All posts on November, 2014

 Bringing Joy To The World with music Contact Staff In the 13 years or so that the group have been around, Caribbean Voices have played the role of musical ambassadors sharing timeless folk songs and provoking nostalgia among audiences at events across the community. And in so doing have garnered a significant fan base in Montreal. As a special gift to their followers, the group is releasing their first full length CD, with all the songs that they have been singing along to over the years. Entitled, We are Caribbean Voices, the album offers a journey across the Caribbean with …

Dr. Alladin wants to arm your body to fight the dreaded flu Virus Egbert Gaye In his 35 years practicing medicine here in Montreal, Dr. Lenny Alladin has heard more than his share of excuses or reasons for not taking the flu vaccine, as the health authorities advise all Canadians to do every year as the winter months loom. Most people say, “I don’t get the flu”, while others are somewhat distrustful of the vaccine,” he says. “In our community, many still hold on to some of their (back home) traditions when it comes to dealing with the cold.” However, …

A last-ditch attempt to save the building that housed the Negro Community Centre has failed. The fight for the historic building made its way into the justice system this month after a developer went straight to the courts to get permission to tear down the building at 2035 Coursol St. in Little Burgundy. While the Southwest Borough tried to stop the demolition, their effort proved fruitless. Keeton Clarke, who spearheaded the effort to save the building, said receiving the news it would be torn down was “devastating.” “Many people in the community have been connected to the building. I felt …

For decades the Black community blazed a glorious trail Egbert Gaye When it comes to community issues, apathy runs rampant among us. And it smacked us in our faces this month as we watched helplessly as two buildings that carried our name and some blood and sweat from past generations of Blacks were taken out of our hands for good. The sale of the buildings that housed the Black Studies Centre at 1968 De Maisonneuve in downtown Montreal and the Negro Community Centre at 2035 Coursol Street came to a measure of closure this month and with it a stamp …

SEX “Sex and drugs and Rock’n’Roll…” So goes the lyrics of a pop/rock song on the radio a decade or two ago. And many people in tune with music and the trappings… would agree there used to be a lot of that in the music business a few years ago. Many of the music-makers/performers and hangers-on paid the price, some of them the ultimate price – with their lives… If you know music then you know some of them. But a gentleman I know has another take on the whole “sex” conversation, whenever another opportunity arises, like say, let’s call …

Community members needing a legal interpretation of an issue are advised to call The West Island Black Community Association . They have secured the services of  prominent lawyer Me.  Herbert M. Brownstein who will be conducting free legal clinic. 48 C, 4th Avenue, Roxboro. By appointment only. Contact (514) 683-3925.

When you made the decision to start your business, your loved ones may have been proud and supportive. They may have even offered to help you with anything necessary to make your venture a success. Although you may have rock-solid relationships with your family members, it is important to consider how going into business with them may alter your relationship. This is imperative to ensuring that you are able to preserve both your business and your personal relationships over the long haul. Here are just a few of the issues you may want to consider before accepting help for your …

It is quiz time. Time to see whether you were paying attention to the Community Contact’s articles discussing financial literacy matters. To take the quiz you will need a pen or pencil, a promise that you will not cheat by peaking at the answers at the end of the article. Good luck to all. Q1.  Which one of the following is NOT a description of a credit union? a)    Members of a credit union are the owners of the financial institution b)    Credit unions offer low interest loans c)    Credit unions only offer sources of credit and low interest loans …

Roof repair is  a lot of work, that’s best done by a reputable company. It’s important to choose well. For home owners, the fear of  having the roof repaired always lurks. It’s indeed  among  your biggest one-time expense in the maintenance and upkeep of your biggest investment. That’s why it is strongly advised that during the process of buying a home you and your real estate broker carefully examine the Seller’s Declaration, where the seller must indicate the year the roof was done or replaced. The document should include the materials used, the years of warranty, and if there has …

Something has been happening, and although it’s low on the radar it has become a new trend. Couples and individuals, despite how professionally or economically privileged they may be, have been choosing to have a son or daughter, not via creating their own, but by visiting an adoption or government youth protection agency–such as Bathshaw Youth Protection—to invest their time, money and love into a child, baby or young adult. Now the trend has become one of buying a puppy, dog, kitten or animal to pour the God-given urge to birth a child into instead. Look around your own community …