The Race For Vaccination

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THE RACE FOR

VACCINATION SIMONE J. SMITH/TORONTO CARIBBEAN “If a coronavirus vaccine is available, regardless of which one, take it.”

Dr Anthony Fauci

I want to start by saying that I honour the right of the people to make choices for themselves that will keep them safe, happy, and of course alive.

The last 12 -14 months of reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me, as it has been for many of you.

There are so many different variants to this pandemic: lockdowns, mask-

ing, the effectiveness of these efforts, and of course vaccines. In all cases, there have been opposing views, certainly a great deal of misinformation, and fear of not knowing the best choices to make to keep your family, and yourself safe.

What I would like to do with this article is shine a light on a major topic of discussion, which are vaccines, and how the health of our global community is being cared for. There is a lot to be considered, and with so many mixed messages, how do you make

sound choices.

We have all seen major players in the game: Louis Farrakhan, Robert Kennedy Jr., Del Bigtree, Alex Jones, and many others speak out against the COVID-19 vaccine. There are others: Bill Gates, and Anthony Fauci, who continue to propose the wonders that this vaccine will have on the global population, and how it will allow the world to get back to normal.

Continued On Page 8

PAGE 2

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021 This week’s Women Empowered began a career in aesthetics with three strikes against her. Being black, being a woman, as well as being a small-business owner.

“There’s a label that they automatically put on you as a black person. As a woman, someone told me that I’d never get a loan because banks would assume that I would get pregnant and be unable to pay it back. And as a business owner, it’s hard to get support, especially in your own community!”

JEAN PIERRE Persevering with all odds against her

Written by Janiece Campbell Toronto Caribbean News

Though there were many drawbacks along the way, she withstood them all and today, she is the proud founder of her own skincare line as well as the owner of a spa and treatment centre. A pioneer in Canadian skincare and a self-made icon, her name is Jean Pierre.

Raised in St. Ann, the Garden Parish of Jamaica, Jean Pierre was the firstborn of six children. She lived her early life with an innate care and compassion towards others, so much that her mother encouraged her to study nursing. Although initially wanting to be a teacher, she took heed to her mother’s wishes and eventually left Jamaica in her early twenties to attend nursing school in England. She chose England specifically because it was a gateway to many European destinations, as she aspired to travel someday.

Out of a total of thirty-three nursing students in her class, Jean Pierre stood out as the only black student at the time. This didn’t faze her at all, as she would soon become the most popular amongst others. In fact, one of the biggest problems she faced had nothing to do with anyone else but herself. Once she left Jamaica, she began to experience skin problems. At first, it was just a few pimples and minor bumps, but it didn’t help that she would avidly pick at her skin. At the time, skincare wasn’t as big as it is today, and she just brushed these issues to the side.

Later on, Jean would migrate to Canada, a place that would change her life in many ways forever.

After a while in the newer climate, she began to notice that her skin problems were worsening. Minor issues developed into acne and huge breakouts. Beginning to feel self-conscious as a health-care professional and finally fed

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up, she began to search for an answer.

“I started going to department stores to see if they had anything, and they would recommend products for me to buy. I know I probably spent thousands.

Sometimes it would make my skin worse, some things would only work for a few weeks. But in the end, I always ended up where I started and sometimes worse.”

Frustrations led her to using one of the most accessible resources to her, the medical library. Soon after, she realized a difference in how black skin and white skin were treated. Many over-thecounter products that she was told to use were actually very harsh and drying for black skin, which explained her aggravated skin condition.

Determined to get that solution once and for all, she decided to attend Seneca College to get a better understanding of skin and aesthetics. As an already established health-care worker, she breezed through the courses effortlessly. Her sole difficulty came from her routine of working tirelessly, taking multiple buses to go to and from classes, getting home from school past midnight, then waking up to do it all over again at 7 a.m.

Going back to school made Jean realize that even the teachers themselves didn’t understand black skin. Her white educators taught countless misconceptions and led many to believe that her skin type was rough and required much more abrasive treatment.

“We used facial brushes and they would range from soft to coarse. The teachers would say that I should be using the coarse brushes, because my black skin would be more difficult to clean. See, when you touch white skin, it goes red. The colour changes, because automatically the blood rushes to the surface and you can see the redness. If you do the same thing to the black skin, and if you don’t understand how it works, you wouldn’t know that there are changes on the skin. So, they took it as that you can use the hardest brush on the skin and that would be okay.”

Recognizing that this was far from the truth, she took it upon herself to do her own research. It was at this point that she uncovered just how sensitive black skin truly was, and how these harsh treatments only intensified skin eruptions and hyper-pigmentation. Jean was on a mission to help others and educate her community on properly taking care of their own skin.

Jean completely uprooted her nursing profession to begin a new career in medical aesthetics. She began to embark on her past dreams of travelling the world, visiting France, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain primarily to explore product formulation and to gain an up-close understanding of more innovative treatment methods. She curated a skin care line that would finally address the sensi-

tive needs and to embrace the beauty of black skin. Entitled “Obsidian”, her product name refers to black volcanic glass which reflects a kaleidoscope of colours, a true reflection of her African heritage.

Today, Jean Pierre is a licensed aesthetician with over thirty-three years of experience in the industry. Her business, Jean Pierre Aesthetics & Spa Inc. is located at 2623 Kennedy Rd. in Scarborough.

By appointment only, clients have access to a wide range of treatments including laser hair removal, blue light therapy, chemical peels and microdermabrasion.

Finding an importance in giving back to her community, she currently sits on several advisory boards while simultaneously being involved in supporting profit and non-profit community groups.

The COVID-19 pandemic has steadily struck many businesses, though Jean has been fortunate to view it from a positive standpoint.

“COVID has been kind to me. My mother taught me at a young age to save for a rainy day. You never know when that day is coming.”

The stay-at-home orders prompted Jean to be productive, so she began to write, something she always wanted to do but never had the time for previously. She was also diagnosed with severe spinal stenosis, an extremely painful condition that causes standing and walking to be unbearable at times. But this too proved to be a blessing in disguise while staying home with nothing else to do!

“The beauty about this condition is that while sitting, there is no discomfort or pain. All this time sitting on my bum allowed me to write my autobiography, it was so amazing! After three weeks of thinking about what to write, everything began to flow so easily. It all happened so quickly. I think it was meant to be.”

Her anticipated autobiography, Uphill Climb: Autobiography of Jean Pierre, Canadian Icon and Creator of Obsidian Skincare, is now available for purchase on Amazon. It details the motivational success story of her unlikely transition from being employed as a registered nurse to becoming the owner of a renowned spa.

“The message I want readers to take from my book is to simply be yourself, know what you’re passionate about and run with it! Don’t necessarily take the option that’s going to make you more money or give you more prestige. Take that thing that you’re passionate about doing and do it. In the end, it will give you more peace, contentment and fulfillment.”

An eventful and inspirational life she has lived, Jean now yearns for a little more “me time.” Unsure of what the future may hold, the only plan she has currently is to take life a little easier.

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NEWS

PAGE 3

Did you know that a Digital ID Program has arrived in Ontario, Canada?

SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“Eventually we will have some digital certificates to show who has recovered, or been tested recently, or when we have a vaccine who has received it.” Bill Gates Welcome to another crazy week in a world that is nothing like how we ever imagined it to be. This week, I want to introduce to you another aspect of this ever-evolving madness that we call the pandemic, a technological concept that is in our peripheral right now but will become part of our lives very soon.

The concept is known as a digital certificate. What is that you ask? What an excellent question. I will do my best to answer that, as well as provide some background behind it, and why it is important that you are aware of its arrival here in Canada.

A digital certificate is a form of identification that can be authenticated remotely over digital channels. It is issued by a national or local government, by a consortium, private, or non-profit organization. It can also be issued by an individual entity.

The concept of a digital certificate is not new and has actually been in the works since 2016. It was first introduced by

contributing partners: Microsoft, The Rockefeller Foundation, GAVI Vaccine Alliance, Accenture, and IDEO-ORG. Its technical label is ID2020, and according to the website (https://id2020.org/) it has advocated for ethical, privacy-protecting approaches to digital ID.

In their explanation as to why digital certificates are necessary, they report that for the one in seven people globally who lacks a means to prove their identity, digital ID offers access to vital social services and enables them to exercise their rights as citizens and voters and participate in the modern economy. Their claim is that having a digital id puts control of personal data back into the hands of the individual.

Look around; technology is evolving at a blinding pace and many of the transactions that require identification are today being conducted digitally. It is in the form of: e-passports, digital wallets, online banking, and social media accounts. They propose that the new forms of digital ID will allow us to travel, conduct business, access financial and health records, stay connected, and much more.

They admit that while the move to digital ID has had many positive effects, it has been accompanied by countless challenges and setbacks, including large-scale data breaches affecting millions of people.

Now, there are some real-world benefits to having recognized identification, especially for people who do not have identification (refugees) and are displaced without identification. It is for this reason that digital certification is being pursued around the world, from Australia to India, and now even in Ontario.

About four months ago, Premier Doug Ford and Peter Bethlenfalvy, Chair

of the government’s newly established “Future State Modernization Committee,” announced that they would be implementing a “Digital Identity Program, called “Ontario Onwards: Ontario’s COVID-19 Action Plan for a People-Focused Government” (https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontarioonwards-action-plan). The provincial government is looking to introduce a secure digital identity for the people of Ontario by the end of 2021.

Governments around the world seek to digitize their citizens in an effort to universalize government services. Technologists and policy makers with good intentions are digitizing our identities, making modern life more efficient and streamlined.

Naturally, the government is painting the digital certificate (ID), as being a very positive move forward, especially in fighting COVID-19. What we have to do as citizens is read the fine print. What are they not telling us about this digital ID?

Well, we have to look at the systems being used to create our digital certificate. These systems use artificial intelligence and machine learning to make decisions based on our identities. These systems are often built on data that can reinforce bias and discrimination and are wielded without sufficient transparency or human review. These certificates are already in use in China (social credit systems), and can enable, or disable our full and free participation in society.

“Because immunization is conducted in infancy, providing children with a digital child health card would give them a unique, portable digital identity early in life. And as children grow, their digital child health card can be used to access second-

ary services, such as primary school, or ease the process of obtaining alternative credentials. Effectively the child health card becomes the first step in establishing a legal, broadly recognized identity.”

Immunization: an entry point for digital identity (ID2020, 2018)

There seems to be a very specific end goal with the development of this technology; digital certificates will become necessary to function in a connected digital world. If you think about it, this type of power in the wrong hands could be very dangerous. Work is already being done to splinter the Internet, collect and localize data, and impose regimes of surveillance and control. The digital ID system, as it is being developed right now, is ripe for exploitation and abuse. It is quite possible that it will be to the detriment of our rights and freedoms.

In the wrong hands, this type of technology can be misused. Digital ID programs can be deployed for political and social control, and private-sector firms could misuse digital ID’s for commercial gain by influencing consumers in ways that they do not understand.

The worry for some is that a digital ID program could be used against the people. If governments decide to include vaccinations in our digital ID’s this could mean that if you do not want to take this COVID-19 vaccine, your way of life might become limited.

It is better to know both sides of the story, then to not know at all. Pay attention and watch the news in the upcoming months for more stories about digital certificates.

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Wednesday, March 3, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 5

Announcement of delay of March Break triggers mixed feelings from teachers and parents PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Ontario Education Minister Stephen Leece has hinted that the government was open to cancelling March Break, 2021.

He told Breakfast Television on February 4th, 2021 that he will base this decision on the advice of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. Minister Leece states, “I will follow his advice and do whatever it takes to protect Ontario families. I believe Canadians should stay home and avoid travel given the emergence of these new variants.” He announced on Thursday, February 11th, 2021 that he would make an announcement the following week.

He released a statement regarding March Break at news.ontario. ca which states, “In support of our collective efforts to keep schools safe, we are postponing March break until April 12th-16th, 2021. This decision was made with the best advice of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and public officials, including consultations with many local Medical Officers of Health.” Minister Leece wanted to assure the public that, “It is critical we follow public health advice to protect schools and avoid a repeat of the concerning spike in youth-related cases over the winter break, when students and staff were out of schools for a prolonged period of time. We are taking these precautions based on advice from health experts, including the province’s Science Table and the Chief Medical Officer of Health, to help protect against the emerging COVID-19 variants of concern.”

He states unequivocally, “March Break is being postponed, not cancelled.

To keep schools open, we must keep them free of COVID-19. The actions announced today serves to limit opportunities for congregation - while reaffirming the evidence that schools are safe for students. By continuing to follow public health advice, and by introducing additional safety measures and more test-

ing, we are supporting our collective efforts to keep COVID-19 from entering our schools.”

He expects private schools to follow the public schools and alter their spring break dates.

The Toronto Star reported on Thursday, Friday 11th, 2021 that health officials are worried that there may be a third wave of COVID-19 if: the stayat-home orders are not entered, more people vaccinated, and transmission rates reduced. Steni Brown, Dean of the Dallas Lana School of Public Health, told the Star that, “The best bet we can offer from science is this. If we’re able to pull the impact of COVID-19 down further by sticking to public health measures and aggressive vaccination, we can avoid that second wave and hope for late spring and summer that’s much safer and more open.”

In addition, Cathy Abraham (President of the Ontario Public School Board’s Association) told the Toronto Star, “We recognize what’s happening now with the pandemic, we need to follow public health and we need to get this under control. It could have been worse, it could have been the end of June, so putting it off for one month is perhaps the best we could hope for; but we do need a break, our students, our staff, our teachers, moms and dads, everybody just needs a, break from being in front of a screen or in schools under those circumstances.”

CTV reported on Thursday, February 11th, 2021 that four teachers’ unions expressed their displeasure in a statement. It reads, “The government’s decision to postpone March Break does not take into consideration the mental health and well-being of those involved.”

They totally opposed this decision. It continues, “The postponement of March Break shows, yet again, the inadequacies of the Progressive Conservative government’s planning. If there are concerns related to travel and gatherings during March, these should be addressed by the government through other means.”

Minister Leeece is convinced that, “These decisions - based on the advice of medical experts-are never easy, but they are necessary to keep Ontario families safe.”

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Wednesday, March 3, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

Bridging the gap in Canada’s healthcare system; Introducing Crowning Gaia JONELL PANTLITZ jonell@carib101.com

TC JR. REPORTER

The team at the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper would like to introduce you to Jaiah Howe a Young Afro indigenous Canadian woman doing exceptional work within the City of Toronto.

Jaiah is from Nova Scotia, one of the largest and oldest Afro indigenous communities. Many may know about Jaiah Howe through her business Crowing Gaia. Crowning Gaia provides black women with the care they deserve, and the support they need in whatever ways they need it in, all areas of life, but most importantly throughout the pregnancy, labour and postpartum period.

Jaiah has been a doula for the last fifteen years however her journey into birth work officially started this summer, with the commitment to create and hold a space for Afro-Indigenous girls, women and birthing people in her community.

As an Afro-Indigenous Canadian, Jaiah explained that she realizes that the healthcare system often leaves behind Afro-Indigenous Canadians in their time of need, and her goal is to bridge the gap.

According to Jaiah CEO and founder of Crowing Gia, “For me it’s about research. It’s about at least acknowledging that these problems are real and we’re not making it up. Black women are dying at disproportionate rates and, it’s not just because we’re black it’s because of racism in the medical system, and it’s Canada’s lack of urgency on doing these studies that are race based.”

She continued, “I’m not waiting for white politicians to start saying, Black Maternal Lives Matter. I am not waiting for white politicians or white doctors to start advocating on behalf of black working bodies, because if we wait for that, we’re going to continue to lose important people in our communities and

within our society.”

Jaiah is currently a sociology major at York University, and she is awaiting the start of a new program called Assaulted Women and Children’s counsellor. She explained, “I’ll be able to continue to create and hold space for black, Indigenous and other people of colour across the diaspora to heal from the intersections of and beyond systemic, institutional, sexual, generational and karmic cycles and abuse.”

She expressed that she is drawn to this work because there are not many like her. She also expressed that she is acquainted with a woman who is currently only doing the second study in Canada that pertains to maternal statistics.

Jaiah told me that she truly wants to blend birth with the ancestral and spiritual nature of who we are. She mentioned, “I think it’s also a goal of mine to provide people with alternative methods for healing, that for a lot of people in our communities have been lost in herbalism, divinations, nature, shadow work, astrology, tarot etc.”

She revealed that she thinks it is important to have a working knowledge of herbalism. “I plan on being able to show up for my community. I’m currently working my way through a peri hydrotherapy doula certification. I want to be able to help my clients have the best birth, whatever that means for them.

I want to be able to help reconnect my home community, Preston, Nova-Scotia (AKA Canada’s largest and oldest Indigenous black settlement) and to protect my people.”

Jaiah will be releasing a new book called “Jumping in Puddles in The Middle of a Tornado.” She explained, “The tornado was what I was releasing, the book is me jumping in the pile and saying like I’ve learned my lessons, I believe, and I see you. If you are in these situations, I want you to know that you are seen, and you are valid and your experience is real, and it matters, and your voice is real and it matters.”

For more information on Jaiah, check out https://www.crowninggaia. com/ or give her a call at (437) 345-7191.

You can also follow her Instagram at crowninggaia.

NEWS

PAGE 7

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NEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

What needs to be considered, who is winning the race, and who are the losers SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Continued From Page 1 -- When doing your research, what you as a consumer have to understand is that when someone stands strongly behind a viewpoint, they usually have something invested into it. For people like Louis Farrakhan, and Robert Kennedy Jr., they have seen the devastation that vaccines have caused on their communities. Naturally they are going to speak emphatically against vaccines because of what they have experienced and observed.

When trying to understand why people like Bill Gates would be pushing for global vaccination, we have to look at why.

For starters, while many of us were figuring out how we were going to pay our rent, put food on the table and pay our bills, the pandemic was good to Bill Gates. In 2020, the Microsoft co-founder added $18 billion to his fortune, which now stands at a cool $131 billion. He is now the fourth-richest person in the world.

I had a chance to catch an InfoWars show with Alex Jones called, “Big Pharma Whistleblower Reveals Dangers of mRNA Vaccine.” There were some interesting tidbits that I caught, one being that people would be experiencing a host of allergic reactions because our bodies will become allergic to itself. The whistleblower spoke of the fact that vaccines have 40 or more ingredients, and the majority of them are toxic. Five or six of the ingredients are commonly consumed.

They are: vinegar, sodium chloride (salt), sugar, and two or three commonly used preservatives. His claim was that they are going to make people develop immune reactions. The body will end up developing autoimmune disease.

Of course, I can’t just take hearsay and deliver it to the people, so I went on the

CDC website to see if there was anything to back up what the whistleblower was saying.

Well, I did find something.

In 1976 there was a small increased risk of a serious neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) following vaccination with a swine flu vaccine. When over 40 million people were vaccinated against swine flu, federal health officials decided that the possibility of an association of GBS with the vaccine, however small, necessitated stopping immunization until the issue could be explored.

In 2003, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) conducted a review on this issue, and they concluded that people who received the 1976 swine influenza vaccine had an increased risk for developing GBS. Scientists have multiple theories on why this increased risk may have occurred, but the exact reason for this association remains unknown.

Another report in 1998, investigated the FDA approved RotaShield vaccine, the first vaccine to prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis. Shortly after it was licensed, some infants developed intussusception (a rare type of bowel obstruction that occurs when the bowel folds in on itself) after being vaccinated. At first, it was not clear if the vaccine or some other factor was causing the bowel obstructions. CDC quickly recommended that use of the vaccine be suspended and immediately started two emergency investigations to find out if receiving the RotaShield vaccine was causing some of the cases of intussusception.

The results of the investigations showed that the RotaShield vaccine caused intussusception in some healthy infants younger than 12 months of age that normally would be at low risk for this condition.

Not too long after, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices withdrew its recommendation to vaccinate infants with RotaShield® vaccine, and the manufacturer voluntarily withdrew RotaShield from the market in October 1999.

So, there is a basis for the whistleblowers claims. This made me dig a little deeper into what he had to say. Another claim that was brought up was that Pfizer was not giving the same vaccine to the population as it was to its employees; in actuality,

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the vaccine that was given to the employees was cleaner. This was also occurring with members of government and the elite. That seemed a little farfetched to me (not really), but I thought that I would take a look to see if this had been done at any time.

On Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, Tristana Moore wrote an article titled, “In Germany, A Better Vaccine for Politicians?” In this article, she provides an overview of the swine flu that occurred in Germany that infected 26,000 people, resulting in the death of three.

Although the majority of patients have experienced only mild flu like symptoms, a steady increase in the number of cases of H1N1 in recent months has raised alarm across the nation.

When they began to administer vaccines, there was a two-tier health system that was established — one for the politically well connected, another for the general population. As Germany launched its mass-vaccination program against the H1N1 flu virus,the government found itself fending off accusations of favoritism because it was offering one vaccine believed to have fewer side effects to civil servants, politicians and soldiers, and another, potentially riskier vaccine to everyone else.

Naturally, anger at the news was widespread in Germany. Birgitt Bender (health spokeswoman for the Green Party) spoke out against it. “If mass vaccination is considered to be necessary, then everyone should be treated the same way.” Giving officials a vaccine that was different from what was given to the rest of the population seemed to send the wrong signal and gave people the impression that they were second-class citizens.

I also found it interesting that swift approval was given to use special treatments on Donald Trump when he contracted COVID-19. It quickly brought to light that the rich and powerful were getting access to experimental treatments that obviously worked, so my question is, why is that experimental treatment not as accessible to us as they are making the vaccine? Or is it accessible to us, and there is an agenda for different treatment methods?

It exposes that those with power and money are getting very different access

to treatment and healthcare that the general public is not. In the CNBC report, Bioethicists stated that granting the elite access to treatments that are out of reach for ordinary Americans is nothing new.

What is even more alarming now is that Anthony Fauci most recently stated that vaccines may not be as effective against variants of COVID-19, but that they should be powerful enough to still be beneficial.

So, what should you do now? Well, my usual take on this question is to do your research. Our ever so trusted source CDC put out an article titled, “Vaccines; who should avoid them and why?” I thought this would be a good place to start.

The CDC advises that certain individuals should not get specific vaccines.

Individuals with a compromised immune system are typically advised to wait. People who have experienced allergic reactions to a particular vaccine are generally told to avoid follow-up doses. This of course is not being shared in mainstream news.

They went on to state that certain vaccines might not be right for everyone.

They advise that certain people not get specific vaccines, or to wait before getting vaccinated. This is because different vaccines contain different components, and each vaccine can affect you differently. Your age, health conditions, and other factors all combine to determine if you should get each vaccine. At this point I am going to ask you, reader; have you considered these factors?

The CDC has prepared a detailed list that specifies who should avoid getting certain vaccines. Here are guidelines for those who should avoid or delay some of the more common vaccines.

Influenza (flu) You should not get vaccinated for influenza if you: • Have had a past severe, life-threatening reaction to the flu vaccine • Are an infant younger than 6 months old • Are currently moderately to severely ill Remember COVID-19 is a strain of influenza, so I implore you readers, do your research. In the race for vaccination, there are going to be winners, and there are going to be losers.

PAGE 10

NEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Justin Alliman new scholarship will assist in helping young people LIVE THEIR DREAMS SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

I was not surprised when I received an email from Justin Alliman letting me know that he had been using COVID-19 as a way to set up his next big move. Justin is a young man who is intrinsically motivated, and he does things because it matters to him personally,

His life experiences combined with the problem-solving techniques he has perfected over time, has served as building blocks for each time he has needed to propel himself toward action. To Justin, motivation is not a feeling; it’s a habit, and he has utilized this pandemic to strengthen that habit successfully.

At the outset of the pandemic there were many of us who had big plans for life changes like: learning a new skill, getting

our finances in order or finally getting serious about our health.

Many people did, but as the pandemic drags on, restrictions remain in place and clarity on when things will return to normal stays unclear, some people are reporting that they’re losing the motivation they once had.

Thankfully, Justin is not one of those people. Toronto Caribbean Newspaper was first introduced to Justin last year when he decided to give his fans, and readers access to his very, intense, and drama filled story. In his first official book, he took us through an introduction of his childhood that was riddled with trauma, all the way to the start of his NBA career.

I personally had a chance to speak with Justin when his book first came out, and I learned about the adversity he faced, and I was amazed at how brilliantly he was able to use his real-life experiences to deliver a positive message of overcoming all obstacles. The book did so well that ByBlack’s awarded him with the People’ Choice Award for Best Author in 2020.

Justin is also the founder of Dream Chaserzzz “Don’t sleep on me,” Basketball Inc. (2013). He had a vision; he wanted to

help others who like him were seen as the underdog because they may not have had the opportunities to play rep basketball due to financial restrictions. Young people can come there and expect to be trained and treated like a pro athlete, no matter what level they are at. To Justin, getting better isn’t about training hard; it’s about training with purpose.

With young people still in the forefront of his efforts, Justin is now working on starting the “Live Your Dream Scholarship Fund,” which will provide youth with an opportunity to attend post-secondary or start their own business.

I had a chance to catch up with Justin last week, and he shared his excitement about his latest youth initiative.

“I always wanted to do this, but I figured that when I was in a better place, I would start,” he began.

“People often think of lack during times like this and believe me; I get how easy it is to get into that thought mode. Me, I took advantage of this pandemic. With this much time on my hands, I had time to plan.

I feel strongly that more should be done for our young people. I don’t think that the government does enough for young

students who want to further their education and attend post-secondary.

Now, I realize that not everyone is going to want to go to post-secondary school, nor should they be forced to do so.

This scholarship is going to be for young people who have a plan for their lives. It could be a business plan, or an education plan, as long as you have a solid plan, I would like to help you.

I will be giving away two scholarships, and young people ages 17-21 years old can apply. The application process is going to start closer to the end of 2021, and then we can award the recipients in 2021.”

Justin has acknowledged the limiting situations that this pandemic has put us in, and he has refrained from over-tapping his emotional capacity. He adamantly searches for the silver lining because he knows that it will play an essential role in helping him stay positive, and in turn motivated.

As the world stands still, Justin’s voice and his actions continue to fill the silence. His hope is that his motivation will empower others to emerge from this quarantine better than how they entered it.

Texas refinery shutdown and its impact on Canadian gas prices TVISHA MISTRY

tvisha@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

US President Joe Biden has issued an emergency declaration, providing federal assistance in the state of Texas.

Texas; the Lone Star State, the land of cowboys, and home to the country’s finest Country music and rodeos, recently experienced unanticipated harsh winter weather.

Making a majority of its economy through oil, Texas is the leading crude oil and natural gas-producing state in the country. Texas produces roughly 4.6 million BPD (barrels per day) of oil and houses some of the nation’s top gasoline and diesel producing refineries.

As a result of the weather, Texas faced an electric blackout, leaving nearly

3 million homes and businesses without electricity, and water across the state.

Along with several other essential businesses the largest oil refineries and mines in North America have also been forced to halt.

Producing more than 3 million barrels of crude oil every day, Energy Aspects Ltd. has been idled as a result of the record-setting freeze, according to a consultant at Energy Aspects Ltd.

The 585,000 BPD (barrels per day) crude oil pipeline owned by Enbridge Inc. that runs from its terminal near Pontiac, Illinois, outside of Chicago, to the largest U.S. oil storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, was also stopped due to the unexpected climate change.

“Crews are working with electric utility providers to restore power to Line 59,” as the pipeline is called,” said Enbridge spokesman Michael Barnes. “We are carefully monitoring weather conditions and will resume normal operations as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Oil refiner Motiva Enterprises has also announced the closure of its 607,000 barrels per day refinery in Port Arthur,

Texas. Valero Energy Corp and Total SE have also opted to shut their 335,000 and 225,000 BPD plants in Port Arthur, after the failure of the crude distillation unit and the hydrotreater, consequent to the unanticipated drop in temperature.

With mounting concerns that the storm can curb fuel production, the shutdown of refineries has exceeded the oil prices higher in the past weeks in the United States. With the temperature predicted to drop further, it is expected that oil prices will only rise in 2021.

The impact of refinery shutdowns and increased gas prices will not be limited to the United States and will likely affect all the countries that rely on the U.S. Gulf Coast for fuels; including Canada.

While most of Canada’s crude oil production is done within the nation in the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador; Ontario exports a large portion of the mined oil to process in refineries that are based in the States. Specifically, the mined oil is sent for further processing in North Dakota and Texas from Canada.

When the crude oil wells and re-

fineries reopen, the fuel price will likely rise drastically. Canadians can expect to pay a much higher rate at gas stations when refilling fuel. After the coronavirus dragged down the oil market in 2020, the elevated prices should restrengthen the recovery of the oiling industry and its economy.

Oftentimes I have heard people dismiss global warming as an issue for the future, precisely “a problem for after they die”. However everyday changes, much like the snowfall in Texas reminds us that this problem is not for tomorrow but is being faced as of this moment. It is an issue for today.

We are no longer making better decisions for future generations. We are no longer securing a healthy and safe environment for them. But rather we are making choices that directly impact us. Not ten years from now, but today.

It is time that we introspect on our choices. That we choose better. If not for the future generation, then for ourselves.

This is the biggest crisis humanity faces, and the fate of the world is in our hands.

NEWS

Wednesday, March 3, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 11

Report confirms racial differences in perceptions and experiences with Ontario Criminal Justice System MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) and Ryerson University’s Faculty of Law have published a new report confirming significant racial differences with respect to how the public perceives and interacts with the criminal justice system in Ontario.

This report, which is called “Race and Criminal Injustice; an examination of public perceptions of and experiences with the Ontario criminal justice system,” was prepared for CABL by: Dr. Scot Wortley, Dr. Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, and Huibin Lin.

This report was paid for by Legal Aid Ontario. The researchers used an online method to accomplish this survey in which 1,450 residents of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) that were eighteen years of age or over revealed their perceptions of the criminal justice system.

Environics Analytics collected the survey data.

Public perceptions of the police

and courts are important social issues. The authors noted, “In addition to stark differences in how the public perceives the criminal justice system, our research also found significant racial differences with respect to levels of contact with the police and observed that rates of police contact have not been significantly reduced by Ontario’s street checks legislation.”

“The need to address racial disparities in our criminal justice system remains paramount,” added Donna E.Young, founding Dean of Ryerson University’s Faculty of Law. “This report serves as a compelling reminder that there is still much work to do in addressing the obstacles to justice that many Canadians face.

By disseminating these findings, we hope to inform critical dialogue and progressive policy change.”

Important findings from the report include: • Black and Asian respondents perceive much higher levels of police bias than white respondents • The perception of anti-black racism in policing is particularly widespread.

The majority of white, Asian and black respondents perceive that the police treat black citizens worse or much worse than white citizens • The perception of police discrimination against black people has increased over the past twenty-five

years, especially among white and Asian respondents Between 1994 and 2019, the perception of anti-black discrimination within policing has remained constant among black Toronto residents Consistent with allegations of racial profiling, black respondents are much more likely to report being stopped, questioned and searched by the police than either white or Asian respondents. These racial differences exist for both traffic and pedestrian stops

tion. We don’t need just window-dressing; we want meaningful change.”

Tachie continued, “You have to look not only at the nature of the law, but at the impact of it to see if it is achieving the right results, like not sending people to jail who are addicted but are not criminals.”

The President of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers wants the public to know that Black Lawyers Matter, “We,” he said, “need more people from our community to become lawyers.”

I was privileged to speak with Raphael Tachie, President of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers about this troubling saga, and what must be done to eliminate this age-old tradition of injustice and oppression by means of race.

Tachie was asked, “After all the recommendations over the years, what needs to be done to bring about meaningful change?” “In some cases,” he replied, “Some of these recommendations are just window-dressing, but they have not been implemented properly and that is sad.”

“Even after seeing all the police initiatives,” he said, “And the issues about hiring people from minority groups, making sure that we are always selected, there is a culture to how black people experience the police and the criminal justice system and that for us is the real call to ac-

Here are the pillars that the CABL are working on: • Helping to create a pipeline of black talent in our community • Keep identifying cases that are public policy and are focused on our community as well • Trying to do more research because Canada does not have enough racebased data

•

•

For blacks and other minorities who are stopped more often than others Tachie said, “Know your rights.” here is a link to learn more. tinyurl.com/4pum5t8w Here is the complete report. tinyurl.com/yksapmwb

From Human Zoos to Modern Day Appeal; New film Subjects of Desire explores the evolution of African beauty SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Did you know that there was a time when people once paid an admission fee to enter what was known as a “human zoo?

People used to come from around the world to view the bodies of African women. Why do you ask? Well, it cannot be denied; the African woman’s body has long been heralded as exotic. It is natural for African women to have full lips, small waists, high cheekbones, big legs, bowed hips, succulent breasts, and round butts.

For years, the African woman’s body has been used for entertainment, casual sex, and bearing children for centuries. In Toronto, especially during the summer time, a walk down the street can be compared to walking into a Godiva Chocolate store. You can choose from short to tall, light skinned to cocoa chocolate, slim to voluptuous, straight hair to coarser hair, brown eyes to green eyes, and the list of variations is limitless. African women are part of a race that has this much variation.

I am proud to be a black woman, but I am not pleased with how our bodies are viewed. The body that is genetically natural to African women, women from other cultures buy, pay, and go through surgery to achieve. Myself, I am a slender African woman. My breasts are size 34D; my waist is 29 inches; my hip circumfer-

ence is 35.5 inches; my lips are full; my face is long with high cheekbones; my thighs are proportioned, and my calves are plump and toned. I am about 5’9, and there is definitely a reaction when I am walking in a room that is filled with people who don’t necessarily look like me.

I know I am not the only one who feels this way, and this is why when I was introduced to the film “Subjects of Desire,” I was instantly intrigued, and I wanted to hear the experience of the mind behind this true to life project.

Subjects of Desire is a documentary that examines the cultural shift in North American beauty standards, now more so embracing African aesthetics and features. What the film highlights is societies evolved fixation on the: booty, fuller lips, ethnic hairstyles and dramatic rise of spray tanned skin. However, it has been argued that traditional African features and attributes are in fact seen as more desirable when they are on women of other cultures rather than on African women.

There is a historical and popular cultural expression of African and Caucasian beauty, and the film weaves through past and present, told from the point of view of women actively engaged in this debate. The film deconstructs what we understand about race and the power behind societal branded beauty standards.

The company behind this film is Hungry Eyes Media, co-founded by the dynamic, and intensely creative duo of Jennifer Holness and Sudz Sutherland.

They have found a way to bring a fresh, authentic perspective to telling powerful, controversial, yet thought provoking stories. Their ability to do so has put them in a place to receive numerous national and

international awards and accolades.

After sifting through both of our busy schedules, Jennifer Holness and I were able to sit down and talk a little bit about Subjects of Desire, and the journey that had brought her to this point. Jennifer has been a filmmaker and producer for nearly twenty years. She has produced TV documentaries, including: • • • • •

Badge of Pride (CBC & PBS) Brick by Brick (Omni) Yin Yin Jade Love (TVO) Delores: The Art of Modelling (Bravo) Speakers for the Dead (CBC/NFB)

This project was of great importance to Jennifer, especially after having three daughters of her own, now aged: 14, 17, and 19 years old.

“The idea came to me,” Jennifer began, “because at my daughter’s school, there were not a lot of black children. I would overhear dialogue between my daughter and her friends, and there was a lot of dialogue about physical attributes. A lot of white children were coveting black features, and they readily admitted it.

I realized growing up that I was not the standard, so it was interesting to see that what was once unattractive and unappealing was now trending. Appropriation became a big deal, and dialogue around black female beauty became discussion, so I decided that it was time to bring more awareness to the topic.

In 2018 the film went into development, and in 2019 we filmed most of it. In, 2020 during this pandemic, I edited it even when I caught COVID-19, and felt really sick. It was that important to me. I felt like as a black woman, I wanted to take

a look at how black women are depicted.

Women get their power from their beauty.

White feminists were saying beauty was not important, and I didn’t necessarily agree. I wanted to look at beauty as power.

It is about beauty, but it is a political film.”

Up to this point, Jennifer had made five documentaries, but she had not directed a film. She pitched to some commission editors, and they completely dismissed it. Two didn’t feel it was a story.

One person didn’t want to meet with her. I asked her about these challenges, and she was very transparent about the process.

“I have had so many challenges hurled at me on all fronts, and finally I am at this point that it is getting easier.

It’s hard. My husband and I are the main team. It is hard to keep a team.

What I realize is that you can’t work alone for too long. You have to get people who are more experienced. I am now building an experienced team that is truly committed to change. I want to thank our Cinematographers Iris Ng, and Ricardo Diaz, as well as our editor Lawrence Jackman.

This film was definitely created for the young people. I have African women of all ages who watch this film and leave it in tears. I know that there are times when African women feel like they are alone. No girlfriend, it is by design. It is happening to all of us. We need to celebrate. Our beauty is being coveted, respected, and we have to now use that power.”

You can learn more about the riveting, and powerful film by visiting: subjectsofdesire.com

PAGE 12

NEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

36 Cases of a rare blood disorder reported after recipients take the COVID-19 vaccine NIKITA YOUNG

nikita@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The North American roll out of the Covid vaccine began in December 2020, and since then the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded thirty-six cases of thrombocytopenia; a rare blood disorder found in people after taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Doctors and nurses who logged the data of these reactions reported all these cases to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

Thrombocytopenia is a condition, which side effects are: bruising, low platelet counts, bleeding and blisters in the mouth. Reports show only one person has died after experiencing this reaction and the rest have recovered. The CDC and the

Food and Drug Administration say they have investigated this effect, and that the rate of this condition showing up in vaccinated people is not irregular; they also claim that these effects could just be coincidental.

Amongst those who experienced more serious side effects related to this rare blood condition was a 72-year-old woman from New York named Luz Legaspi. She woke up with blisters in her mouth and bruised arms and legs one day after receiving the first dose of the Moderna vaccine.

Two women reported experiencing heavy vaginal bleeding. In Miami Florida, 56-year-old Doctor Gregory Michael was hospitalized three days after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and died in hospital two weeks later of a brain hemorrhage related to thrombocytopenia. His wife says that he was very healthy before taking the vaccine. According to Gregory Poland, MD, published by MedPage Today it is unknown why some people experience this condition, and a few cases will be inevitable, but in most cases

the side effects clear up on their own in a few days.

There are about 50,000 in the U.S who are living with Immune Thrombocytopenia, which was reported by the Platelet Disorder Association. Symptoms last anywhere from six months to over a year but can successfully be managed.

Dr. James Bussel who is an expert in Immune Thrombocytopenia conducted a study on fifteen people diagnosed with ITP. His findings show that there is a possible link between vaccines and ITP but he is unclear on what the link may be.

The CDC’s data states that 31 million people in the United States have already been vaccinated with at least one dose of either Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccine.

VAERS data show that around 271 people have died after taking the vaccine and around 9,845 people have experienced various adverse effects.

According to Life Site News, VAERS only collects data from 1% of those who experience side effects of vaccines.

Both Pfizer and Moderna made statements validating their awareness of the

effects these recipients experienced and say that they will continue to monitor and investigate reports of side effects.

The COVID-19 vaccine is still considered experimental and has only been in testing for under a year. In the data tracked during the vaccine trials there were no reports of any of the recipients experiencing thrombocytopenia. Moderna’s lists of side effects seen in the trials were: pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, chills, nausea/vomiting and more.

The FDA has approved the COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, but it is still not an FDA approved vaccine.

Moderna advises that anyone who has experienced allergic reactions in the past should not take the vaccine. It is important to weigh the risks before taking the Covid vaccine as both Moderna and Pfizer admit that you can still catch COVID-19 after receiving both doses.

If you have already taken the vaccine and are experiencing any side effects, you can report your reactions with VAERS at vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.htm

Veteran Reggae rapper and king of the Dancehall DJs U Roy has passed away at the age of 78 in Jamaica MICHAEL THOMAS michael@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Ewart Beckford or U-Roy as his fans called him was an original with a unique style of lyrics and most important a delivery that until today still cannot be copied very easily.

The Originator as he was also called was born in Jones Town Jamaica in 1942. His rise to fame was slow but sure. He began in 1961 DJing at the Doctor Dickie’s Dynamite sound system, then moved around for a while before finding his musical feet and teamed up with King Tubby Hi Fi sound system.

Producer Keith Hudson quickly recognized Roy’s talent and recorded him with

a song called “Dynamic Fashion Way.” in 1969.

U-Roy cut a number of songs with the late Peter Tosh, and Bunny Lee, which gained some traction locally, but did not go further.

Success finally started when the great Mr. John Holt heard the DJ, and convinced Duke Reid to record him with a song called “Wake the Town” which did just that, and like they say the rest is history.

U-Roy went on to make another 29 songs with Reid, all versions of Treasure Isle’s most popular singles. Some of U-Roy’s most popular hits include “Dread in a Babylon 1975, and Natty Rebel in 76,” and as a result of his ground-breaking success around that time almost every record producer in town wanted to record the DJs of that era. DJs like: Dennis Alcapone, I- Roy, Big Youth, Scotty, Lizzy, U-Roy Junior, and a host of others.

U-Roy cut a number of songs and worked with numerous artists throughout his career.

He had three smash singles “Wake

the Town,” “Rule the Nation,” and “Wear You to the Ball,” and for a month and a half, all three singles boldly stood astride the top three spots in the Jamaican charts. Even though U-Roy would not repeat this feat again he remained a Dancehall force to be reckoned with.

The king of the Dancehall was now reaching the peak of his career. His toasting style was perfectly relaxed and conversational, yet always-in perfect sync with the rhythms. The DJ had now gained a significant following in the U.K., as well, and in August 1976, he visited that country for the first time. He performed at the London Lyceum, backed by the band called Revolutionaries.

The 1978 Live EP was taken as a result of this phenomenal show.

In the midst of all this, Daddy Roy the teacher still found time to mentor up and coming DJs like: Josey Whales, Charlet Chaplin, Shabba Ranks, Ranking Joe, the young Beenie Man and Dillinger to name a few.

The veteran Dancehall boss with his silk-like lyrics never gave up on his music,

returning time after time even when some thought he was over and done he would surprise his audience with another single, a box set or an album.

U-Roy once told an interviewer that he was so young when he started out as a DJ that he had to ask his grandmother’s permission to go out. “Sometimes,” he said “She would say bwoy gwan guh find a book and read, another time she would say Gwan nuh, but me would always wait till she gwan asleep then me gwan ah dance.”

This original “Godfather of Rap” has lived through many musical changes in Jamaica, like experiencing the island go from predominantly American music in the earlier times to Ska then Rocksteady and now Reggae.

For a man who once said, “I started doing this for fun I was never looking to make big money from this, so I give thanks to the father,” U-Roy has really created an impact on the world musically.

Sleep in power Daddy Roy. You will be missed.

Anti-human trafficking champion earns funding for Peel Regional Police ADRIAN ADORE

adrian@carib101.com

PRP REPORTER

In December 2020, the Canadian Department of Justice awarded $105,000 for the Peel Regional Police Human Trafficking Initiative, to combat a serious but often unseen problem in the community.

Canadian police services have received over 1,700 reports of human trafficking since 2009. The numbers have been increasing steadily every year. 97% of those coerced and forced into these of-

ten lengthy, life-threatening and traumatizing circumstances are women and girls between the ages of sixteen and twentyfour but have been as young as thirteen.

The most concerning fact about this reality are the number of unreported cases.

Last year, Constable Joy Brown, members of the Peel Human Trafficking Service Providers Committee and the Region of Peel, secured $3,103,700 in provincial funding for the region as part of the province’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy. Over the course of five years (20202025), the money will be provided to the Integrated Services Hub for victims and survivors aged twelve and up, providing on-site health care, trauma counselling, addictions support, legal aid, education and employment services.

“Human trafficking has a serious impact on our community. In securing

federal funding, we are better able to respond to the needs of victims/survivors.

Peel Regional Police continues to collaborate with community partners in providing trauma informed, survivor-centred services, when assisting victims and survivors in rebuilding their lives.” says Constable Joy Brown, “This initiative was designed to help individuals safely exit their situation, improve their quality of life and increase knowledge and awareness of the impact of human trafficking in our region.

I want to thank the Department of Justice for supporting our efforts.”

“Joy has been instrumental in this endeavour and has been performing Community Safety and Well-Being work for years by engaging all aspects of intervention, prevention and social development through the long established and strong partnerships she has nurtured

with external stakeholders that share the same purpose”, said Inspector Mark Dapat from the Regional Community Mobilization Unit.

Victims of human sex trafficking are typically some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Constable Joy Brown has raised awareness about human trafficking at an accelerated rate within our region and provincially while directly supporting victims/survivors.

These supports include addiction, mental health, housing, employment, educational services and long-term case management, including support to parents and siblings of human trafficking victims/survivors.

We are extremely proud of Constable Joy Brown and are grateful for her passion and dedication to help victims of human sex trafficking.

NEWS

Wednesday, March 3, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 13

African Mental Health Awareness is not a one-day thing it is an everyday thing SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

On Monday March 1st, 2021, Toronto, Ontario recognized Black Mental Health Day. This day was first officially recognized on March 1st, 2020 after the Ontario government recognized the need to deliver mental health services due to the long-standing and enduring impact of anti-black racism on African Ontarians.

There has been a silent, but ongoing impact on mental health that has resulted from staying mute on issues of anti-African racism in public services. The government saw this as an important step that would lead to health care professionals working collectively to ensure that Africans living in the North can successfully access services that will allow them to live healthy lives.

Bill 178 was proposed in 2020, and was passed to highlight the inequitable treatment and unequal outcomes that African Ontarians face across all sectors, including the: education, justice, employment, housing and child welfare sectors.

There has been a lack of concrete action to address anti-black racism in public services like healthcare education, and in the area of housing services. What the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper would like to do is move this beyond one day. In this article, not only are we going to address some of the mounting issues that have ensued since

COVID-19, but we are also going to provide resources for our community. It is one thing to have a day dedicated to mental health, it is another thing to take it past that day and provide tangible resources that are accessible to the people when then need it.

We read about the horrors of suicides, overdoses, and other mental health tragedies that have increased since COVID-19 started, but I wanted the inside scoop as to what we were not hearing about, so I reached out to the Institute for Advancements in Mental Health (IAM), and I had an opportunity to speak with their Program Manager, Kayla Nicholls.

The Institute for Advancements in Mental Health (IAM), formerly the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario, is a community mental health organization with a 40+ year history in mental health services. In 2020, IAM became agile and flexible in responding to the needs of the community they serve. Putting people (not diagnosis or illness) first, they wanted IAM to help even more people impacted by mental illness.

They expanded their service offerings beyond schizophrenia and psychosis, and became home to Canada’s first community-based mental health innovation platform where they co-create services to improve the quality of life for people who use them.

During our discussion, Kayla let me in on some scary, yet insightful information that I am going to share with you, our reader today.

“Since the pandemic hit Simone,” she began, “IAM has seen calls to its mental health support line jump by nearly 500%, most related to COVID-19, and nearly 60% of those were from caregivers in need.

From March to April 2020, we quickly moved all of the on-site, in-person and telephone supports onto digital platforms. This

has allowed us to respond to that nearly 500% increase in volume and nearly 100% increase in demand for our educational offerings.

Our counsellors are hearing that many are struggling to cope each day, especially due to heightened anxiety brought on by the loss of support networks or vital activities. Many who care for others are calling in distressed, feeling overburdened by the extra responsibilities and lack of respite that being shut-in during the pandemic brings.”

From personal experience I know that when someone is living with mental illness, it is often a family member or friend who acts as their caregiver. This can leave the caregiver feeling emotionally and physically depleted. Caring for those with mental illness is essential, but it is as important to build and protect a caregiver’s resilience and knowledge. It is why offering help to caregivers has been a specialized priority for IAM for over four decades.

With the second pandemic wave, IAM is now seeing a corresponding increase of families in need. After serving over 1,000 families and individuals this year, IAM is still faced with requests that outpace their current capacity. They continue to evolve their services, and currently they do have some valuable resources available to the community. IAM’s essential services for caregivers includes free and subsidized support online through: • • • •

One-On-One Counselling Support Groups Thematic Webinars Skills Development

If you are a caregiver in need, you can reach out to one of IAM’s counsellors at 1-855449-9949 or email IAM at support@iamentalhealth.ca. The line is open from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays, with expanded hours until

7 pm, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I also want to provide you with some organizations that are found within the African community that might be helpful for our readers.

Black Mental Health Canada (blackmentalhealth.ca) Their services are targeted towards individuals of colour, primarily those who identify as: Black, African, or Caribbean. They work with individuals of all ages, and aim to be a hub and distributor of relevant mental health research pertaining to the black community.

Black Health Alliance (blackhealthalliance.ca) The alliance works in partnership to build and maintain communities. They recognize the community’s problems as being collective, and work cooperatively to eliminate these issues. They provide programs to support people who have serious and ongoing meSntal health issues.

The Association of Black Psychologist (abpsitoronto.org) The Association is organized to operate exclusively for clinical and educational purposes.

They promote and advance the profession of African psychology, and develop programs that can assist in solving problems of African communities.

There is hope for recovery that remains as light is shed on the mental health challenges that we as Africans living in the diaspora face. We have to continue to hold policy makers accountable and work with health systems to evolve better systems, which eliminate inequities in mental health services. This is not a one-day thing it is an everyday thing.

Young artists celebrating artists - Introducing Amari

BY MAKAYLA B. TC JUNIOR REPORTER This week I interviewed a marvellous young artist named Amari. Art is something that she does more as a hobby, and mainly does it for fun during her free time. If she were to guess who she got her artistic abilities from she would say that she probably got them from her mom, but her art skills are more en-

hanced and cultivated because she has been drawing for a few years.

“You know how when you decide to clean your room and then your mom walks by and tells you to clean your room you don’t want to do it anymore?” Amari is quite fond and passionate when it comes to her art and prefers doing it in her own time. Drawing in a more carefree doodle-like style, she feels that she has to do well or that it has to look the best when she does art for assignments

in school. Going to an art school is something that Amari is somewhat interested in, but she thinks that after school classes would be better.

Many people do something due to the fact that they have an idol that inspires them but some don’t do things because of that. Amari doesn’t really have an idol, but does art because she enjoys it and started drawing because she found it fun and is good at drawing.

Having a career as an artist isn’t something that would be her go to job, but more like a back-up job. Though she isn’t considering a job as an artist, she gravitates towards jobs that somehow incorporate art or seem like fun. Being something like a lawyer or architectural designer are jobs that interest her, because it is something different and has some relation to art.

Temporary Teaching Certificate allows student teachers to fill vacancies across Ontario PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

On February 4th, 2021 the Ontario government announced that it will make it possible for current teacher candidates to work as substitute teachers. This is good news for many school boards across Ontario, which has had to deal with teacher shortages brought on by challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many boards have had to struggle to find teachers to fill their virtual (online), in-person and hybrid learning positions. Teachers are currently in high demand.

In order to ensure that this Temporary Certificate of Qualification and Registration was possible, the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) which, “Licenses, governs and regulates the teaching in the public interest” got approval from its Council as reported on December 11th, 2020 at oct.ca. This new cer-

tificate will enable these prospective teachers to start teaching before they complete their teaching degree.

The OCT reported in its monthly publication, “Professionally Speaking” for February 2021 details about this temporary certificate (oct.ca). The certificate, “Would be a limited-time, emergency measure designed to address severe teacher shortages in Ontario’s public school system caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Teacher candidates who are enrolled in Ontario’s faculty of education can apply if they: • •

•

Are expected to successfully complete their Ontario program of professional education by December 31st, 2021 Have as of the date of their application, successfully completed a portion of their practicum and have made satisfactory progress in their program Have made satisfactory progress in their programs

Applicants should ensure that they have paid up all their fees and fulfil all certificate requirements. This applies to Labour Mobility applicants.

The advantage of this certificate is that it ensures that these prospective teachers could be hired as occasional teachers. In addition, they can use this teaching stint towards their practicum obligations. It will be in place on or after January 30th, 2021 and will run out on December 31st, 2021. No extensions are allowed.

Those who obtained this certificate are able to convert it to a general Certificate of Qualification and Registration if these requirements are met: • •

Practicum and program requirements are completed before January 1st, 2022 Any conditions on the certificate are satisfied, including completion of the Mathematics Proficiency Test by August 31st, 2021

The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) will develop this test and will focus on, “Content knowledge and math pedagogy drawn from concepts taught in both the elementary and secondary grades.” (oct.ca).

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario teacher candidates who sent in their application on or after March 31st, 2020 had to pass this test, even if they had sent their

application before that date. Now, teacher candidates who obtained this temporary certificate must pass this test by August 31st, 2021. If they fail it, their certificate will not be extended, and they must obtain a satisfactory pass before they can be re-certified.

Once they pass the test by August 31st, 2021, their temporary certificate will expire by December 31st, 2021 and can be converted to a general Certificate of Qualification and Registration if: • •

Practicum and program requirement are completed before January 1st, 2022 Any conditions on the certification are satisfied, including successful completion of the Mathematics Proficiency Test

by August 31st, 2021

Graduates of Ontario teachers’ programs who are certified between September 1st, 2021 and December 31st, 3021 have to pass the Math Proficiency Test before they are granted the temporary certificate. They will not be allowed to be an occasional teacher without fulfilling this requirement.

According to the OCT’s website, there have been over 1,500 applications processed within the first five days after it started on February 1st, 2021.

NEWS

PAGE 14

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Human Trafficking; How the Ontario Government is tackling a frightening, but real issue in Canada teen years old. This is yet another silent societal pandemic that is a massively growing threat to community safety across the province and Canada.

I am going to quickly go over some aspects of human trafficking that you need to know to keep yourself, and your family safe. A little later in this article, I am also going to introduce a proposed legislation that reinforces Ontario’s commitment to fighting human trafficking.

When it comes to this silent pandemic, the Ontario government continues to demonstrate leadership in responding to this pervasive crime.

One of the first aspects of human trafficking that may escape people’s thoughts is the fact that men, and young boys are victimized just as much as women. Young boys are often used as sex slaves, and men are forced into manual labour, and abused by their employers.

In many cases, trafficked individuals must work long hours for very little pay. There is a vicious cycle of trafficker’s fees to get employment, and very little pay, which is what keeps the victims in debt to their employers.

There are many tricks that are used, one being women are often used to recruit other women from disadvantaged backgrounds. The women are forced into prostitution and have no way of getting away from their employers once they are entrapped.

To think; this is happening here in Ontario. This is why on Monday, February 22nd, 2021, when I was given the opportunity to speak with Jill Dunlop (Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues), I quickly cleared my schedule and prepared myself. It just so happened that Monday

SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

“They really do intimidate you, they make you feel like you can’t be without them. I was so broken on the inside.”

Anonymously Trafficked When you hear about human trafficking, your thoughts might go to places in the world like Cambodia and India, where you hear about how children are prime victims for sex trafficking, and trafficked workers are forced to work for long hours with very little pay.

What you don’t think is that it could be happening at the rate it is, right in your own backyard. Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing crimes worldwide. According to statistics in 2012, there were as many as 21 million people that were trafficked around the world.

The devastating fact is that Ontario is a hub for human trafficking. In 2019, Ontario police-reported human trafficking incidents accounted for 55% of all policereported incidents nationally.

Some of these other statistics might frighten you, but it is important that you are aware. It was reported that over 70% of human trafficking victims identified by police are under the age of twentyfive, and the average age of recruitment into sex trafficking is approximately thir-

was also Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and the Ontario government introduced the Combatting Human Trafficking Act, a new legislation, and amendments to existing legislation to build upon the province’s $307 million Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy.

Minister Dunlop had been in calls all day, but even though I am sure her day had been exhausting, she spoke to me with such a level of passion. You could see how important this legislation was to her.

“Human trafficking is happening in both urban centers and small communities across Ontario. This proposed legislation further supports our cross-government approach, as well as our work with partners across jurisdictions and various sectors, to combat human trafficking.

The proposed changes include two new acts - the Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy Act, 2021 and the Accommodation Sector Registration of Guests Act, 2021 - as well as amendments to the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 and the Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking Act, 2017.

The proposed changes provide tools to improve the ability to identify and appropriately respond to suspected instances and connect survivors to supportive services.”

I did some research, and found that the Ontario’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy will be investing $307 million over the next five years on a pro-active, comprehensive action plan focused on four key areas: Raising awareness of the issue The plan is to launch a new, province-wide marketing campaign to educate children,

youth, parents, and the broader public about what human trafficking is, how to recognize the signs, and where to get help.

Holding offenders accountable They will be giving law enforcement more specialized Crown prosecution support for human trafficking cases. This will entail strengthening intelligence gathering in the correctional system and investing in police services to help coordinate antihuman trafficking investigations.

Protecting victims and intervening early The government will be investing in specialized intervention teams involving police and child protection services, incorporating human trafficking awareness into the education curriculum, and establishing dedicated, licensed residences to support victims, including those under the age of sixteen.

Supporting survivors The new funding will be put towards a wrap-around, community-based support and Indigenous-led initiative to make more services available for survivors.

The government is taking deliberate steps to put an end to human trafficking. What this new legislation is doing is building on the Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy that was introduced a year ago.

It is going to give law enforcement additional tools to help put a firm stop to this silent societal pandemic. The hope is that it will strengthen public awareness of human trafficking and deliver justice to human trafficking victims and survivors.

In the real world, trying to obtain the perfect blood pressure can be questionable ages, 50 and older with an average age of 68, with hypertension. They also had one other cardiovascular risk factor, history of stroke, or dementia. It was a huge study involving patients in over 100 carefully supervised medical centers across the U.S.

Half of the patients were provided “Gold Standard” care. This meant they were given medication that lowered their systolic blood pressure (the top number), to less than 120. The other half simply aimed for the standard systolic target of 140 or lower.

What happened? When a study shows after a period that one group is getting the raw end of the deal, it must be stopped for ethical reasons. So, when the gold standard group was winning after a period of three years, the study abruptly ended.

The gold standard of treatment had reduced cardiovascular problems and death by 25 percent. But the study ignited the still on-going debate as to whether normal blood pressure level should be changed from 140/80 to 130/80.

There was another effect. Researchers wondered if lowering of blood

W. GIFFORDJONES MD DIANA GIFFORD-JONES TC HEALTH REPORTER

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You must do the things you think you cannot do.”

Avoiding disease may be the gift of lucky genetics, but it helps to put some work into managing your chances for health and longevity.

Maintaining rubbery arteries are key to the delivery of oxygenated blood to the heart’s muscle that guards against hypertension, stroke, and heart attack. A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association says that what’s good for the heart may also be good for the brain.

The study involved 9,300 people RY 10TH

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pressure in the gold standard group would have any effect on the risk for dementia. So they followed these two groups further to see if changes in blood pressure had any effect on brain function.

The result? After another two years, researchers found no statistical difference in the amount of “probable dementia” between the two groups. But they did notice a 19 percent lower rate of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the gold standard group.

MCI is a gray, indefinable area between normal brain function and early dementia. Looking at it another way, 287 of the 4,280 patients in the gold group and 353 of the same number in the standard group, developed MCI over a five-year period. Not a huge difference, but big enough to warrant notice.

Researchers stressed that, although some cases of MCI go on to develop dementia, many others go for years without any problems. Some patients even revert to normal.

So what’s the bottom line? Good sense dictates that controlling hypertension is a

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sound measure for the brain, but lowering it too much can cause hypotension (low blood pressure), fainting and possible kidney injury. In effect, in the real world, trying to obtain the perfect blood pressure can be questionable.

Researchers say the best option for brain health is to stay physically active and maintain a sense of purpose in life. This is always good for the brain. Weight control, particularly in the abdomen, is essential, as it’s linked to dementia. But since obesity is so often associated with Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and dementia, it’s difficult to know which is the main culprit.

Since Type 2 diabetes narrows cerebral arteries and decreases oxygenated blood to the brain, this along with hypertension, is a bad combination.

Take Eleanor Roosevelt’s sage advice to heart. You need more than luck to avoid these two killers. Rather, your diet and lifestyle may need to undergo dramatic changes.

NEWS

Wednesday, March 3, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 15

The Toronto Black COVID-19 Task Force leaves questions unanswered AMANDA WILLIAMS amanda@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

On Saturday, February 27th, 2021, The Toronto Black COVID-19 Task Force held a town hall meeting titled “Misinformation and Conspiracy Theories.” Topics to be addressed were: Vaccine production companies cannot be trusted, nature and fruits are the real medicine, and doctors don’t know everything.

While the three-hour meeting can be viewed on the task Force’s Facebook page, they failed to provide clarity on these specific topics and focused more on inequities and why people should get the vaccine.

Dr David Burt suggests misinformation comes from certain groups, libertarians, and people that want to cause trouble on the Internet. The truth is, there is not much data or evidence to prove the vaccine is actually safe. People have questions and many feel that there has been a lack of transparency surrounding these topics.

With only 10% of blacks being involved in clinical trials, the community wants

to know, what race-based data is there to prove the vaccine is safe? While Dr David Burt suggests they are, he is unable to provide evidence beyond the clinical trials. There is currently no way to monitor subgroups such as people of different ethic or racial backgrounds who decide to take the vaccine.

“Canada does not have the capacity to do that yet, although there is strong advocacy from many communities to start to collect that information,” says Dr Na-Koshie Lamptey.

When addressing concerns about people being microchipped through the vaccine, Trevor Aldridge does not believe that it would be possible and has “No idea where people are getting that from.”

When asked if pregnant women can take the vaccine, Dr Isaac Odame cited that women were not enrolled in studies for Pfizer and Moderna vaccine trials; however, he says, “...there doesn’t seem to be any scientific or medical reason why a pregnant woman who wants to have the vaccine should be denied the vaccine in terms of safety”.

Dr Odame also references a time in history the black community was denied the polio vaccine. He uses this time history to suggest the black community would be suffering another inequity if the vaccine weren’t taken.

Trust within the black community needs to be earned as racism and other inequities are still prevalent within the commu-

nity. Why should the black community jump on the opportunity to take a vaccine just because they were denied one in the past?

Concerns about Bill Gates were mentioned including rumours of eliminating the Negroid race and his financial ties to the vaccine and various organizations including Global Canada. Questions were not read in full to provide context and instead were grouped together and generalized. Dr Odame stated that he does not work for and has no associations with Bill Gates and the foundation in any way, but suggests that they are helping save lives and “It doesn’t make sense” that they would want to kill people.

The task force group also failed to address the mentioned TED talk where Gates spoke about the possibilities of reducing the population with new vaccines and reproductive health services.

The meeting ended 15 minutes early, leaving multiple questions left unanswered, such as: •

•

How much of the $6.8M invested in this program was used to educate health professionals in anti-racism to ensure the black community receives equal care and treatment?

We are unable to distinguish the difference between Covid, pneumonia, or influenza. Deaths of other causes are also being counted as Covid. What evidence is there that proves the black communi-

• • •

• •

ty is affected most by Covid specifically and not by other causes of death?

Why is there such a hard push to get the vaccine, when it cannot prevent transmission?

Will people be expected to take multiple vaccines as the virus continues to mutate?

There have been reports of deaths and other adverse effects of healthy people after receiving their second shot of the vaccine. What evidence is there to show this vaccine is safe specifically for the black community?

What evidence is there to prove death and adverse effects are not vaccine-related?

How are you monitoring the black community specifically to ensure its safety and effectiveness?

Dr Burt says, “You need a good immune system for the vaccine to work.” Many people argue that it is because they have a good immune system, they have not contracted Covid and therefore do not need the vaccine.

If the Task Force expects to reduce hesitancy, it is crucial that they provide reference to actual data, studies, and/or evidence to support their statements. Toronto Caribbean Newspaper has forwarded unanswered questions directly to the task force to help the black community make informed decisions around COVID-19 vaccines.

Toronto District School reports Human Rights Report for 2018-2020 highlights anti-black racism as a serious problem PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The release of the first groundbreaking report by the Human Rights Office of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) on Thursday, February 11th, 2020 has brought the issue of anti-black racism to the forefront of public attention.

It has received national attention by the mainstream media; Global News, CBC News Toronto and the Toronto Star. There is no doubt that the TDSB has faced many challenges over the years. It has lost several senior superintendents, and the search is on for a Director of Education after the resignation of Dr John Malloy in June 2020.

The release of this Human Rights

Report 2018-2020 will surely invite debates, discussions and conversations about what it will take to move the TDSB ahead.

In fact, “Employees in the TDSB are required to report to managerial staff any incidents of hate, bias or racism that they encounter through hate activity reports.” (tdsb.on.ca/ Leadership).

This formal policy on reporting and responding to racism and hate incidents involving or affecting students in schools resulted from the vote by TDSB trustees in 2019 to develop it. Data is obtained by analyzing incidents of human rights complaints reported to the Human Rights Office by staff, students and parents.

The report examined data obtained from September 2018 to April 2019 and between June 2019 and August 31st, 2020.

The report shows that there were 64 hate activity reports filed by the end of the 20182019 school year, and 312 by the end of the 2019-2020 school year. 69% of the reported incidents were race-related in the 2019-2020 period with anti-black racism making up the largest percent. It was followed by anti-

Asian sentiments, anti-semitism and Islamophobia.

The report notes that,”The data clearly indicates that the board continues to have a serious problem. Incidents of racism and hate occur in TDSB schools daily and they do so in significant numbers.” It states that, “Specifically, incidents of anti-black racism exceeded all other incidents reported by a wide margin.”

The 128 page document notes that, “Race or race-related incidents are the most frequent ground of complaints received by the Human Rights Office making up 54% of all complaints alleging a human rights violation.”

Jim Spyropolous, who serves as superintendent of equity, engagement and well being told Global News on February 12th, that, “Black students, Indigenous students, students who self-identify as being disabled do not feel as comfortable as they should. They don’t feel as connected to our system as they should.”

He told the Toronto Star on February 12th, 2021 that, “We see a very distinct

pattern of a disproportionate number of complaints being based on race, specifically anti-black racism. We have drawn the conclusion that anti-black racism is a serious issue at the TDSB, and it just confirms data that we’ve had for many years.”

One of the significant revelations from the report was the number of complaints from black administrators who had personally experienced racism. Superintendent Spyropolous told CBC News on February 12th, 2021 that, “We have had a disturbing trend with respect to the number of black administrators who are coming in the TDSB to discuss their experiences around the fact that anti-black racism is a big part of what they’ve had to deal with in their professional journeys.” The TDSB has decided to initiate a separate review to examine the reports of these human rights complaints by these black administrators.

There are many issues that arose; backlog of case files, time it takes to resolve incidents and the inequity that results from attempts to resolve. There are changes coming to TDSB in 2021.

NEWS

PAGE 16

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Why black wealth matters; Toronto Black Film Festival premieres online a panel of three business professionals.

Catherine opened the hourlong discussion by posing a simple but thought-provoking question: what exactly is black wealth?

“The definition of wealth is the abundance of opportunity, possessions, and money. I think if you look at the black community, it’s something that we’ve been lacking for a very long time and I think we have not really had that conversation in Canada until probably last year with the passing of George Floyd,” said Meryl Afrika, former president and current chair of the Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals (CAUFP) Advisory Board. “To me, black wealth is just how do we continue to create that abundance for ourselves. Because it doesn’t just enhance the black community, it enhances the surrounding communities that connect with us.”

Frantz Saintellemy, CEO and COO of LeddarTech continues. “For me, wealth is multifaceted. There’s the component of financial capacity and access, but there’s also well-being. In Canada, we have very good access in terms of professional paths to creating generally good income. There are a number of very successful black individuals across Canada. The problem is that as a community we’re poor, we’re deprived, we’re segregated, and we’re somewhat disconnected.”

In 2020, black businesses saw a

JANIECE CAMPBELL janiece@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The Toronto Black Film Festival (TBFF) is a raving annual affair in the city. Held in February each year to commemorate Black History Month, it features a wide selection of programs and films by members of the African, Caribbean and Black Canadian diaspora.

Due to the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 9th festival could not be held in person this year. Regardless, the show still went on and over the course of twelve days, they debuted 154 films from 25 countries! Achieving over 100,000 virtual attendees, the event was a massive success.

From the multitude of events that I could have the opportunity to recap, I chose to share some of the thoughts from the motivational “Black Wealth Matters” conference. The well-structured discussion, moderated by TV personality Catherine Verdon-Diamond, explored the topic of elevating black wealth within vulnerable North American communities among

massive boom subsequent to the global rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The phrases “support black businesses” and “buy black” appeared on every corner of social media, and many other races began to blatantly see the scarcity of funding that black entrepreneurs had quietly endured for far too long. Catherine then asked the panel: if we decide amongst ourselves as black people to solely spend money in our local communities, is that enough to elevate black wealth?

“In order for black wealth to grow, yes, we need to support our own. But the reality is we are a very small segment of the population. There’s only so much that we can do in terms of pushing forward. In order for these small or medium businesses to grow, what’s fundamental is them getting capital to scale so that they can service the entire Canadian economy, because they can then funnel that back into their communities,” says Meryl Afrika.

Matthew J. Martel, COO at the Black Business Initiative also gives his input. “I definitely think that whenever we can keep money in the local community is extremely important, and wherever we can create opportunities for the broader community to invest in the black community is great. But I think that any entrepreneur needs to be looking globally and that’s just the fact of business in 2021.”

The topic of black people investing in real estate properties then came

around. Though it’s an easy thing to recommend, it’s a difficult accomplishment for many in the black community who already struggle to make ends meet.

“For those people, that’s okay.

There are plenty of black folks across Canada that are homeowners and that are investing in real estate, but they’re not investing back in our communities,” answers Frantz Saintellemy.

He continues. “We have the natural reflex to leave our communities, go to better communities and not reinvest back into our [original] community. So, what that does is deprive our youth and the next generation of foundations that they can leverage. Those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to invest: I’m not saying to put all of your money in the same basket, but you have to think about if your dollar can go much farther by investing in a black community. Guess who is investing in the black neighborhoods if we don’t? Well, that’s how you have gentrification.”

Worried that you missed all the celebration this year? Have no fear! All of the special events such as tributes, conferences and film trailers are available for free on the Toronto Black Film Festival’s official Facebook page. Also, for anyone wanting to view this year’s exceptional films, all access passes are available for $69 (a deal valued at over $400!) on their website: torontoblackfilm.com.

The street life is not as glamorous as it seems; Tales from the streets of Toronto

BY GLORIA O’KOYE TC REPORTER

off advocates that fight to protect the communities that face immediate dangers. To them, the gang life is a spectacle that they can watch from afar and in some cases try to instigate tensions between different parties through social media pages and music videos. As the years have gone by, the messages have been more blunt, and recently certain popular songs insinuated that any person from a different neighbourhood who has nothing to do with street politics can get dragged into it, all because they lived in the area.

They leave out the cold nights, sleeping on the stairwell when business is low. The constant fear of watching your back because what is the meaning of friendship when the enemy could be within the circle. They don’t stress enough the emotional toil and the PTSD that comes with it. There are the nightmares of familiar faces, along with the constant battle within the mind.

Too often the media does not educate about the expenses of even maintaining the lifestyle, such as bail money, and even money for one’s burial gets overlooked. It seems only a few in life have made preparations so there won’t be a fundraising event needed to help ease the burdens of loved ones. Some brag about the neighbourhood they came from and

The fast glamorous life! We see it in movies, TV shows, music videos glorifying it.

We hear about it, watch people around us, get mesmerized by the attention and quick money it brings. It became an ongoing trend over the years and it has left a huge impact within our communities and all over the world. Some call it the hood life, street life, the underground world and many other names in different slangs and languages around the world. It has been extremely influential and countless lives have been directly or indirectly affected by it.

Yet the mainstream media only spotlights certain things in the lifestyle, and overlooks some of the realities that comes with it. It seems that no matter how often we have heard the stories of those with lived experiences, and even saw the outcome in the finale from popular drama series, we continue to romanticize it.

The entertainment side has long milked the people’s stories for their personal gain. They feed into curious minds that have long been fascinated by other people’s struggles, the movie-like drama to satisfy their adrenaline rush. They brush RY 10TH

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claim forced loyalty, yet don’t invest back into it other than attract violence and only step foot for a few minutes to pose. Then they would leave and remain cozy in a different spot, while the community has to deal with retaliation.

The life that would have family pit against one another; cousins killing cousins while friends from oppositions talk in order to protect one another. They don’t seem to highlight the fact that one could be buried right next to an enemy in the same cemetery.

On the flipside, when things go south such as a crime or homicide victim, then there is a public outcry about something that must be done. The same media will quickly search for a mug shot or any pictures that would depict someone in the worst possible manner.

The damage has already been done and outsiders would only see and judge the surface of the cover story. They forget the humanity of a person, that the person was also and/or someone else’s child, parent, friend, spouse and etc. They would not see the person’s childhood, dreams, thoughts, fears and joy. It becomes another statistic; talk of the town for a day or two depending on who it is.

The stories are still being told, and the residual trauma is leaving the up-

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coming generations to seek comfort by other means that have led to grave consequences.

Today’s world does not allow our youth to grieve in peace. The meme pages that constantly show the videos while the comment sections are ruthless and unsympathetic to the families whose members may stumble onto them. Now, add the pandemic where funerals aren’t running how they would normally run. Sometimes a proper in-person ceremony that may have provided any closure is gone.

What can be done in order to at least have a start? There are many amazing grassroots organizations and individuals that have been doing the groundwork and deserve recognition in which I hope to get a chance to showcase them. Groups like: Project Alchemy, Gen Chosen, Think 2wice and many more have used modules that work and are constantly growing in popularity among the youth and communities.

In order to really make change, we must take our time to dig deep into our city that has always and will continue to fight for our people. All is not lost in a battle that seems to be never ending, but we have to open our mind and our ears to see what is in front us.

Wednesday, March 3, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

NEWS

PAGE 17

“Always up, never down,” Kemar determined to walk again!

LA SHAWNA GRIFFITH lashawna@carib101.com

BARBADOS TC REPORTER

BARBADOS -- Thirty-year-old Kemar Holder-Edghill is a sports enthusiast who was involved in a rugby accident in 2018.

The accident led to his left foot snapping, ruptured all of the ligaments in his leg.

Holder-Edghill in his interview said that he was told after his incident that he may lose his leg. When he heard this, he sat quietly in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and cried.

“December 8th, 2018, I injured my left leg playing rugby in the Barbados 7’s

tournament where I had dislocated my knee and ruptured all of the ligaments in my leg. I had serious nerve damage in my foot. My doctor told me that I was lucky because I could have lost my leg. It cut me deep and I started to weep while shaking my head. At that point so many questions were running through my head.”

Holder-Edghill who holds a Bachelor’s in Physical Education is a trained Physical Education teacher and coach was deeply gutted by the news as a few months prior he had placed 3rd in the 2018 Strongfit Competition.

“I became depressed following the incident from the doctor because I knew my sporting career was over. I did have the support of my family and friends, and I am grateful for all of them being there to help me through my rough time.

However, despite me having them I was still coming to grips with the fact I could not play sports again.”

The certified physical education

teacher said his friend Nathan John decided that he could no longer sit at home and dwell on his injury, so decided to start taking him out of the house to cheer him up.

“Nathan got me out of the house by taking me places to get my mind off the situation. I also had another friend Jefferelli Jackman who would check up on me every day even though he lives in Orlando.

The list of persons who helped me out is long, but I want to tell every one of them thanks for everything.”

Holder-Edghill however decided that he was not going to accept the bleak prognosis that he could lose his leg; instead he would fight every day to ensure that he was able to walk again.

“I was praying one day, and I told myself that I was strong, and I could not allow my prognosis to get me down. I then remembered what my friend Wilando Morris said, ‘always up never down’ and I go by this every day. I subsequently re-

sumed teaching and coaching.”

Almost three years after his ordeal, Holder-Edghill can walk again. However, he has some challenges, as he cannot pull his left leg up or outwards.

“The journey has not been easy for me at all. There were times I was depressed and wanted to give up, but because of the support I received, I pushed myself to get back close to where I was before the incident. One thing that I can say is that once you have strong support and faith in God you can get through everything.”

The Physical Education teacher and coach explained he may need to have surgery on his leg to have full mobility and is currently awaiting the advice of a nerve specialist on what his next move is.

Persons who wish to assist Holder-Edghill in his journey to full functionality in his left leg can feel free to email him at holderedghill5@gmail.com.

The rationality of government decisions appears to be based on fear, not fact; A closer look at what is happening with Churches in British Columbia AMANDA WILLIAMS amanda@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

Frustrations grow within the Caribbean community around the inability to attend in-person church services. Most churches have transitioned to online services, while dozens of others in British Columbia challenge and defend their right to worship in person.

On February 17th, 2021, a judge ruled against the injunction requested by B.C. Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry, which would allow police to detain anyone they thought to have intentions of attending church services. Marty Moore (a Lawyer from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms) representing the three Fraser Valley churches and individuals involved, spoke to Toronto Caribbean Newspaper and provided some insight into the challenges his clients face.

“We are seeing egregious acts by the governments targeting the charter

freedoms of Canadians, and that should be a concern for all Canadians,” says Moore.

Referencing his clients’ affidavit, Moore cites that “They must meet in person to worship their God based on various scriptures in both the old and new testaments. They need to celebrate the sacrament of their faith, including the practice of communion, which cannot be done via zoom service.

Other members cannot access zoom services. There is an on-going crisis, and mental health for many people is at a breaking point. These churches see themselves on the frontline, protecting individuals’ mental health, and ensuring that those in vulnerable situations can be observed, whether it’s in relationships or food security.

Observations can then be followed up, and the church can engage the ministries that seek to meet the: physical, mental, emotional, and other well-being needs of these individuals. There are many important roles that these churches play, and they feel they are being overlooked.”

Moore explains that his clients have taken extraordinary measures, changing their services dramatically to more stringent guidelines than other places permitted to meet in person indoors.

Churchgoers are pre-registered for a con-

tact tracing system that can tell you where any individual sat in their congregation at any point within the last nine months.

Services are strictly limited to fewer than 50 people; there is no fellowship time, and there has never been a single case of Covid transmission within any of these services.

In a news conference in October 2020, Dr Henry stated, “When places of worship, hotels, restaurants, follow these protocols, we don’t see transmission. Yet, they are seeking to justify a rule against religious gatherings,” says Moore.

The B.C. government has been able to point to 186 cases associated with religious settings within B.C. The government admits that there is no indication of how that occurred or whether or not those settings were adhering to health and safety guidelines. In comparison, there have been over 75,0000 cases of COVID in BC, with 150 cases reported in restaurants in less than six weeks. The data suggests that the rationality of government decisions appears to be based on fear, not fact.

Anyone, including those in the medical and scientific field, who question these (measures), becomes a target rather than a topic of conversation. In a free society, we depend on a marketplace of ideas to allow good solutions to rise to the top as evidence is heard and discussed. In our

current society we much rather call things misinformation if they go against popular narratives. We lump critical thinking in with conspiratorial accusations, which are well founded in many cases.

I think many people have forgotten what a democracy and a free society are. We see laws being enacted not by a vote from your elected representative, but simply by an oral or written statement of one individual appointed by a government.

We look forward to holding the government accountable before the court, and then the decision will rest with the Chief Justice of the B.C. Supreme Court.

The absolute prohibition on religious services will be reviewed at a hearing on March 1-3, 2021.

In British Columbia, gatherings of up to fifty people are permitted for support groups as long as it is not a religious group. Pastor James Coates is currently being held in prison for defying orders to continue church services in Alberta.

What do other pastors across Canada have to say about these measures?

What will it take for Pastors to stand up and defend their rights to worship, and most importantly, why are religious groups so harshly targeted?

PAGE 18

NEWS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

No love from the city; Toronto man in trouble after ‘illegally’ building shelters for homeless JANIECE CAMPBELL janiece@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

The city says that they are dangerous. He says that the city is doing nothing to help those on the streets.

Khaleel Seivwright, a dedicated carpenter, has been using his skills for good, helping to build what he calls “tiny shelters” for the unhoused people of Toronto. As the city was already in the midst of a housing crisis, he says that the COVID-19 pandemic only further intensifies it. With a willingness to make a change for those requiring temporary housing, he raised over $200,000 through GoFundMe to commit to his philanthropic project.

“With winter approaching, I knew that without shelter, people would die, as they do in Toronto every year. I started

building tiny shelters so that some of the most vulnerable could have somewhere warm to go. The shelters I built are a small part of a temporary solution to keep people alive until they can access alternative housing,” he states in a video published on YouTube. “This pandemic has been a nightmare – particularly for those who don’t have a home. For those who relied on a 24-hour Tim Hortons or McDonalds to get out of the cold. For those who call into the shelter system over and over and can’t find a safe place to sleep.”

Unfortunately, his hard work and kindness have only gotten him into hot water with the city that he was trying to help. The City of Toronto isn’t too happy with Seivwright’s goodwill and are going forth to take legal actions in order to stop him from placing these wooden structures on city property.

“Instead of working with me, the city sued to stop me from building and relocating the tiny shelters. This is a distraction. The problem is not the tiny shelters.

The problem is that Toronto’s most vulnerable people are falling through the cracks.

Toronto’s emergency shelters are too often at capacity. People tell me they have no-

where to go. The money the city is spending to attack me could be put into safe housing for those that need it.”

In a press release, the city clarified that they are not exactly suing Seivwright, but instead, have applied for a court injunction. According to the application which has been made publicly available, the order will permanently restrain Seivwright from “placing and/or relocating structures on city-owned land or otherwise creating a nuisance or interfering with the city’s rights as owner and occupier of its land.”

Several safety concerns have arisen caused by encampments, including fires, gasoline generators, propane tanks, overdose, and lack of access to water and sanitation. In 2020, Toronto Fire Services responded to 253 fires in encampments, a whopping 250% increase over the same period in 2019. To date in 2021, there have been 27 fires in encampments, with at least three involving wooden structures.

Seivwright insists that each shelter that he’s built is equipped with a smoke and carbon monoxide detector, as well as a fire extinguisher.

The city estimates that they house approximately 6,000 people in their shel-

ters on any given night, and at least 25 of the previously 40 new shelter locations created due to the pandemic are still currently open (an addition to the 75 already-existing base shelters run by the city.) Nevertheless, Seivwright urges that the city needs to do more for its displaced residents and worry less about the positive reinforcements he’s trying to construct.

“People who rely on the shelter system no longer trust it. The city’s reputation is terrible when it comes to providing safe and available shelters. We need to work together to support our vulnerable residents,” says Seivwright. “The City of Toronto should drop its application against me and focus its resources and efforts on what matters – getting people safely housed. It’s February. The City should not be removing or destroying tiny shelters until real alternatives exist and COVID-19 is under control.”

Toronto Caribbean Newspaper has reached out to Seivwright through his legal team, though he declined to comment due to the ongoing dispute with the city.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill made it into the exclusive Diamond Record Holder’s Club JONELL PANTLITZ jonell@carib101.com

TC JR. REPORTER

On February 16th, 2021, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced that Lauryn and her debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill made it into the exclusive diamond record holder’s club.

The Diamond Awards honors those artists whose sales of singles or albums reached 10,000,000 copies. Lauryn Hill is now officially the first female rapper to achieve a Diamond-certified record. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is one of a few rap albums to have received this recognition; she has joined the likes of: Tupac Shakur (All Eyez on Me), OutKast (Speakerboxxxx/The Love Below), The Notorious B.I.G. (Life After Death), Nelly (Country Grammar), Michael

Jackson (Thriller) etc.

Lauryn Noelle Hill is an African American: singer, rapper, songwriter, actress and record producer. Lauryn Hill was born in East Orange, New Jersey, on May 26th, 1975.

She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of many influential artists in her generation. As of September 2020, the artist’s net-worth is nine million dollars.

On August 25th, 1998, Lauryn Hill released her debut album called The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill; the album debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold over 422,000 copies in its first week. It also earned Lauryn Hill ten Grammy nominations and five Grammy wins including Album of the Year, Best R&B Album, and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “Doo Wop (That Thing). Mary J. Blige, one of the featured artists on the album, regarded the album to be “One of the most incredible albums ever made.” The album had a major impact influencing a generation of soul and hip-hop artists.

“To understand the significance of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, it’s important to remember what mainstream hip-hop

was like in 1998. Materialism and misogyny were rampant, fanned by music videos that presented women as objects or conquests.

Hill’s first solo album provided a sharp counterpoint by injecting the perspective of a young black woman dealing with identity and sexuality.” - Apple Music

Many expected a second album after Lauryn Hill first album performed exceptionally and in a recent interview with Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums podcast, she talked about how things had changed, “The wild thing is no one from my label has ever called me and asked how we can help you make another album, EVER...EVER. Did I say ever? Ever!”

Hill explained, “With the Miseducation, there was no precedent. I was, for the most part, free to explore, experiment, and express. After the Miseducation, there were scores of tentacled obstructionists, politics, repressing agendas, unrealistic expectations, and saboteurs EVERYWHERE. People had included me in their own narratives of their successes as it pertained to my album, and if this contradicted my experience, I was considered an enemy.”

She proceeded, “I think my inten-

tion was simply to make something that made my foremothers and forefathers in music and social and political struggle know that someone received what they’d sacrificed to give us, and to let my peers know that we could walk in that truth, proudly and confidently. At that time, I felt like it was a duty or responsibility to do so. … I challenged the norm and introduced a new standard. I believe The Miseducation did that and I believe I still do this—defy convention when the convention is questionable.”

Lauryn Hill also discussed how her album explores systemic racism. “All of my albums have probably addressed systemic racism to some degree, before this was something this generation openly talked about. I was called crazy. Now...over a decade later, we hear this as part of the mainstream chorus,” she said. “Ok, so chalk some of it up to leadership and how that works—I was clearly ahead, but you also have to acknowledge the blatant denial that went down with that.

The public abuse and ostracizing while suppressing and copying what I had done, (I protested) with still no real acknowledgement that all of that even happened, is a lot.”

PAGE 20

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

WILLI’S CONTRACTING People call her Willi!

SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

TC REPORTER

It’s COVID-19 and the idea of the renovacation has become very real for many homeowners. You received a referral about the amazing work done by a contracting family, so you give them a call.

Your goal is to gut the kitchen and start from scratch. This is going to mean: demolition, tiling, framing, drywall; the works. You set your appointment and the day of the demolition you open the door and see two young African women standing there, one which looks like she can’t be more than twenty-three years old.

Confused you look past the two women, thinking that maybe there are more people coming. The two women now are looking at you strangely. “Good afternoon,” the young looking one says to you.

“My name is Sasha, and this is my sister Amanda. We are here to do some work in your home today.”

“Are you sure,” you say unsure? As sexist as this reaction might be, regardless if it is coming from a man or a woman, this is something that is common for the entrepreneurial sisters Sasha and Amanda Williams, the powerhouses behind Willi’s Contracting.

When they showed me some of their work, I was blown away and proud. It is an honour to be promoting the diverse talents of our African women, here in Toronto. It is because of them I learned the detail that goes into renovating, and how these two sisters have made a name for themselves in the world of contracting.

There are very few women in the housing industries. They are out there, but it’s hard to find women architects, builders, and re-modelers. More often you will find women doing interior design, kitchen and bath design, and interior decorating like window treatments. Not many want to get down and dirty, and this is what makes the William sisters a rare treat.

Sasha started her career in contracting as a subcontractor, and the role

of the subcontractor is very important. Although the contractor oversees the overall project from start to finish, the subcontractors are the professionals who will do the majority of the work of building the home.

Subcontractors specialize in performing a specific type of task related to building your home. This level of expertise can help the project progress faster. Subcontractor’s account for about 77% of the costs associated with building a new home.

It all began when she saw her mom, and her mom’s partner working together on a job.

“My mom was in the corporate world for many years. Like many people, she decided to make a change in her life, and then just like that, one day I came in and saw my mom laying tile.

She asked me if I wanted to learn, and I was like, hell no! Funny thing is that tiling is my favourite thing to do. In 2012, I decided that I would come with my mom on a few of her jobs. My mom and her partner started their full renovations company in 2012, and I joined them so that I could learn. I have to admit; I was intrigued.”

Sasha’s first job was painting. “I actually rolled a brush for the first time in Vancouver. I think it was around 2012, 2013.

My mom’s first reaction was like wow! You can actually roll. That was it for me. I was hooked. After that, I wanted to learn how to do everything.

I was like an apprentice learning. I soaked up everything. I would be like, can I try it. I have to give my mom and her partner credit. They were patient with me and trained me on all aspects of contracting and renovations.”

From there, Sasha became determined to learn as much as she could. When electricians were called in for a job, Sasha would watch them change breakers and outlets, and watch them determine the number of placements in specific rooms.

She learned from them code updates, and the hazards that come with the job.

She would work alongside plumbers and learned about the newer types of plumbing products that can increase utility efficiency in homes. She really enjoyed the demolition part, and then of course learned how to drywall. She learned that it took a specialist to ensure that seams and dimples from drywall screws were invisible.

“It is where women do differ from men Simone,” Sasha tells me. “Women have an attention to detail that is uncanny. We

pay attention to things that male contractors will not.”

Then her experience moved to tiling where she learned about: grout, adhesives and backing boards that are best for specific uses in certain areas of the home.

She has learned how to install multiple flooring options, and certain skills that shorten the overall construction and renovating time.

“My very first project was in 2019.

It was a painting company,” Sasha shares with me. “I do carpentry, but I am really good at painting. I have my sister on my team. I learned everything that I could about painting and wall coverings.

Sasha and Amanda both share a story with me that is similar to the one that I shared at the beginning of the feature.

“My mom had received a referral for a job, and she had entrusted me to take care of it. I was already experienced, and she sent me to take care of the job by myself.

I had to demolish the whole house, and we were really excited to do it. The gentleman opened the door and looked at Amanda and I like we had four heads. He let us in reluctantly, and as we prepared for the demo he asked us, ‘Do you know what you’re doing?”

By then I was fed up with the misogyny, so I was like, show me where the shut off is please. To myself I was like, how many times are you going to ask me what I am doing.

Anyhow, we demoed the whole house, cleaned up and left the place spotless. He called my mom and was like, ‘I didn’t think they could do it.’

Sasha and Amanda share with me that the best reward is the completed job.

“The satisfactions that these people feel when they see their final product,” Amanda shares, “This is what matters most.

It is a relationship. We are not just in and out. We show reverence because people have let us into their safe place, their sanctuaries. The trust these clients give us is what impacts me the most.”

Willi’s Contracting have done jobs at some pretty well-known places in the city: Tip Top Lofts, and also a black owned clothing store on Queen Street West called Get Fresh Company.

You can see more of their work on their instagram page @williscontracting.

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PAGE 22

FEATURE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Introducing the Comic God

TREDEL LAMBERT There is this “je ne sais quoi” about comic books that fans, critics, parents, and even teachers throughout the ages have been trying to grasp.

The ability to capture the minds of the “young at heart” with dazzling displays of character development and life lessons all wrapped up between fact and fiction should quell any notion that comic books are not adequate pieces of literature.

It’s truly a work of art capturing the attention span of readers within approximately twenty-two pages.

The fact that we can see a bit of ourselves in these characters is impressive. What’s more impressive is that we can use their stories of strength and resilience as a moral compass in our everyday lives. It’s for this very same reason why our muse for this week’s Classic Man, Tredel The Comic God first started reading comics.

“It was kind of a sense of escapism and the wonderful things they were able to do. Like who doesn’t want to fly or swing through a city,” says the Comic God. As Tredel was saying that, I had quickly envisioned myself having the gift of flight and escaping this dreaded season of snow and gusts of subzero temperatures. Like the brother said, “Who wouldn’t want to fly?”

“One of the first supernatural characters I liked was Peter Pan because he never grew old and he always flew around. I was like, I want to get to be a kid forever.” We both laughed at the fact that he mentioned Peter Pan. But it made sense. The escapism that Peter Pan brought to the big screen was a force like no other. The freedom to explore coupled with the realms of innocence. I digress but rightfully so.

As much as we both appreciated the “amazing things” that superheroes could do. It was, “The fact that they go out of their way to help themselves and help others” that Tredel

found, ”Very inspiring.” For those who don’t know, this is where the magic happens in the comic book world.

Characters from: Black Panther, John Henry, Misty Knight, to Monica Rambeau and a whole slew of others, they were all created to inspire.

My next question was quite obvious, but I had to know who some of his favourite characters were. Tredel named: Spiderman, John Stewart aka “The Black’’ Green Lantern, and Teen Titans, especially Cyborg as some of his favorites. He added that he, ”He connected with Cyborg. He reminded me of whom I was in my friend groups.

Him being a bigger guy, and very positive.”

We also had quite the chuckle when Tredel described an episode where Cyborg made 4-meat lasagna saying that, ”This is something that he would do.” As much as he professed his love for these characters, it was his love for Dragonball Z that pushed Tredel to make the leap into illustration and storytelling as a child. “I began making my own Spiderman who looked like me. I also began to make my own characters. Then I began to think to myself, this is really cool. This is something that I want to do.”

When asked about his first original character, Tredel vividly remembers a character that bore the same name of DC’s first African superhero, Black Lightning. He describes his character as a “Kid who worked with a scientist, and due to an experiment gone wrong, gets frozen in time only to wake up in the future with superpowers. It was a cross between Static Shock and Futurama. I was only ten at the time,” he added.

The natural step in progression was choosing a renowned school of the arts. And Sheridan became the choice. “It was amazing because I was drawing all day, as opposed to high

school where I was doodling on my math test.” This quote instantly took me to some of my students who, in between lessons would do the same. The flashbacks of telling my student to, “Stay focused” is something I’m sure Tredel became accustomed to hearing.

Tredel credits his professors for teaching him the concept of gesture drawing and also drawing from reference that helped him hone his skills. “I never had taken a face from one character, clothes from another, placed them into an environment from another character and mixed them all together. I really learned a lot about that process.”

It was here where I began asking about his Black History Comic book hero series located on his YouTube channel. “I’m a comic book nerd and I learned a lot about these characters. So, I thought it would be cool to get them out there, to show the representation, and for people to learn more about them.”

He’s right. Since the first appearance of Black Panther in the 1966 Fantastic Four comic book, representation in this space has always been a factor. It’s left our people yearning for relatable characters who could compete with the likes of a Batman or Wonder Woman.

It’s also the reason why Tredel began his series with Marvel’s Storm, the “sci-fi high priestess” who controls the weather. “She’s one of the first black female characters I’ve seen. And she’s so powerful. Thought it would be great to start with her because she is an icon. She embodies what a black female superhero should be.”

Storm’s first appearance in 1975 filled a void that DC failed with their first black female superhero, Nubia, the twin sister of Wonder Woman.

Storm’s exploits in the comic book se-

ries eventually led to her becoming the leader of the famed X-Men.

Turning our focus to some of his current work. Tredel enthusiastically tells me about his short stories.

“I do this thing called One Shots. They are really short comic book stories that I can throw out there to the public.” It is here that I learned about Captain Action, a no nonsense superhero about his business. Tredel also tells me about his children’s series, Hip Hop Heroz, an illustration weaving ‘musical undertones and life lessons’ currently available on Amazon.

As for his future plans, Tredel advised to be on the lookout for a new series. “I have a comic that I’m currently writing that I’ll be showing the behind the scenes work for in March.” While the name of the comic is still pending, the small bits and pieces I was privy to during our interview sound intriguing.

“It’s about a character named Onyx who lives in a Wild, Wild West type of world. His mission is to rescue his clan from an opposing cult who has stolen their resources.”

Comic writers and illustrators like Tredel have an important place in this world. They are griots meshing our past, present, and future into captivating script letting the world know that we belong on this stage. You can learn more about Tredel by visiting www.thecomicgod.com

Written by Dave Rankin Toronto Caribbean News

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Specials in Effect Thu. March 4th until Wed., March 10th, 2021.

Although we strive for accuracy in both copy & illustration, unintentional error may occur, we reserve the right to correct any error. Specials Available While Quantities Last. We reserve the right to limit quantities.

Martin Grove Rd.

h

Fresh or Frozen Goat Tripe

Thursday to Sunday Only

19 37

2

Jamaican Brown Stew Salted Salted Fresh Large Pigtails Beef Short Ribs Chicken Feet

D r.

¢

6

3

Fresh Chicken Leg Quarters

95$

99 $ 99 $ $ $ 49 lb lb lb

Si lv er st on e

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Fresh or Frozen Beef Shank Centre Cut

Keele St.

9

Delicious Jamaican Dish Frozen Frozen Jamaica’s Choice Easy Cook Oxtail Double Smoked Ham Chicken Drumsticks

Danforth Food Market 144 Kennedy Road South 289-298-0399

Glidden Rd.

Store Hours

Monday-Friday 9 am to 9 pm Saturday 8 am to 9 pm Sunday 9 am to 7 pm

PAGE 26

FOOD

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Spicy

ginger beef Stir Fry Directions 1. Marinate the beef: In a medium NOEL bowl, whisk together the marinade CUNNINGHAM ingredients; soy sauce, vinegar, noel@carib101.com

CULINARY EXPERT

If you are looking for a quick, healthy and easy recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes you are in luck this week. Beef stir-fry is an easy and delicious weeknight dinner that everyone will love. This recipe is made with julienne cuts of beef, stir-fried veggies, and a tasty spicy garlic ginger sauce. This is one of my go-to quick and healthy recipes in my book Cuisine by Noel. The good thing about stir-fry is that it comes together so easily, without fuss and you can use just about any ingredients you have on hand. For this recipe, I like to marinate the beef in a soy marinade to infuse more flavours.

Here is your chance to pull out that wok and fire up this unforgettable stir-fry that I can guarantee you will be making over and over again.

Ingredients Marinade • 2 Tbsp rice vinegar • 5 Tbsp soy sauce • 1 Tbsp honey • 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated • 1 Tsp chile pepper flakes Beef and stir-fry • 1 lb top sirloin steak, cuts in strips • 1 Tbsp cornstarch • 2 Tbsp oil, preferably sesame oil • 2 stalks green onions, cut on a diagonal, • 1 cup thinly sliced, bell peppers, assorted colours • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced • 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped • 2-3 hot chilli peppers/scotch bonnet, seeded, sliced • 1 cup bok choy, chopped

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

grated ginger, honey, and red chile flakes. Mix the beef in with the marinade to coat and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, and up to 4 hours in the fridge.

Make cornstarch slurry: In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with 2 tbsp of cold water to make a slurry.

Brown the beef strips: Heat the oil in a wok, or a large sauté pan, over high heat until it is nearly smoking. As the oil is heating up, pat the beef dry and separate it into small batches no larger than what can fit into the palm of your hand. Working in batches, sauté beef until just brown outside but rare inside, no more than 1 minute. Transfer beef to a bowl.

Stir fry chiles, garlic, ginger: When all of the beef is cooked, put the chiles and garlic into the pan and stir-fry for 30-45 seconds. Add the julienned peppers, mushrooms, bok choy and cook for 30-45 seconds more.

Add beef, cornstarch slurry, scallions: Add the beef back to the pan. Add the cornstarch slurry.

Add scallions and mix everything together. Cook for 1 minute.

Remove from heat, stir in green onion: Turn the heat off and stir in the green onion Serve at once with steamed white rice.

A harmless coffee break can do more harm than you think.

Wear a mask, wash your hands and physically distance to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Learn more at ontario.ca/covid-19

Paid for by the Government of Ontario

FOOD

PAGE 28

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

How black women entrepreneurs are contributing to the food businesses Part II HRISHIKESH DAS GUPTA hdg@carib101.com

CULINARY REPORTER

In part two of this series, I would like to introduce two other beautiful, fun-loving and strong women Keisha Morgan and Karen Burke. Both Keisha and Karen mentioned that to become an entrepreneur, you have to step out of our comfort zone and critic your work for continuous growth.

Both entrepreneurs mentioned how their family and friends always supported them during the pandemic.

Keisha’s Story – Chipped Cookies Keisha Morgan, wanted to open her baking business for years. She used to bake treats for family events and friend get-togethers.

Everyone used to say the same thing while having the cookies, “Keisha, your cookies make me happy.”

She wanted to start a small business, but was uncertain how to start. The Almighty had his plan and that’s why Keisha’s dream came into reality when she started to promote her cookies on social media. Initially, I connected with her on 2021_March 1st-April 4th_Selfher Love_caribbean Instagram and observed cookiesnews.pdf were1 getting a lot of attention. She opened

her business, Chipped Cookies in January 2020, and was afraid that doing it during the pandemic was not a good idea.

In a few months, the gourmet and artisan style cookies became some of the most celebrated cookie businesses across GTA. Her clients became a fan of the freshly baked cookies with the soft texture and slightly crispy edges. The appreciation continuously encourages her to network with other small businesses and to guide them in achieving their entrepreneurial dreams.

Due to the pandemic, I didn’t have the opportunity to meet her in person, but we message each other on social media. Finally, I met her last year at a food festival organized at StackT Market. I saw a big line in front of the stall. By the time I reached her all the cookies were gone, but the crowd was still there to order cookies for their upcoming events. Thankfully, I messaged her in advance and therefore she saved a cookie for me. Chipped Cookies offers more than ten different types of tasty cookies, cookie cakes, cookie pizza and cookie décor kits for any celebration.

Karen’s Story – My KB Cakes Karen Burke is a professional cake artist offering sweet treats including vegan options across Ontario. Karen likes to experiment with cake and icing recipes and prepares the baked treats from scratch. Since her childhood, she enjoyed each and every moment of baking and cake decoration.

According to Karen, “Mixing the 2021-02-26 1:29:09 PMbaking the cookies, smelling ingredients,

the aroma of cookies works as a therapy that brings me immense joy.”

She converted her passion into a small baking business, My KB Cakes a few years ago. Every time she bakes, she keeps in mind that the customer needs to be happy with every bite. During the pandemic, she started to sell cookie decoration kits so kids could enjoy creating their own cookies with their parents. The customers mentioned that the kits brought all the family members together.

Karen used to live in the United States, and during that time she used to deliver birthday cakes to children with foster parents, and low-income families at her own cost. She is planning to start the same service in her community. After the lockdown, I will meet her to enjoy the many delicious baked treats.

With all the negativity going around, they are remaining strong and creating a positive impact on society.

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HEALTH

Wednesday, March 3, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 29

The agony of shingles: How to decrease the risk W. GIFFORDJONES MD DIANA GIFFORD-JONES COMMON SENSE HEALTH

“It was like going through hell,” he said. A friend had developed facial shingles, involving his ear, and despite medication, the pain continued for weeks.

So, what is the best way to prevent an attack of shingles? Take action quickly. If you delay, you’ll wish you hadn’t when the pain from hell strikes.

Today, most children are vaccinated against chickenpox. But it was not in the mix of common childhood shots until the mid-1990s. It’s a rare older person who escaped this childhood infection. Unlike other childhood diseases, the varicella zoster virus

never leaves the body. Rather, it goes into hiding in nerve cells near the spinal cord.

These cells transmit messages from skin to the central nervous system. The virus continually tries to escape and when it does, it surfaces as shingles. This is never good news. Even when its lesions subside, pain may last for months or years.

Dr. Peter N. Watson, a neurologist at the University of Toronto, reported in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that of 261 patients with shingles 24% suffered lingering pain. This complication results in: chronic anxiety, depression, insomnia, and poor quality of life.

The problem is not rare. In North America, every year, over two and a half million people develop shingles, 350,000 end up with post-shingles pain, and 400 die. Living with pain day after day is bad enough, but for some the result can be inflammation of the brain, facial paralysis, or the loss on an eye. Of those over 50 years of age, postshingles pain can affect up to 40% of patients.

Once shingles strikes, a number of

antiviral drugs such as Zovirax, Famvir and Valtrex are available to decrease the severity of the attack. The earlier these drugs are prescribed the better the result.

But prevention is better than cure, and the Zostavax vaccine has been available for several years for those who have had chickenpox, but not shingles. The vaccine halves the risk of getting shingles and decreases by two-thirds the chance of postshingles pain. The cost of the vaccine is about $200. But anyone who has had shingles, or its complications, is quick to advise finding the money to avoid hellish pain.

Pregnant women, those breastfeeding, and anyone who has had a reaction to neomycin should not take the vaccine.

What about natural prevention?

Lysine, an essential amino acid, possesses antiviral effects, which are helpful in fighting the shingles virus. For instance, it’s been known for years that lysine can often decrease recurrent attacks of the herpes virus.

The addition of vitamin C can make it even more effective in building up immunity to shingles.

But large doses are essential. This means taking 4,000 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C and at least 2,000 mg of lysine daily.

This high-dose combination, available as Medi-C Plus, must be used daily and for years to be helpful. Moreover, this highdose combination of C and lysine also provides protection against heart attack and viral infections.

The big problem is what to do when the lesions of herpes have faded away and patients are left with unrelenting pain.

An ancient Chinese and Middle Eastern medical practice, known as cupping therapy, has helped many people suffering from this debilitating pain.

Needle cupping involves pricking the skin at acupuncture points along the herpes nerve roots. A small cup is heated to remove oxygen and then placed over the pricked area. This creates a suction effect drawing internal blood to the area and diseased blood flushed out.

So now you have some options. As always, the message is, choose prevention before hellish pain occurs.

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Wednesday, March 3, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

COMMUNITY

PAGE 31

You have the power to own your data if you choose NIKITA YOUNG

nikita@carib101.com

MIND, BODY, SOUL

Some of us share our lives with many people and some are extremely private. If you are a person that uses social media then your life is being shared and analyzed not only by the people you know but by companies that want to sell you stuff and even governments that want to know the kind of person you are.

Data collection has become a huge industry and though you may think that you have nothing to hide; it is becoming increasingly important to conceal your identity and habits online. The more time you spend online, the more data is being collected on you and that data is worth big money.

Now that governments and corporations have AI technology to scan your

face, hold medical records, record you on a camera or track your location, it’s important to know that all of these things will be used against you as the technology rolls out.

Some look at the technocratic roll out as security, but in reality all of it is just a limitation of the freedom we once had. It can seem like a daunting task to limit your use of technology or your interactions with it, but once you have an awareness you will be able to make more informed decisions about what you are willing to share and with who.

Opting out is your main line of defence when it comes to protecting your privacy. Social apps like Facebook and Instagram state in their terms of use that the information on your devices is being collected through those apps and even shared with government agencies. Being unaware when you are giving out your information puts your life in a more vulnerable situation where things you may not have even thought of could be used against you.

We’ve seen people get threatened, and locked up for posting about protests on Facebook, and many being censored from sharing information. Even though

you may not be protesting, it should concern you that your social actions could one day have a huge impact on your livelihood, similar to the social credit system in China.

With the Corona era, we are now being asked to share our medical information to travel. Something that used to be private between you and your family doctor is now being used against you to limit the freedom you once had. Choices you make now have a big effect on your futures.

The things you choose to accept now will have permanent repercussions. Just because the government implements something, it does not mean that it’s best for us and that we must accept it. Push back and choosing to opt out against data collection and data discrimination. It is necessary in protecting our rights.

Our governing systems are changing, but we do still have choices and maybe more than ever. We are used to having a central authority take care of us, but now have the resources and technology to take care of ourselves without government institutions.

Decentralized systems and groups provide alternative solutions to giving up your rights or information in order to par-

ticipate in that economy. New decentralized social networks like Float.app, Minds and Odyssey give the power back to the user by not collecting and selling your data with the added plus that you also get paid for your interactions.

Community groups like freedomcells.org are creating regional groups where like-minded people are sharing resources and building self-sustainable, intentional communities. Crypto currency is providing income and form of payment that can be private and untaxed if you wanted to use money in that way.

It may seem that the only way to move into the future is by giving up all we have for the sake of safety and security, but this is just not the case. Giving up all your information especially to the government puts us in a very vulnerable position to be taken advantage of. Researching, connecting with your community and making smart informed decisions about what information you share about yourself will protect you far more than any government regulation or tracking system. You have the power to own your data if you choose to use it before it is taken.

Thank you to Mayor Tory for your Thank Thank you you to Mayor to Mayor Tory Tory for your for your Than Thank you to Mayor Tory for your Thank you to Mayor Tory for your leadership on this initiative! leadership leadership on this on this initiative! initiative! lea leadership on this initiative! leadership on this initiative!

(February 23, 2021 / 16:07:08)

120249-1 TYRLC-Declaration_Construction_Poster.pdf (February 23, 2021 / 16:07:08) (February 23, 2021 / 16:07:08)

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(February 23, 2021 / 16:07:08)

120249-1 TYRLC-Declaration_Construction_Poster.pdf 120249-1 TYRLC-Declaration_Construction_Poster.pdf .1 .1 120249-1 TYRLC-Declaration_Construction_Poster.pdf (February 23, 2021 / 16:07:08)

120249-1 TYRLC-Declaration_Construction_Poster.pdf

(Feb

12

.1

.1

TORONTO TORONTO

TORONTO

TORONTO TORONTO

Declaration of Inclusive Declaration of Inclusive Declaration of Inclusive

Declaration of Inclusive Declaration of Inclusive

Workplaces & Communities Workplaces & Communities Workplaces & Communities

Workplaces & Communities Workplaces & Communities

The construction industry in greater Toronto is one of the strongest and most dynamic sectors of our economy.

The construction industry in greater Toronto is one of the strongest and most dynamic sectors of our economy.

The construction industry in greater Toronto is one of the strongest and most dynamic sectors of our economy.

It owes its success to the hard work and tenacity of people at every level of the industry – including those born It owes its success to the hard work and tenacity of people at every level of the industry – including those born It owes its success to the hard work and tenacity of people at every level of the industry – including those born The construction industry in greater Toronto is one of the strongest and most dynamic sectors of our economy.

The construction industry in greater Toronto is one of the strongest and most dynamic sectors of our economy. here and those whose families have come from elsewhere to build a better life. here and those whose families have come from elsewhere to build a better life. here and those whose families have come from elsewhere to build a better life.

It owes its success to the hard work and tenacity of people at every level of the industry – including those born It owes its success to the hard work and tenacity of people at every level of the industry – including those born

here and those whose families have come from elsewhere to build a better life. here and those whose families have come from elsewhere to build a better life.

As developers, contractors, supervisors and skilled workers, we recognize that systemic racism is a reality in As developers, contractors, supervisors and skilled workers, we recognize that systemic racism is a reality in As developers, contractors, supervisors and skilled workers, we recognize that systemic racism is a reality in today’s world, and that discrimination in any form harms our construction community. Dividing people because today’s world, and that discrimination in any form harms our construction community. Dividing people because today’s world, and that discrimination in any form harms our construction community. Dividing people because As developers, contractors, supervisors and skilled workers, we recognize that systemic racism is a reality in As developers, contractors, supervisors and skilled workers, we recognize that systemic racism is a reality in of race, religion, colour, of race, ancestry religion, or colour, any other ancestry difference or colour, any which other undermines difference which human undermines rights serves human only undermines rights to serves only to of race, religion, ancestry or any other difference which human rights serves only to today’s world, and that discrimination in any form harms our construction community. Dividing people because today’s world, and that discrimination in any form harms our construction community. Dividing people because weaken our industry and our society. weaken our industry and our society. weaken our industry and our society. of race, religion, colour, ancestry or any other difference which undermines human rights serves only to

of race, religion, colour, ancestry or any other difference which undermines human rights serves only to

weaken our industry and our society.

We commit to standing up for the rights and dignity of all in order to promote inclusive, equitable, safe and We commit to standing up for the rights and dignity of all in order to promote inclusive, equitable, safe and We commit to standing up for the rights and dignity of all in order to promote inclusive, equitable, safe and weaken our industry and our society. respectful workplaces and communities. respectful workplaces and communities. respectful workplaces and communities.

We commit to standing up for the rights and dignity of all in order to promote inclusive, equitable, safe and

We commit to standing up for the rights and dignity of all in order to promote inclusive, equitable, safe and respectful workplaces and communities.

THIS IS WHY WE AFFIRM THAT: THIS IS WHY WE AFFIRM THAT: THIS IS WHY WE AFFIRM THAT:

respectful workplaces and communities.

• The dignity of every person is essential to a safe, healthy and vibrant workplace, and we will work together • The dignity of every person is essential to a safe, healthy and vibrant workplace, and we will work together • The dignity of every person is essential to a safe, healthy and vibrant workplace, and we will work together THIS IS WHY WE AFFIRM THAT:

to create welcoming and inclusive workplaces and training opportunities. to create welcoming and inclusive workplaces and training opportunities. to create welcoming and inclusive workplaces and training opportunities.

• The dignity of every person is essential to a safe, healthy and vibrant workplace, and we will work together

THIS IS WHY WE AFFIRM THAT:

to create welcoming and inclusive workplaces and training opportunities.

• Anti Black racism, bigotry, or discrimination of any kind has no place in our workplaces or communities.

• Anti Black racism, bigotry, or discrimination of any kind has no place in our workplaces or communities.

• Anti Black racism, bigotry, or discrimination of any kind has no place in our workplaces or communities.

• The dignity of every person is essential to a safe, healthy and vibrant workplace, and we will work together

• Anti Black racism, bigotry, or discrimination of any kind has no place in our workplaces or communities.

• Our industry will have zero tolerance for discrimination or acts of hate against anyone in our workplaces or • Our industry will have zero tolerance for discrimination or acts of hate against anyone in our workplaces or • Our industry will have zero tolerance for discrimination or acts of hate against anyone in our workplaces or to create welcoming and inclusive workplaces and training opportunities. enterprises. enterprises. enterprises.

• Our industry will have zero tolerance for discrimination or acts of hate against anyone in our workplaces or

• Anti Black racism, bigotry, or discrimination of any kind has no place in our workplaces or communities.

enterprises.

• We will develop policies, • We will programs develop policies, and initiatives programs at every and initiatives level of the at industry every level to reduce of the and eliminate to reduce and eliminate • We will develop policies, programs and initiatives at industry every level of the industry to reduce and eliminate racism, intolerance and bigotry. racism, intolerance and bigotry. racism, intolerance and bigotry.

• Our industry will have zero tolerance for discrimination or acts of hate against anyone in our workplaces or • We will develop policies, programs and initiatives at every level of the industry to reduce and eliminate

enterprises. racism, intolerance and bigotry.

• We will develop policies, programs and initiatives at every level of the industry to reduce and eliminate racism, intolerance and bigotry.

Toronto Sheet Metal Contractors Association

Toronto Sheet Metal Contractors Association

Toronto Sheet Metal Contractors Association

Toronto Sheet Metal Contractors Association

ONTARIO

LOCAL 95

ONTARIO

LOCAL 95

ONTARIO

LOCAL 95

ONTARIO

LOCAL 95 Toronto Sheet Metal Contractors Association

ONTARIO

LOCAL 95

Carpenters’ Carpenters’ District District CouncilDistrict Council of Ontario of Ontario Carpenters’ Council of Ontario Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario www.thecarpentersunion.ca www.thecarpentersunion.ca | 905.652.4140 | 905.652.4140 www.thecarpentersunion.ca | 905.652.4140 www.thecarpentersunion.ca | 905.652.4140

LIFE

Wednesday, March 3, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 33

How to manage life transitions experience both the “winter days and the summer, the spring and the autumn.” Some seasons in our life will come as planned, while others will arrive unplanned. It is said, “If you cannot change the direction of the wind, adjust yourself.”

It is easy to become cynical, negative or even get bitter about life during a difficult or painful life transition, maybe a foreclosure, death of a loved one, retrenchment; in life, setbacks are inevitable, but misery is always a choice. How do we manage such transitions? Firstly, admit that life is unfair, but God is good. The great Maya Angelou was right, “Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.” Stay positive, but don’t be naive to some of life sad realities. Don’t trade your happiness for expectation. When life happens, pick yourself up, don’t be resentful.

Learn as much as you can from that situation and move on.

Alexandra Graham Bell once says, “When one door closes, another door opens; but we so often look so long and regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the

DANIEL COLE

daniel@carib101.com

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Here are a few life inevitable events or occurrences we may all at some point go through or experience; losing a loved one, getting married, having babies, starting a new job, quitting a job, flood, fire outbreak, buying your dream house, divorce, separation, promotion, raising a capital, becoming a father, sickness, foreclosure, asset repossession, going to varsity, infidelity, downsizing to name a few. Life is filled with twists and turn. No one is insulated from the challenges and sometimes the unforeseen circumstances of life.

As we journey through life, we will

ones which open for us.” In a few decades of living, I have come to realize that when people succeed, they throw a party, but when people fail, they ponder. Sometimes, the latter is more important than the former.

In challenging times, you will learn more about yourself if you take time to reflect, introspect and take inventory of how you responded to those painful seasons.

Embrace each phase of your life with positivity; you are better off standing up to life challenges with a positive mental attitude.

In our bid to numb the pain of difficult seasons, people resolve to the use of alcohol and drugs; no, it only makes it worse. Seek the support of friends and family members, especially those who have been through similar situation or circumstances. It is difficult to see life through the lenses of others unless we’ve been through what they’ve been through; So, reserve your judgement. If you don’t have anything kind or helpful to say, just pray for them. I have learnt very early in life never to give unsolicited advice. Sometimes, what people need is just a listening ear, not a counsellor. Another

way to manage a difficult transition is to seek the support of mental health professionals. They can always offer you a guide.

Life is in phases; you will travel through rough roads. Les Brown says, “You will fail your way to success, but hold your head up.” What doesn’t kill you make you stronger. Life will take you through a series of transitions, but don’t give in and don’t give up.

Don’t blame your past. Stop complaining about things you cannot change.

Take ownership of your life. Grow in your transition, and don’t lose your zest for life.

Through thick and thin, you will excel, and in hindsight, you will be glad you went through some of the things you went through.

Don’t just go through life circumstances; grow through them. Stay hopeful, remain optimistic, because tough time never last; only tough people do. Whatever current transition you are in right now, be it joy, happiness, growth, fulfillment, or be it, pain, sorrow, or regret, hold your head up.

Celebrate your success, but heed the lessons of failure.

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PAGE 34

LIFE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

I had to admit; I was beginning to adjust to life in Prison; reliving my past trauma SIMONE SMITH simone@carib101.com

HUMAN SPECIALIST

Welcome back everyone, and I want to take this time to thank all of you for the support that you have shown me these last couple of weeks.

The outpouring of support was overwhelming, and it reminded me that telling my story is important.

I won’t lie; there are times that I was worried. I was worried because I was not sure how the community would take it.

I was worried that instead of understanding that I am a human being who is fallible, they would pass judgment and ridicule.

What I learned is that when you are transparent, people are a lot more accepting than you think.

I am going to go back into the story, but I am going to fast-forward it a little.

Are you ready? Let’s do this.

When I left off, I had just met my second angel Angie. She had shared her story with me, and we instantly developed a friendship. What I really appreciated about Angie is that without asking me for

anything, she openly shared all that she had with me.

For the first week it was a little tough. I had not been able to speak with my parents, and I learned just how useless the Canadian Embassy was. The woman who had come to see me was very judgmental.

During this experience, I learned that you are not innocent until proven guilty; you are guilty until you prove your innocence.

When she came to see me, she had this condemning look on her face.

Now, could I have been hypersensitive, sure, but it was just not her look, it was how she treated me. Like, “Well, you got yourself in this mess, and we can’t really do anything for you.” She came to see me twice, and both times she left me feeling worse than when she had arrived.

The first time she came, she brought me some magazines to read. I had so many questions for her, none of which she answered clearly. She presented me with some paperwork that basically stated that the Canadian government would not be able to do anything for me. She asked if I had a good lawyer and let me know that she would communicate my concerns to my parents.

Mind you, once I came home and spoke with my parents, they also told me how unhelpful the embassy had been. On the other side of the world, my parents were calling the embassy, trying to find out some information about my whereabouts,

and for some reason, they were unable to get any clear answers.

The second time she came, she brought me $50.00 US from my parents and a short note. It was my mom letting me know that she was praying for me, and that I should stay strong. I remember breaking down in front of this woman, and she just sat there stone-faced. I guess she had seen it all before, and heard the cries of, “I didn’t do this. I don’t deserve to be here.”

She seemed hardened to my emotions and let me know that she would be back in a couple weeks. That was the last time I saw her.

In Panama, you had to purchase everything. The prison itself provided you with minimum essentials. Many of the prisoners worked so that they could have extra money to buy: laundry detergent, wash soap, snacks, etc. That first week I had nothing. My angel Angie shared all that she had with me, even her bed.

After about two weeks of sleeping on concrete, my hips had begun to bruise, so the first night that Angie invited me to sleep in her bunk with her, I was so grateful.

The bunks were really small, and narrow. Thankfully, I had lost about 8 pounds, so I easily squeezed myself in the bunk. Angie was not very big either, so we were both able to sleep quite comfortably.

I had to admit; I was beginning to adjust to life in prison.

We have seeds to plant, make sure your ground is fertile and ready!

GARCIA AKUA

garcia@carib101.com

COSMIC CORNER

Happy Pisces season, and happy birthday to all of our Pisces gems. This is the last sign of the zodiac cycle. We celebrate our cosmic new year with the Spring Equinox next month. It’s time for closure.

Pisces is a water sign, it is sensitive, intuitive and compassionate. As the last sign, it picks up a bit of energy from all the signs before it. This energy is useful for looking at things from various perspectives in order to vision for the future. The shadow side of Pisces is illusions. They can escape into their imagination when feeling overwhelmed, especially emotionally since it is a water sign.

This past zodiac has been over-

whelming in some cases to say the least.

I have been encouraging us to be gentle with ourselves and process the lessons from the year before. We have learned alot, we have grown alot.

On Saturday February 28th, 2021 we have a Full Moon in Virgo. This is our last Full Moon of the cosmic year. We have an opportunity to give thanks for how far we have come and release what cannot come any further. Virgo is also a feminine sign, it’s an earth element ruled by Mercury (the mind). Virgo influences our daily routines, health and how we serve others. Part of the shadow of Virgo is overthinking and forgetting to serve self, which results in poor health.

This Full Moon is a chance for us to reflect on the things that overwhelm us, what makes us want to escape? How are our escape mechanisms serving us, and those around us? How can we ground the lessons we have learned this past year?

What does a healthy environment for growth look like? Direct your mental energy from Virgo to analyze these things. Let the Pisces energy flow through you, so you

don’t overthink but rather embody your reflections.

Spring season is all about planting our seeds of new intentions. If the soil is not ready, we cannot plant no matter how bad we want to. Use this time to prepare your grounds. Weed out your doubts. Root up your past fears. Water your dreams!

When we don’t face our own individual shadows, they manifest in our life regardless. It’s like we are planting our hopes and fears in the same pot, then wondering why we keep bearing confusion. I say it all the time, the universe is always conspiring on our behalf. It’s up to us to stop, be still, and see.

Regardless of the pandemic, regardless of the latest celebrity gossip, regardless of the politricks, you have a life to live. You came here with a purpose. We can sit in fear, or we can do the work to heal, grow and manifest the life we came here to live.

Wash off your heart, get clear in your vision and stand firm in your truth. We have seeds to plant, make sure your ground is fertile and ready. Water your dreams!

LIFE

Wednesday, March 3, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 35

Deconstructing anti-black racism in the Canadian and North American context Launch of new anti-black racism course in Toronto schools PAUL JUNOR

paul@carib101.com

YOUTH EDUCATION

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has launched a new anti-black racism course for Grade 12 students. This course is currently being offered at Newtonbrook Secondary School in Toronto as a pilot program. It was offered as an interdisciplinary course titled, “Deconstructing Anti-Black Racism in the Canadian and North American Context.” There have been seven secondary schools that will offer it in September 2021. An additional thirty schools have expressed a desire to offer it.

D. Tyler Robinson, one of the

four teachers that created the course told CBC News on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2021 that as a result of George’s death, “It inspired us into action so we chose to get together and create something that could make things a lot better.”

In a tweet that he posted (@DTyler Robinson) he outlined his Statement of Public Release. He tweeted that, “We are calling on all parents, educators and civic-minded citizens to help us push forward. The TDSB seems ready to work with us.” He describes in more detail the origin of the interdisciplinary grade 12 course. He writes, “We were compelled to create this course last summer, while the world focused on George Floyd, antiblack racism, and the countless conversations people seemed finally willing to have. We took action when kids came to us crying about the weight of it all, feeling as if their blackness was/is a burden.”

This grade 12 interdisciplinary course will focus on the following topics: • • • •

Language and power Black history Deconstructing and defining blackness in the media Oppression

It will be required that students complete a final project and consolidate all that they learned in the course.

D. Tyler told CBC News that, “A course like this should become a Ministry mandated course in the senior grades.

We think that, if twenty years from now, every student who comes out of a high school in Ontario understands anti-black racism, we think our society will be in a far better position. This is education as a transformative thing.”

There is currently no such course available. D.Tyer is motivated to offer this course as he knows the opposition that he faces. On Thursday, Febru-

ary 4th, 2021 at an event that was held by a subcommittee of the Parent Council at Clairlea Public School, there were the interruptions of the Zoom meeting with racist attacks as D.Tyler and others were sharing information about the course.

This has not deterred him from his goals.

D. Tyler tweeted, “We know that this country has a long, troubling, and racist history that begun with anti-indigenous racism and cultural genocide.

We know from listening to our Indigenous brothers and sisters that first teach “Truth” and then we get to “ Reconciliation.”

He notes, “We see the irony of personally experiencing covert and overt racism, as we push for a course that creates the appropriate time and space to engage young people in rooting out of racism. We know that anti-black racism, and all forms of oppression, are rooted in our complex history, policies, systems, and yes within our collective conscience as well.”

Why would he be chosen to be the next nesew?

Rameses the 1st – 19th Dynasty circa 1292 -1290 BCE DAVE RANKIN dave@carib101.com

AFRICAN HISTORY

If a pharaoh has no heir, it’s his position as leader of the nation to appoint a successor. This has to happen for a number of reasons. For starters, a nation without a leader would crumble. Second, states under the empire would rebel without consequences. As we have read, there have been numerous occasions where nation states under the empire have rebelled as soon as the nesew passed, only to be brought in line by the succeeding pharaoh.

Stability would have been a major factor as Pharaoh Horemheb was approaching his twilight years. He knew

he had to choose someone who would bring that stability to the nation. It is here where I welcome our next feature in this series, the nesew who ushered in the 19th Dynasty, Rameses the 1st.

Upon researching the life and times of Rameses the 1st, the first question that came to mind was why would he be chosen to be the next nesew?

Similar to his predecessor Horemheb, Rameses the 1st was a career military man and most likely served in the army with him. As Horemheb became the nesew, Rameses was given several titles until he selected as Vizier. A likely choice since Rameses was already married. He had a son, whom we will expound upon later in the series.

Coming from a long line of soldiers, Rameses was born of non-royal blood somewhere near the Delta region.

His father, Seti was a troop commander and his uncle Khaemwaset was also an army officer. So, following their footsteps he also joined the military from an early

age.

When Horemheb had passed and Rameses ascended to the throne, he was advanced in years. Although no definite age was given, I’ve read reports that he was well into his fifties when he finally became the nesew. Upon coronation Rameses added the name Menpehtyre, which meant “Born of Ra, Established by the strength of Ra” to his name.

One of the first orders of business Rameses completed was to appoint his son, and future successor Seti 1, vizier and next in line to the throne. This proved to be wise since Rameses the 1st was only on the throne for about two years. The next order of business was to have an expedition sent into Palestine.

Again, there are very little details pertaining to what happened during this time.

What we do know is that his son Seti 1 would also lead an expedition into the same area years later.

Like all nesew before him, Rameses the 1st was able to add his mark

by completing the second pylon of the Temple of Amun at Karnak. His son later finished his other piece of construction, a temple and chapel.

While there are no reports of how he died, his mummy was buried in an unfinished tomb and placed in the Valley of the Kings under KV16. The Italian archaeologist Giovanni Battista Belzoni around 1817 first discovered it. The tomb was decorated with scattered pieces of scriptures from The Book of Gates.

During political upheaval, the mummy was removed to a secret resting place until rediscovered later on in the 19th century. In a strange twist, Rameses’ mummy became part of a collection that was located in Niagara Falls, Canada at the Niagara Falls Museum and the Daredevil Hall of Fame during the mid-19th century. It wasn’t until 2003 that Rameses body was returned back home to his final resting place.

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LIFE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Mental Health; There are levels to this S#*T RALPH BRYANT ralph@carib101.com

BLACK MINDS MATTER I recently had the honour of serving on a panel discussion for the Jamaica Ex-Soldiers Association - Toronto Chapter, for their Black History Month event under the topic, “Your Mental Health and the Challenges Resulting From The Pandemic.” As I was telling the story of my ongoing struggle with mental illness, I couldn’t help but stare into the eyes of these brave men and women, wondering what horrors their eyes had seen, and the demons they are forced to struggle with every single day.

I made the same mistake that so many of us make; I questioned whether my struggles were more or less important than the group of heroes to whom I was speaking.

I did this as if there is some secret competition the world is playing, where we have to measure our illness against each other, as if there is some prize waiting for us at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box of wellness. We measure every facet of our lives against our friends, family, colleagues, and even strangers on social media. Like with everything in the world, there are levels to this, a phrase in the culture first used on the classic TV show, The Wire, and confirmed in the Meek Mill track, Levels. This is especially true when thinking about mental illness, where many factors impact where on the spectrum each person lies.

We all know the headings: depression, anxiety, mania, schizophrenia, etc. and we tend to think about suicide as the ultimate “goal” for those suffering. Yet again, we must remember that for each of these examples, there are levels to this, a spectrum of symptoms that are unique to each of us, requiring a tailored approach to cracking their code. This can include utilizing everything from breathing exercises to medication, therapy to hospitalization and everything in between.

In developing my personal strategy for looking at my ongoing recovery, I identified the three levels that we should be thinking about.

Biological According to the Mayo Clinic, mental illness is more common in people whose blood relatives also have a mental illness. In my case, my maternal mother, grandmother, and

grandfather also struggled with mental illness. My mother was hospitalized multiple times during my childhood. Understanding your family history will make it easier to create your personalized treatment plan.

Environmental These factors refer to your immediate world around you. Are you rich or poor? Do you have access to education and food? Do you receive physical love? Hugs and snuggles?

Have you experienced unconditional love?

Our biological triggers can be made significantly better or worse based on the environmental solution available. With access to resources, biological triggers can be improved.

Without treatment, someone with a mild issue might descend into a deeper spiral.

Societal These factors refer to how we are impacted by the extended world around us. In the good old days, our society’s impact may have been limited to our neighbourhood, also known as the block effect. There was some safety in how far we could be impacted. Unfortunately, with our dependence on social media and our obsession with video games, so much of our deepest connections are with people we will never meet. This trend, combined with the “cat fishing” of our society, where so many people are unwilling to be themselves or show their true selves, forces us to add extra weight to how we allow social media to impact us.

Where we must also take care is the impact those three levels of mental illness can have on our physical well-being. According to a study by the Canadian Mental Health Association, people living with a serious mental illness are at a higher risk of experiencing a wide range of chronic physical conditions.

There is also the potential significance of the side effects of antidepressants and other pharmaceuticals on us. I was hospitalized twice with allergic reactions to different medications. In fact, there is a segment of the psychiatric community to question our dependence on prescription pharmaceutical drugs. For me, it was the primary really for me choosing to rid myself of taking all medications, instead of relying on alternative and holistic methods.

Understanding the levels and where your triggers come from are critically important when seeking therapy options, especially when looking backwards at healing through our history. Most important, it allows us to recognize that whatever level on the spectrum you might be, your level matters and it deserves to be heard, respected and treated.

8 ways to get your kids interested in nature Time spent enjoying the natural world co­mes with a number of benefits, from improving both physical and mental health to boosting curiosity, creativity and concentration.

Here are some ways you can help your kids cultivate an appreciation for the great outdoors, no matter where you live.

1. Transform part of your yard into a butterfly garden with mud puddles and plenty of pollinator-friendly plants.

2. Lie in the grass and try to spot squirrels in the trees, birds in the sky and shapes in the clouds.

3. Put together a nature-themed scavenger hunt for your next hike or stroll through the park.

4. Make pinecone birdfeeders, try mimicking bird calls you hear and keep binocu-

lars on hand for birdwatching.

5. Visit the nearest dark-sky site or set up a telescope in your window so you can stargaze from home.

6. Roll over a log or rock to discover what bugs, lizards and other critters live beneath it.

7. Grow herbs and vegetables in your backyard, on your balcony or in small pots on your windowsill.

8. Collect acorns and rocks to use in crafts, and press leaves and flowers in a scrapbook.

Finally, consider organizing a family outing to a botanical garden, national park, aquarium or wildlife sanctuary where you can learn more about the natural world together.

Wednesday, March 3, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

Don’t let stress get you down; Strategies to stay well TARA MYSHRALL tara@carib101.com

COMPELLED TO CHANGE Our boundaries have been blurred and there seems to be an increasing demand on our time and energy leading some people to feel overwhelmed. We can stay trapped in the prisons of our minds and feel that there is no escape from the endless to-do lists and the mounting responsibilities. Add to that mix a lack of release due to restrictions with COVID and many of us are left feeling unproductive and in a constant loop back in our minds of the endless tasks that need to get completed.

This chronic stress and fatigue can lead to cognitive issues if not dealt with such as mental slowness, forgetfulness, difficulty focusing and a barrier to access our creative energy. If left unchecked we can find ourselves in a state of cognitive fatigue and our minds go to the feeling of overwhelm.

How can we break this vicious cycle?

There is hope!

First, recognize that it all starts in our mind with our thoughts and mindset. Some simple shifts here can eliminate the stress and enable us to rejoin effectiveness and productivity. Start with a journal. Even if for five minutes a day, it completes a brain dump of all the things that are making you feel stressed. Just get it out of your head and on the page. Next, make a list of all the

things you are grateful for. This will remind you of all the good, grounded and centred things in your life. Do this daily and it will eliminate the chatter.

Now let’s look at this to-do list.

Does everything on that list really have to be done right now? Write your list out once a week and prioritize it and allot time to it.

For the things that can be knocked off the list quickly, do it! There is satisfaction in crossing things off your list and removing things that should not be there. While you are starting to work on your list, focus your attention on the task at hand, which means turn off distractions like phones and alerts when you are completing your tasks.

Ensure that you are following the Law of Polarity; everything in the universe has its opposite, hot/cold, good/bad, high/ low, breathe in/breathe out. There is a rhythmic pulse that happens in the universe and in order to be effective you cannot just sit and work for ten hours. There needs to be focused concentration and then rest. Work and then go for a walk, mediate and callmediate call a friend. Give your mind the space it needs for recovery and you will have much better outcomes.

Remember to leave perfection at the door. I took a course about a year ago and one of the lessons that stuck with me was that B work was acceptable. It is better done than not. Perfectionism may lead to procrastination and ultimately more feelings of overwhelm.

Check your mindset and always take time to breathe and check in with your feelings. Once you follow the above tips if you are still feeling overwhelmed, it is time to start taking things off your list and delegating. There are enough hours in the day, we all have the same amount, but that doesn’t mean that you need to fill them up with task after task. Your mental and physical health comes first.

How to react if your teen lies to you Though it’s normal for young people to fib, it can be upsetting to realize your child is making up stories. Here’s a look at how to react if your teen lies to you.

The first thing to consider is why your teen has lied. Is it because they’re afraid to disappoint you? Do they want to avoid being punished? Are they going through something they’re ashamed of?

It’s also important to reflect on the parenting style you want to use before you confront your teen. For example, if you treat them like a child, refuse to let them make their own choices or punish them too harshly, your young adult is more likely to break the rules and continue to hide things from you.

In order to maintain a healthy relationship with your teen, you need to model an open and honest approach to communication. In particular, be sure to provide explanations for the rules you establish (prioritizing homework, week­ day bedtimes, etc.), as this will increase the likelihood that your teen will respect and follow them.

Additionally, give your teen the opportunity to express their opinion about the rules, and be open to negotiating reasonable changes. If your teen feels like you respect their point of view, they’re more likely to tell you the truth.

LIFE

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HOME

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Popular window styles and where to use them Do you want to update the windows in your home? If so, here are some popular types and where they might look best.

• Double-hung windows feature two large sashes that slide up and down along vertical tracks. They perfectly complement rambler, farmhouse, bungalow and other modern-traditional style homes. They have many customization options and look good in almost any room.

• Slider windows are available in a variety of styles, materials and finishes.

They open horizontally rather than vertically, which makes them ideal for spa­ces with horizontal features. For example, they look good over a counter or in a hallway. Since slider windows are easy to open and close, they’re also practical in hard-to-reach spaces.

are traditionally composed of a picture win­­dow flanked by one or more pairs of double-hung or casement windows.

Place them anywhere that overlooks a view or in a living room, family room or bedroom that needs a focal point.

The best windows for your home will depend on your budget and style. In all cases, however, it’s best to make sure they’re energy efficient (look for the Energy Star label) and installed by an experienced contractor.

So, is travertine flooring right for your home?

If you have an ample budget and want a floor that gives your home a sense of reserved dignity and prestige, travertine may be the right pick.

A brief look at bathroom trends

5 common decorating mistakes (and how to fix them)

2. UNDERSIZED RUG The size of a rug should be large enough for all the furniture in a given space. Avoid choosing a rug that’s too small for the area, as this can make your design look disjointed.

As a flooring material, it’s sold in tiles by the square foot. While very durable, it does require ongoing maintenance and care. This is because travertine is a porous material, which makes it prone to staining and etching. It should be coated with a protective sealant upon installation and then again every three to five years. Travertine floors should also be regularly swept and mopped to prevent scratches and discolouration.

and refined or rustic and weathered.

Travertine has a timeless quality that complements both traditional and contemporary design styles. It typically comes in one of four finishes — polished, honed, tumbled or brushed — and the type you choose will impact whether your floors look glossy

• Bay and bow windows extend out­ward from the home and

1. NO FOCAL POINT A focal point lends balance, harmony and cohesion to a space. It can be a fireplace, a mirror, a piece of art or an architectural feature. When designing a room, start with the focal point and build around it.

Travertine is a type of limestone that naturally forms in deposits near mineral springs.

It comes in earthy neutral colours like beige, tan, off-white and grey and has a fibrous, marble-like appearance.

In terms of cost, travertine is a mid-range stone that tends to be more affordable than marble but more expensive than granite. It’s not the cheapest type of flooring for your home, but it isn’t the most lavish either.

• Casement windows open inward or out­ ward with a mechanical crank.

They’re well suited to contemporary homes and great in rooms where you want to let in a cool breeze.

Is your decor looking a little lacklustre? Here are five common decorating mistakes and some suggestions for how you can fix them.

Travertine flooring: is it right for your home?

3. EXCESSIVE PILLOWS Too many pillows can overwhelm a space and make your couches and chairs impractical to sit on. Instead, display a modest amount and swap them out as the seasons change.

4. UNBALANCED LIGHTING Use multiple types of lighting in every room. A combination of overhead lights, standing lamps and task lighting will ensure you have the right ambience and ample illumination in your home.

5. UNCOMFORTABLE SEATING Opt for dining room chairs and living room couches that are comfortable to sit on rather than just stylish.

Be sure to try before you buy, as this is the best strategy for finding pieces you can com­ fortably sit on for hours.

Remember, you don’t have to tackle design issues on your own. An interior designer or de­ corator can help you pinpoint problem areas and come up with creative solutions.

Marble bathrooms are timelessly elegant, and in 2021, interior designers are increasingly using this type of stone. Here are some other trends to consider for your next bathroom remodel.

• Gold fixtures, faucets and mirrors are taking the spotlight. A matte or brushed finish is the way to go.

• Natural elements like loose stones, wood cabinets and plants are lending bathrooms an organic feel.

• Open showers are on trend, especially those with luxurious features like an in­

tegrated bench, a misting system, ambient lighting, an anti-fog mirror and a linear drain.

• Island vanities that feature two sinks sitting back to back rather than side by side are a chic upgrade for a large bath­ room.

Lastly, technology is playing an increasingly important role in bathroom design. If you’re planning a remodel, you can ask your contractor to incorporate featu­res like USB chargers in vanity dra­ wers, app-controlled speakers and smart sho­wer heads that conserve water.

FUN

Wednesday, March 3, 2021 | www.TOCaribNews.com | Toronto Caribbean News

PAGE 39

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 28 TO MARCH 6, 2021

ARIES

The luckiest signs this week: CAPRICORN, AQUARIUS AND PISCES

This will be a week when emo­tions run high. Be careful not to put yourself in situations where you have to make all the de­cisions, as you’re likely to be criticized.

TAURUS

You’ll need to jockey your way into a better position; don’t he­sitate to show your true char­acter. You’ll have the opportu­nity to travel and discover new cultures.

PUZZLE NO. 730 ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 730

HOW TO PLAY :

GEMINI

You’ll stand out considerably among your friends and collea­gues.

These people are likely to offer a helping hand as you go through a number of transfor­mations.

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

CANCER

If you open your home to loved ones, don’t expect them to help you out with household tasks. They might even want to be wai­ted on. Fortunately, good times are on the horizon.

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.

LEO

You’ll have to deal with people who are all talk and no action. Go with your initial idea; it’s the right one, and you’ll avoid being led astray by people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

PUZZLE NO. 20 54. Poorly lit 55. Add to the work force 56. Repeated sound 57. Jungle animal 58. Spew out 59. Zealous 60. Desire 61. Curtain holders DOWN

ACROSS

1. Lingers 5. Snaky curve 8. Uncomplicated 12. Healing plant 13. Presently 14. Particular place 15. Young adult 16. Librarian’s date 17. Black bird

18. Cattle group 19. Valuable rock 20. Deadly serpents 21. Be mistaken 23. Father 25. Leading lady 29. Showy flower 33. Luau necklace 34. Playing card

36. Deep sadness 37. Lively 39. PTA members 41. Besides 43. Large tub 44. Narrow piece of wood 47. Have bills 49. Hammer part 53. Every

1. Thin strip 2. Out of the wind 3. Attendee 4. Return to ____ 5. Sign, as a check 6. Rotten 7. Clean with a broom 8. Run away 9. Broadcasts 10. Halt!

11. Certain evergreens 22. Tint again 24. “Aida,” e.g.

25. Heidi’s mountain 26. Average grade 27. Peak 28. Dine in the evening

30. Have 31. ____ on your life!

32. Correct!

35. Some prehistoric people 38. Big snake 40. Engraver 42. Tomorrow’s eve 44. Try to obtain 45. Ornamental

fabric 46. Dull pain 48. Rub 50. Exec’s car 51. Saharan 52. Moistens

ANSWER TO PUZZLE NO. 20

VIRGO

You certainly appreciate the fi­nancial stability and indepen­dence that your job provides. With the salary earned, you’ll be able to travel and explore.

LIBRA

You’ll be overflowing with great ideas and initiatives. In addi­tion, you’re constantly changing your plans to suit your mood, which may irritate certain peo­ple around you.

SCORPIO

Confusion is possible in a chao­tic universe. Fortunately, all you need is a second cup of coffee to help you regain your energy and complete a number of small miracles every day.

SAGITTARIUS

After an intensely stressful pe­riod, you’ll certainly need to take a step back and get some rest. You’ll need to recharge your bat­teries in order to feel like you’re getting a fresh start.

CAPRICORN

You’ll likely work a lot of over­time. Fortunately, you’ll even­tually manage to let loose and enjoy yourself with loved ones, who’ll invite you to participate in fun activities.

AQUARIUS

Whether it’s imagining a vacation or a quick romantic getaway, you’ll have your head in the clouds. You might have thoughts of moving abroad or going on some type of expedition.

PISCES

Changes are inevitable. Tigh te­ning your circle of friends will help relieve some of your stress, making it easier to pursue as­pirations that are more in line with your needs.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS USE AMERICAN SPELLING

the free

Classifieds Your destination to buy, sell and post!

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CULINARY TRAINING: RESQ Youth International launches its first-ever Culinary Training Program for youth 16-29 in the Region of Peel. For those interested in more information and registration please contact RESQ at 905.451.0953/437.236.3404 or resqyouthintl@yahoo.com

SALES REPS WANTED

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PAGE 42

REAL ESTATE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Owning real estate In Guyana, a land of oil and prosperity JAY BRIJPAUL brijpaul@carib101.com

REAL ESTATE PRO

Let’s face it, oil is a much-needed commodity and Guyana has more than enough to go around. At the 2019 AAPG Annual Convention in San Antonio, Maria Guedez, manager of Guyana for Exxon Mobil, said “new discoveries will make Guyana one of the wealthiest countries per capita in the Western Hemisphere, bringing infrastructure and prosperity to the region.”

US President Joe Biden recently said that “Guyana is a strong democracy, and I look forward to strengthening our bilateral relationship based on shared principles of good governance, prosperity, and security.” His words are an indication that Guyana is moving forward from a country of poverty to a country of prosperity.

Oil revenue is expected to be close to $170 billion US dollars within the next ten years. By 2025, Exxon expects its production to reach around 750,000 barrels per day. Guyana is already enjoying some of the benefits from the discoveries. Over 1,900 Guyanese people are employed in the oil industry and the oil giant is pumping around $220 million to local contractors.

JPMorgan head for oil and gas, Christyan Malek, said that “We’re going to be short of oil before we don’t need it in the years to come… We could see oil overshoot towards, or even above, $100 US a barrel.”

With all the oil rush, there is an ever-increasing appetite for safe housing accommodations within close proximity to Georgetown. Local developers and builders are racing to corner this market. Buddy’s Housing Development, for example, has built communities such as Green Acres, a gated community with paved roads, streetlamps, a shopping centre, swimming pool, tennis court and a basketball court.

Many international hotel chains started construction and are hoping to open doors by 2023.

Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, is a bustling city where real estate prices are constantly climbing. Buying a home in Georgetown is still reasonable with the current exchange rate. There are plenty of choices; from gated communities to luxury mansions welcoming the relaxing Atlantic Ocean breeze.

Other than the downtown core, Guyana has numerous small villages where you can buy properties as low as $50,000 US dollars. Many expatriates are returning to Guyana in their golden years, trading the cold for the warmth, oxygen rich land with an abundance of fresh nutritious foods and a relaxed lifestyle. Immigration is on the upswing. Many of the immigrants are entrepreneurs with a burning desire to buy prime real estate while prices are still within

reach.

If you are planning on investing in Guyana, here are a few things to know. Real estate can be owned in four categories: State owned, government owned, private transported (title) land and industrial. The government and state-owned land are considered leased land.

Leased land can be acquired by submitting a letter of interest to the relevant authorities. If the land is available for a long-term lease, the interested party must submit an application and pay the relevant inspection fees. The application is reviewed and if approved, a survey is required. The term of the lease is for fifty years with certain rights given to the lessee such as the right to renew, sublet, transfer or mortgage.

Land leases are granted mostly for commercial uses such as minding, forestry and oil.

Most residential and commercial properties in Guyana are private, transported land. A transport is the Dutch system of ownership similar to having land title, and the British system of ownership. Guyana has a mixture of both the Dutch and British land registry system.

The Guyana multiple listing services, a system where all realtors post their properties for sale, provides a wide range of homes. A potential buyer can search based on criteria such as location, type of properties and price range. While the country is different, the fundamentals of real estate are the same. First shop by location, then size of the property and finally upgrades.

When buying properties in Guyana, 2.5% of the sale price or the current value is paid to the registrar. This fee is usually paid equally between the buyer and the seller. There is a conveyance fee of 1% paid to the attorney. It takes an average of three months to advertise a transport and then transfer to the buyer. Buyers and sellers must prepare a purchase of sale agreement with closing dates exceeding three months to be on the safe side. To facilitate the transfer, the seller needs to provide the original title document along with a valid identification. The seller must obtain a certificate of compliance from The Guyana Revenue Agency and their local municipality stating that the seller does not owe any taxes to the Government.

In Guyana, there is 20% capital gains tax paid on the profit of the property as of 1991. However, properties held for over twenty-five years are exempted from capital gains. Rental income is taxed at a flat rate of 33.33% while inheritance tax is only .5% for properties exceeding one hundred thousand Guyana dollars.

Knowledge is the best advantage when you are eyeing real estate. I encourage anyone who is interested in buying properties in Guyana to visit the country for a few months. This way, you can get a feel for the environment, the people and the culture. I am a firm believer that if you buy premium properties, you can then enjoy and eventually sell premium.

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PAGE 44

FINANCE

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Squeeze your debt to seize wealth CLEVE DeSOUZA cleve@carib101.com

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

We are well into 2021, and most experts agree that we’re on the right path to get past the pandemic and its restrictions on our lives. It’s time to start making plans again.

Before you make too many plans though, consider all you have gained in the past year. The pandemic likely forced you to slow your spending. Dinners out, concerts, even some personal-care services were discouraged. What happened to your spending? For many of us, it dramatically shrunk.

If you were smart, you used the extra money to pay down your debt. Congratulations! You have taken a big step on the road to financial freedom. If you did not do that, it’s not too late to start. Today, I am going to explain how crushing your debt is the key to building wealth and creating

financial security.

Credit cards are one of the worst ways to carry debt. The interest rates vary, but they all add up fast. If you owe $200 on a credit card charging 19% interest (the average rate in Canada), your minimum payment is only $15. If you never borrow another dollar on that card and keep paying the minimum payment, it will take 16 months to clear the card and you will pay $26 in interest.

On average, though, very few of us owe only $200. The average Canadian carried $4,240 on credit cards in 2019. If you have that average amount on your cards and never charge another dollar, you are still going to pay thousands of dollars in interest.

If you make just the minimum payments on that $4,240, which is usually about 2% of your balance or $84.80 in this example, it will take you more than 25 years to pay off the card. And you will pay almost $7,000 in interest.

If instead, you pay $106 every month, you will pay the $4,240 off in a little over five years. It will cost you $2,530.03 in interest. That is still too much of your hardearned money to give to the bank, but it’s better than the minimum payment scenario.

Once you clear that debt, you have more money to invest. Investments are how the billionaires made their money and how they keep growing their fortunes.

While you are paying off your debt, think about buying a home. For most Canadians, a personal home accounts for most of their wealth. Be sure you do your homework and buy a home you can afford, and that is in a neighbourhood where the value is sure to grow.

Many families take the simple step of buying a second home and turning it into a rental property so they can passively collect income every month.

Another tried and true investment option is to find compounding interest accounts. If you put $500 per month into a compounding interest investment with 10% interest rate starting on your 20th birthday, you’ll have $5.2 million in fortyfive years at retirement.

As you pay off your debt, you will have more freedom to take on higher-risk investments. Higher risk means higher pay off. It is best to consult with an expert before you consider high-risk investments.

The market is constantly evolving, and an expert can guide you to the best choice for you.

Travel insurance when the world opens up again ANDREW STEWART andrew@carib101.com

FAMILY ADVISOR

Although the pandemic has indefinitely changed the way we travel, many travelers are eager to book voyages in 2021. If you’re ready for a new adventure, be on the lookout for the latest changes in the travel insurance industry. With this in mind, here are some of the latest updates on what travel insurance companies are advising and restrictions the government of Canada has imposed.

Trip cancellation coverage has always been a popular component of travel insurance. It has been part of 80% to 90% of travel insurance policies. If you choose to cancel your trip, please ensure you have contacted your travel supplier to inquire about available refunds, credits, or change options that may be available to you. Travel insurance plans often require reimbursements, credits, or changes to be explored first, and then your insurance coverage may provide reimbursement for the nonrefundable portion of expenses. Proof of unavailable refunds and/or credits will be required when you file a claim.

Before purchasing travel insurance, it’s helpful to equip yourself with some basic knowledge about travel insurance, including what it is, the main types of coverage available, and the circumstances under which it can be critical for you and your family. At its essence, travel insurance protects against unforeseen events that

can occur before or during your trip, ranging from minor mishaps to major misfortunes.

Depending on available plans, travel insurance options are usually divided into two categories. Canadian residents planning a trip abroad (whether travelling outside their home province or internationally) or international visitors coming to Canada. While medical, trip cancellation, and interruption are the foundational categories of travel insurance, policies will often have additional supplementary benefits that can help further reduce financial and emotional stress when the unexpected interrupts your travel plans. If you’re planning to travel outside of Canada and want coverage for emergency medical expenses, including COVID-19 related emergencies, almost all providers offer pandemic coverage. It is in your best interest to know and understand what your policy includes, what it excludes, and what is limited.

Travelling after February 22nd, 2021? All travellers are required to provide travel, contact, and quarantine information upon and after entry into Canada. Whether entering Canada by air or land, travellers will need to submit travel contact information, quarantine plan, and COVID-19 symptom self-assessments before they board their flight or before arrival at a land border crossing.

There are plenty of worthy reasons for purchasing travel insurance, and everyone’s situation is different. Start by considering your circumstances and what coverage makes the most sense for you, your immediate family, and even your extended family. The most touted reason for travel insurance is related to health. Medical emergencies can happen to anyone, regardless of your age, destination, or length

of the trip. When it comes to one’s health, money is no object, but the reality is, obtaining emergency medical care away from home can be very costly.

During a medical emergency, you certainly shouldn’t be thinking about the costs, the bills, or saving money. With adequate travel medical insurance, you can instead focus on recovering and getting back home as quickly and safely as possible.

Ask yourself: • • • • • • • •

Do you know what the costs of medical care abroad might be?

Would you be able to pay for medical care in the US, Europe, or Asia on your own?

What if your medical emergency is so serious that you require an air ambulance to bring you back to Canada?

Could a family member afford to travel overseas to stay by your hospital bedside?

Would you know where to go to seek medical assistance when you’re traveling?

Would you be able to navigate your way through a foreign healthcare system without knowing the language?

How would you know if the medical care you or a loved one was receiving was adequate?

What if your medical condition were such that you needed treatment from specialists other than a primary care physician?

As a parent, spouse, partner, or adult child, you’d never want to be placed in a difficult situation, having to consider so many things at once. Unfortunately, this is often the reality in a medical emergency.

PAGE 46

SPORTS

Toronto Caribbean News | www.TOCaribNews.com | Wednesday, March 3, 2021

The most popular fighting styles in MMA even Conor McGregor.

MARCEL MARIAK marcel@carib101.com

TC JUNIOR REPORTER

The cultures of the world are incredibly diverse. Different people around the globe live vastly different lives. These differences can be religious, culinary, philosophical, and even architectural. Despite these immense variations in lifestyle, nearly every culture throughout history has one thing in common: they all have their own unique styles of hand-to-hand combat!

From the traditional martial arts of Pacific Asia like Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai, and Kung Fu, to lesser-known combative arts with African roots like Capoeira, Dambe, and Senegalese Wrestling. In the past couple of decades, there have been countless debates about which fighting art is the best. And until MMA became popular around the world, there was no definitive answer. The truth is that there is no REAL best martial art. After all, the fighter’s skill determines the efficacy of any martial art.

Many physical and psychological factors are at play in a fight, and people with different physical attributes tend to excel more at different martial arts. Heavier, more muscular individuals tend to be better grapplers while lighter, slimmer fighters tend to be dominant strikers - of course, there are exceptions to this rule.

Despite this, there are a few martial arts that are used more commonly in the MMA world than others. Here’s a breakdown of a couple most common fighting arts in MMA. If you’re a new fight fan, or if you’re looking to start training martial arts once the pandemic passes, this article will help you gain some perspective on what the fight world has to offer!

Karate In the past few decades, Karate has gotten a bad reputation in the martial arts community. When western karate schools began to realize that they can retain more customers and make more money by making training less demanding, the Karate curriculum got seriously watered down. Despite this, there have been several fighters who have used a karate style to dominate in competition such as Stephen Thompson, Lyoto Machida, and

Pros of Karate • Karate’s sideways point-style stance allows for quick movement and a relaxed fighting style • Karate-style fighters tend to keep their hands low. This allows them to have more balance and generate momentum for powerful kicks, as well as less fatigue in the shoulder • Karate fighters are specialists at attacking from unexpected angles and with unorthodox techniques like spinning kicks Cons of Karate • While Karate includes some clinch work and grappling, it has very few ground-fighting techniques. As a result, Karate stylists tend to struggle on the ground unless they supplement their training heavily with other grappling martial arts like wrestling, judo, or Jiu-Jitsu • The sideways stance makes lateral movements difficult. The pointstance also makes it nearly impossible to block (check) low-kicks • Low hand position can leave the head open for attacks. The Karate stylist must rely on reflexes and movement to avoid strikes which can get tiring throughout a fight.

Muay Thai Muay Thai is a brutal kickboxing martial art from Thailand. It incorporates stunning elbows, knees, punches, and kicks to end fights spectacularly. It also includes great clinch techniques and stand-up wrestling skills. It’s one of the most popular martial arts around the world with nearly any fight gym worth anything having a Muay Thai curriculum. It has been used to great effect in the octagon by fighters like Valentina Shevchenko and Joanna Jędrzejczyk.

Pros of Muay Thai • Because of the brutality of the sport, Muay Thai fighters’ bodies are incredibly conditioned. The shins of some Muay Thai fighters have even been determined to be stronger than iron.

A Muay Thai fighter is a walking tank in the ring • Muay Thai striking is simple and effective. Unlike karate stylists, Muay Thai fighters tend to stand their ground and prefer to walk-down their opponents with simple, powerful combi-

•

•

nations instead of complicated spinning attacks The tall Muay Thai stance and high guard make it difficult for opponents to strike the fighter in the head and offer great defence against kicks Thai fighters are masters of the clinch, delivering powerful knees and slicing elbows to their opponents

Cons of Muay Thai • The tall stance makes Muay Thai fighters prone to takedowns • The high-pressure, brawling style of fighting can cause serious long-term brain injuries for fighters that are too willing to stay in the pocket and exchange strikes • Ground-fighting techniques are completely absent in Muay Thai. A Thai fighter that has been taken down is easy prey for a grappler Wrestling Wrestling is one of the most common and oldest martial arts in the world. While the rules and techniques of wrestling have changed throughout the millennia, wrestling has been around for at least as long as recorded history. With our dexterous hands and opposable thumbs, humans are natural grapplers, so it’s no wonder that wrestling makes an impact in the octagon. Fighters that have found great success with wrestling include Eddie Alvarez, Chad Mendez, and Brock Lesnar.

Pros of Wrestling • Strong takedowns and grappling skills • Wrestlers have incredible mental toughness; they don’t stop until the final bell • Elite physical conditioning allows wresters to outwork and outpace their opponents • Grappling allows the fighter to control their opponent more than a striker can Cons of Wrestling • Wrestlers can get fatigued from the fast explosive movements required in a stand-up engagement • Wrestling involves no striking techniques, so a wrestler is vulnerable on the feet • Wrestling rarely involves submissions, so wrestlers can sometimes run out of things to do or be outclassed by another grappler who knows submissions

•

Due to the aim of wrestling being to never be on your back, wrestlers can sometimes begin to panic and lose their composure when their back is on the ground

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) It’s no surprise that Jiu-Jitsu - also known as the art of folding your opponent’s clothes while he’s still wearing them - has made this list. After all, it’s BJJ that made the UFC (read more about that in last week’s article, “3 UFC Fights That You Have to Watch Again”)! Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling art that focuses more on control and submissions than takedowns and power. As a result, almost anyone, regardless of their physical stature, can become proficient at Jiu-Jitsu. Nearly every modern UFC fighter is highly trained in BJJ, but some of the most famous Jiu-Jitsu practitioners include Royce Gracie, Demian Maia, and Nate Diaz.

Pros of Jiu-Jitsu • The use of leverage and technique instead of brute force in BJJ means that a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner can fight with full intensity for hours • Powerful Jiu-Jitsu submissions can end a fight in seconds • A Jiu-Jitsu practitioner can control their opponents on the ground to avoid getting hit and limit their movement • Jiu-Jitsu fighters are extremely comfortable on their back. They can even submit their opponent from some of the most disadvantaged positions Cons of Jiu-Jitsu • Jiu-Jitsu lacks any sort of striking combat, leaving the fighter vulnerable on the feet • Unlike wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu puts less emphasis on takedowns. Jiu-Jitsu fighters can sometimes struggle to bring their opponent to the ground • Every fight begins standing up, so a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner has to get past their opponent’s ranged weapons like kicks and punches before they can begin attacking There you have it, some of the most popular martial arts in MMA! I’m curious to hear what you think about this list. Are there any notable fighting styles I missed?

Reach out to me on the Toronto Caribbean News website by leaving a comment about the article and tell me what you think!