannabis, for decades, thrived in the grey area, built on personal connections and reputation. Now, as it steps into the light of commerce, the need for corporate legitimacy clashes with its rebellious past. Blockchain is the technological bridge between these two worlds. It tells consumers: we are no longer asking for your faith; we are providing the facts.
Of course, the system is only as honest as the first human who feeds it data. If a grower logs a false nutrient reading, the immutable record will still faithfully record a lie. The integrity lies at the source.
The shift is clear. The cannabis industry is realizing that the only way to truly defeat the legacy of the black market, which was built on secrecy, is to adopt absolute, cryptographic transparency. The question isn’t whether your cannabis is legal; the new standard is whether your cannabis has a digital fingerprint you can trust, and that, in an industry still struggling to mature, is a revolutionary step toward earning a permanent seat at the table.
$449,000
Recently, a client asked me whether they should buy a fixer-upper in Toronto to flip for a quick profit or renovate it and keep it as a rental property. It’s a question I hear often, and it reflects the heart of today’s housing market.
Initially, flipping seems very appealing: buy low, renovate quickly, and sell for a profit. It’s a storyline that’s popular for TV shows and casual chats at gatherings. However, in reality (especially in Toronto’s current market) the numbers tell a different story.
The flipping mirage Flipping is most effective when you find a property deeply discounted, manage renovations carefully, and sell in a hot market where buyers are eager to pay top dollar for move-in-ready homes. Those conditions used to exist in Toronto years ago.
Profits from flipping properties across Canada are at their lowest in 17 years. Renovation costs are rising due to tariffs on materials and increased labour expenses. The typical flip lasts about five to six months, during which you’ll be paying property taxes, insurance, utilities, and financing costs. Moreover, the final expenses can be significant: in Toronto, closing costs, realtor commissions, and legal fees can total thousands before you see any profit.
Even when the numbers look
good on paper, taxes often tell a different story. In Canada, profits from flipping are usually considered business income, which means you’re taxed at your full personal rate, not the lower capital gains rate that long-term investors benefit from. This alone can cut into profits more than many first-time flippers expect.
While flipping still works in theory, in practice, a surprise (such as an overrun in construction costs, a slower resale, or a dip in buyer demand) can wipe out your margins.
The case for renting
Now, let’s explore the alternative: renovating and renting.
Instead of depending on a quick resale, you prepare the property to be rental-ready, find tenants, and let time work in your favour. Each month, you earn rental income. Even in Toronto, where rents have slightly dropped in some areas, vacancy rates stay low (about 2.3% in purpose-built rentals) a sign of ongoing demand.
Rentals provide three long-term advantages:
• Appreciation – Toronto real estate has shown resilience over time. Although values fluctuate annually, they tend to grow over decades. A modest 3% yearly increase on an $800,000 property adds an extra $24,000 in value each year, plus your rental income.
• Tax advantages – Unlike flipping, where profits are taxed as business income, holding rental property lets you deduct expenses, such as maintenance, property management, mortgage interest, and depreciation, thus lowering your taxable income.
• Flexibility – A rental doesn’t pressure
you into the “now or never” approach of a flip. If the market softens, you can keep renting until conditions improve.
If you’re buying a fixer-upper to flip, don’t pay more than 70% of the after-repair value. If you plan to renovate and rent, expect about half of your rental income to cover expenses like property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and vacancies. If the deal still offers positive cash flow after that, you’re in a safer position. If you initially intended to flip but the numbers don’t add up, can you consider renting it out instead? Flexibility is a key safety net for investors. Toronto isn’t a place where deep discounts on fixer-uppers make flipping
yield small gains, but one mistake can turn them into losses.
Housing affordability issues mean more Canadians are renting longer, which continues to pressure the rental market. Even with slower rent growth in 2025, the long-term fundamentals remain strong. Flipping is like rolling the dice; sometimes you might come out ahead, but currently, the odds in Toronto are against you. Renting, however, is a long-term strategy. It won’t make you wealthy overnight, but it offers stability, tax advantages, and appreciation that grows over time. For investors aiming for lower risk and long-term growth, renovating and renting is the safer choice in today’s Toron
YOUR HOROSCOPE
YOUR HOROSCOPE
for the week of Ocotber 5 – October 11, 2025
THE LUCKIEST SIGNS THIS WEEK: SCORPIO, TAURUS, AND VIRGO
ARIES: You’re fired up this week. Focus that drive — too many projects will scatter results. Midweek brings a quick win if you stay steady.
TAURUS: Things may shift around you. Stay flexible and you’ll stay in control. A late-week chat helps clear the air.
GEMINI: Things may shift around you. Stay flexible and you’ll stay in control. A lateweek chat helps clear the air.
CANCER: Old memories surface, but don’t linger there. New opportunities need your attention. Let go and make room to grow.
LEO: Leadership comes naturally this week. Step up calmly and others follow. Keep cool — you’ll impress when it counts.
VIRGO: You’re fixing someone else’s mess again. Frustrating, but your patience pays off. Recognition comes before week’s end.
LIBRA: A decision can’t wait longer. Trust your instincts and move now. Balance sometimes means taking bold action.
SCORPIO: Your intuition’s sharp — trust it fully. You’ll see truth fast and know what to change. Move with quiet confidence.
SAGITTARIUS: You’re craving change. Try something new — even small shifts refresh you. A midweek risk pays off.
CAPRICORN: Hard work starts showing results. Keep your eyes on progress. By weekend, your momentum returns strong.
AQUARIUS: Teamwork beats solo effort this week. Share your ideas freely — collaboration brings the best results.
PISCES: You’re reading people clearly now. Protect your energy and stay grounded. A calm weekend brings peace.
CROSSWORDS
HOW TO PLAY :
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once.
Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line. You already have a few numbers to get you started. Remember: You must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column, or 3x3 box.
PUZZLE NO. 142
PUZZLE NO. 852
Did you know paper disposables go in the Green Bin?
Paper towels, napkins and facial tissues.
Find out what else goes in the Green Bin to help divert waste from landfill.
Facial tissues
Paper towels
Napkins
