All posts on February 13th, 2017

Contact Staff On Tuesday, February 7, Tamara Thermitus was named head of the Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission, becoming the first person of African descent to hold the position. Her appointment came after weeks of wrangling by politicians at the National Assembly, with opposition politicians led by Parti Quebecois’ Jean-Francois Lisée claiming that she was “too multicultural” for the position, while others accused her of being too close to Dominique Anglade who is the minister of Economy, Science and Innovation. Both women were born in Haiti. After many in the public voiced their concerns, her recent nomination received …

MSOPA celebrates 25 years Egbert Gaye You have to love the hardscrabble industry of theatre and film to stay excited after 25 years of ups and downs. Meet Josa Maule, who since 1992 has trained a generation of aspiring actors in Montreal while opening doors for many through her network with film and television production companies across North America. Over the years, through Josa Maule’s School of Performing Arts (MSOPA), she must have mentored over five thousand actors, hundreds of filmmakers and playwrights, encouraging them to have a good work ethic, build bridges and network. She is the first to …

This communication specialist is a bubbling cauldron of creativity Egbert Gaye Tricia Henry playfully refers to herself as Miss Trish, or better yet, Trish of All Trades, but she’s all business when talking about her intent to stamp her name on the entertainment landscape from Montreal and beyond. So whether she is writing a blog that touches on entertainment, social and personal issues working on documentaries or broadcasting her daily on-line radio show, Mornings With Miss Trish (Your Favorite Cup of T), she dabbles in it all. “Creativity is my passion,” she told The Contact recently in a late night …

Black History Month events are well underway across Montreal. So to honour, celebrate and appreciate Black heritage and culture, Tashe, JaiDance and Montreal United have teamed up for a presentation of an all-encompassing cultural event dubbed Reflections. Things get underway at 1:00 PM with the marketplace, which will showcase several talented entrepreneurs in Montreal’s Black community and the various products and services they produce and provide. Along the way, those in attendance will be treated to a spectacle of spoken word and performing arts presentations that will leave you inspired, and have you wanting more. Which will include dancing, good …

The Religion… I went to Union United Church the end of January to worship, something I do occasionally. And each time I pull on that big brown door it’s with great expectations of hearing some “good news” from the pulpit and the good members of the Union family, especially that the seemingly endless contention, which has resulted in the polarization of the congregation, has finally ended, and that everyone is now on the same page, singing from the same Hymn book, and working cooperatively. So there I was. After greeting familiar folk I settled in for another Sunday session of …

Dear friends, Let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is LOVE. [1 John 4:7-8] Next week we celebrate love on Valentine’s Day; but what is love? 1 Corinthians 13:4-8,13 says: Love is patient Love is kind It does not envy It does not boast It is not proud It is not rude It is not self-seeking It is not easily angered It keeps no record of wrongs Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with …

Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dr. The Rt. Hon. Keith Mitchell, has said that his Tri-island Nation – Carriacou and Petite Martinique – has made “tremendous strides in the development of all sectors’’ of life, since the attainment of independence on February 7, 1974. “In the last year, for example, we provided hundreds of students with full scholarships and assistance to pursue their dreams at colleges and universities around the world,’’ Prime Minister Mitchell said in a message commemorating this year’s 43rd anniversary of independence. The occasion will be marked in Montreal with an anniversary gala on February 18, organized by the …

Contact Staff Friendship was front and centre as a roomful of Montrealers enjoyed another Night of Elegance with fine dining, entertainment and tributes at the Plaza Voltaire inside the Crown Plaza Hotel on Cote de Liesse on Saturday, February 4. The event, now in its 7th year, has become a February staple celebrating both Valentine’s Day and Black History Month. This year, organizer Judy LaMotte and her team once again recognized several individuals with the Friendship Award, including Rosie Phillip founder of Atlantic Driving School, Huglette McKnickle of Hands of Blessing Salon, Tran of Fleuriste Lotus Blanc, Roger Abraham and …

#SheDidThatProm is looking for a few good high school graduating students:  Deadline is March 1 Contact Staff It’s a new year, and before you blink it will be graduation season. And #SheDidThatProm will be there once again for the fourth year to take care of two high school grads, meaning all expenses paid for the prom. And the founders of this annual initiative, Katrina Nurse and Tamraa Greenidge, are back for the fourth year to make the dreams of two lucky teenagers – a young lady and gentleman – in the community come true by giving them an all-expenses paid …

In the previous issue I mentioned that Soca lovers are expecting real time information about Trinidad Carnival every time they open the Montreal Community Contact newspaper, that’s why I make sure that the Island Scoop article becomes the one-stop shop for Soca news during Trinidad and every other Carnival around the world. That being said, we are in the month of February, known as Black History Month, which provides an opportunity to share and learn about the experiences, contributions and achievements of people of African ancestry. It was initiated in Canada by the Ontario Black History Society, which was founded …