All posts on 2014

As the summer months fade… and the cool winds of autumn and reminder of winter settle in we are presently in between seasons, making many of us vulnerable and susceptible to cold and flu viruses. One way to combat illness is to stock up on orange and grapefruit (and other citrus fruits) which are an excellent source of vitamin C and easily found in North American stores. They are a very good source of dietary fibre and a good source of B vitamins, including vitamin B1, pantothenic acid B5, and folate. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition …

The petition on the door at 5728 Sherbrooke Street says it all: “NDG Wants D.A.D.S Bagels Back.” It’s a call almost in desperation to Kashmir Singh Randhawa to bring back the little store that has been a refuge for so many NDGers for so long. On Sunday, August 31, Kash or Dad’s, it never mattered what you called him, sold his last bagel. As a matter of fact, he gave away the last set of bagels that were in the bin. That’s the kind of guy that he is. So when news broke that the landmark store was closing because …

I watched with disbelief and interest, among other feelings, as another all-too-familiar scenario played out on the CBS Evening News. That was late last month. It was another police shooting of another Black man, down in Columbia, South Carolina, which was recorded on the dashboard camera of a South Carolina State Trooper as he did what White policemen in America seemingly do with frequency and impunity. The incident apparently happened on September 4 as he pulled into a convenience store. One headline read “[…] Allegedly Unarmed Driver.” There was nothing “alleged” about what anyone watching the news that evening, September …

There is a lot of pride floating around Montreal, especially around Edgeton Allen (Father Eddgy) and his wide circle of family and friends over the recent achievement of his niece Keisha Johnson, who earned her Doctorate (DHSC) in Health Science in August from Nova University of South Florida. Keisha left Jamaica at the age age of 4, for the USA. She blazed a trail of excellence throughout elementary, junior high and high school, earning several educational and community awards along the way, including one for leadership from the District Community Board Of South East Queens, New York. At Thomas Edison …

Gun violence, unemployment, poverty, access to education – they aren’t “Black youth” problems, they’re societal problems, and so Canadians of all stripes must band together to find solutions. That’s the opinion of Conservative Senator Don Meredith, who will be in Montreal Saturday, Oct. 18 to attend the Jamaica Association of Montreal Inc.’s 52nd anniversary Heroes Banquet, which will also celebrate 52 years since Jamaica became an independent country. A businessman and an ordained evangelical minister, Meredith was appointed to the Senate in 2010 and became the first person of Jamaican descent to hold the position. He is spearheading an attempt …

For years, Sherlyn Figueira has become known across our community as a busy body renowned for her capacity to organize and manage events, big or small. She did so as part of her thriving business on the side while she held down a full- time job and looked after her family that includes three children one in high school, two in elementary school and another in daycare. With so much at stake, Figueira is not comfortable with the way the school system is run. “People have no clue about school boards. Many have never seen a school commissioner and most …

Attempting to describe the cultural make-up of his student population at Elizabeth Ballantyne Elementary School (EBS), Otis Delaney, the principal, says: “Think of the United Nations.” “We’re proud of that diversity and we think that all the students benefit from it, because it’s reality… it’s the real world.” Also, according to Delaney, within that mass of diversity are a world of social issues that accompany the students everyday they leave their home in neighborhoods such as Cote St. Luc, Montreal West and the Walkley Street area, all of which border the school. That’s what makes the school special for him: …

  On the education and basketball circuit across Montreal, it’s difficult to meet someone who hasn’t met Alix Adrien. Today, as principal St. Lawrence Senior Academy in LaSalle  students and staff benefit from his exceptional capacity as an educator and his engaging personality. In the May 1, 2013 issue, the Verdun Messenger, David Abracen, former principal at Beurling Academy offered what might be the most apt description that encapsulates Adrien’s brilliant career  as an  educator/basketball coach. He was quoted as saying that although Adrien has worked as a coach, teacher, school administrator, and director of a summer school, the only term that can really …

Step through the doors of Tropical Paradise Restaurant on Decarie Blvd., on edge on Snowdon, and immediately you know that you’re in a family place with all its inviting warmth and homey charms. You see, it’s the place that Kazim Ali and his family built into one of Montreal’s most popular spots for Caribbean eats. “We go the extra mile to make sure that every customer that comes to this establishment has a good meal,” he told the CONTACT. “We take pride in what we do and what we serve because it’s a family business.” And on any given day …

As an isolated incident, the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a police officer last month was a tragic and reprehensible event. But as sad as it is to have reached this point only after the death of a young man, Brown’s death has thrust the searing injustice Blacks in St. Louis County have been forced to endure into the national and international spotlight. Brown was shot and killed August 9, outside an apartment complex. His mother said he was on his way to his grandmother’s house. He was unarmed. The statistics that have been dug up by U.S. …