All posts on 2017

A Bob Marley Birthday Event Fest Sweet Reggae Valentine at Club Lambi It will be a two-night Reggae invasion at Club Lambi on February 10 and 11, as 21 of Montreal’s leading artists take to the stage in a celebration of what would have been the Bob Marley’s 72 birthday. The event, now in its second year is a production of  INUS ASO one of the city’s top reggae bands and its leader Buninus Neil. The vibes at the 2016 show at Club Soda was infectious and organizers are promising more this year. Listed to hit the stage at Club …

Egbert Gaye Seems like only yesterday when the fresh-faced Barack Obama came out of nowhere and imposed himself on the conscience of the entire world with a simple message that captured the exciting potential of the United States and the endless possibilities that hinged on two words: hope and change. Close to 70 million American voters bought into that message and in November 2008, elected Obama to be their 44th president, making him the first Black person to hold the most powerful office on Earth. At the time, the world was giddy with the expectation of what was to come …

Egbert Gaye When he decided he was going to seek out a career in theatre, Winston Sutton was a guided by a little piece of advice from his brother: “Be as qualified as you can be in the field.” He did exactly that, honing his skills at the National Theatre School of Canada in the mid 1970s then at the famed Stratford Shakespearean Festival, before receiving a Master of Fine Arts degree in Directing at Boston University. In doing so, he earned acclaimed on the stage and film as an actor, instructor and director in theatre productions across Canada. Over …

Pat Dillon Moore earns BTW’s Dr. Clarence Bayne Community Service Award Egbert Gaye Pat Dillon-Moore drew from a childhood steeped in music, performance and community activities to mold a personality that speaks to the complexity and excitement of the Caribbean-Canadian experience in Quebec. Over the years, she hardly ever missed an opportunity to give voice to that experience, beginning with her starring role in a ground-breaking Canadian film, her administrative duties at Black Theatre Workshop, then as manager at CKUT 90.3 FM radio station followed by extended stint at the National Film Board of Canada. Whether in the performing arts …

MORE OF THE SAME IN 2017 And as 2016 ground to a screeching halt there was a resounding sigh of relief around the world by that international constituency that still cares about how the world is revolving. It was because of all the wanton violence, especially in those regional pockets of the globe where images of people walking, running for their lives with sounds of explosions, raging fires, billowing smoke and mounds of rubble entombing the dead and dying – sometimes the mangled bodies were visible or covered with blankets – an almost daily news staple. Especially those tens of …

By Clarence S. Bayne Whenever, we are discussing the history of Blacks in Montreal and Quebec there are two tendencies that I observe in both official circles and among local Black community historian.  It starts with Mathieu DaCosta and Oliver Le Jeune and gets stuck at Marie Joseph Angelique. Then in official circles we seem to have been forgotten and neglected for a hundred years between 1863 and 1963. And by the mid- sixties we spring into modern Quebec’s consciousness with the dramatic impact of changes in Canadian immigration patterns and race relations; and identity politics in Quebec. This is …

So much happened in sports, music and events around the community Years come and go quickly, but our memories will last forever. Much like its predecessor, 2016 was filed with highs lows, good and bad. So much transpired over the 12 months, reflecting can sometimes get blurry. One event that we’re guaranteed to remember was the historical U.S. elections, and President-elect Donald Trump still doesn’t roll off the tongue easily for me. However, we must accept his victory and hope for the best going forward. Another memorable standout of this past year was the death of so many musical icons, …

The congregation at Deliverance Church of God 7th Day is extending “heartfelt thanks and good wishes” to all who have supported them over the years. “We want you to know that we really appreciate your presence at all our events. May God richly bless you all and may your store basket never be empty. We want to wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year.” The small but dynamic congregation has been worshiping at 4020 Grand Blvd for the past three years and has remained consistent in their message: “Time is short and if you haven’t given your life …

We remember Anand Yankarran and Fluxy First and foremost I would like to wish all the Community CONTACT readers a Happy and prosperous New Year. Struggles and heartaches are required in order to survive in life, because in order to stand up, you gotta know what falling down is like. The transition from 2016 to 2017 hasn’t been an easy road for everyone, but better days are ahead. November 2016, dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, was transferred from the Horizon Adult Remand Centre to the Maximum Security Prison Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre. Kartel has …