All posts on August, 2018

Rosie AWORI After years of deliberations, on October 17, marijuana will be legal in Canada. And as with other Canadian provinces, Quebec will have some jurisdictional powers over its sales and distribution, and has adopted a number of strict guidelines on how cannabis can be consumed and sold in the province. The mandate to handle both sales and distribution has been handed over to the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ), under an independent subsidiary branch called the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC), which plans to operate about 20 cannabis outlets across the province. Here’s what you need to know …

Egbert Gaye With the recent release of her debut album, “Best Life – EP”, Montrealer Ana Stasia is offering the world a taste of the music that has been her fuel for much of her journey towards a career in the performing arts. Already, we might have seen her on a few popular television series such as Scandal, Black-ish, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Criminal Minds, Ballers and NCIS, but with her eyes set on sharing her music with audiences around the world, chances are we’ll be hearing a lot from her in the near future. In an industry that has become convoluted …

Here on Sept. 8. Contact Staff At the recent Toronto Caribana celebrations, revelers couldn’t get enough of Fimba. The New York-based Vincentian soca star’s mega hit, Funky Business, had them jumping up and down the Lakeshore just as it did in the Vincy Mas in St. Vincent and The Grenadines. The song earned Fimber “Fimba” Jardine his first Ragga Soca Monarch and Road March titles. It’s been a long road to the big times for Fimba who first hit the stage in the 1980s as a junior calypsonian when he was a primary school student. Since then he has been …

Rosie Awori Carlton Christidest Williams stabbed to death in downtown Montreal “My son was a happy man, the life of the party he always had a smile on his face.” There is no masking the pain in the voice of popular Montreal reggae entertainer Jah Cutta as he remembers his son, Carlton Christidest Williams Jnr. Williams was also an entertainer in Montreal and only 29 years old when he met his untimely demise. On Thursday, August 9, in the wee hours of the morning, as a result of an altercation in downtown Montreal, his son, was stabbed in the heart …

Festival and competition of the popular Grenada delicacy is back Gemma Raeburn-Baynes Come Saturday, September 29, the exciting second Oil Down Festival and Competition will be back for another year. Grenadians and others who claim to make a good Oil Down are invited to enter the upcoming “Oil Down Competition.” The event is been organized by the Spice Island Cultural Day Association of Quebec, and they are eager to crown the second “Oil Down Monarch” in 2018. A free food booth at the 2019 Spice Island Cultural Day, along with a trophy and bragging rights, await the winner. The Queen …

Trinidadian novelist may have been the most formidable writer of the English language Contact Staff For many, Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul was the greatest writer of the English language. For evidence, check the 30 books that he has written, most of which are described as masterpieces, and see the repertoire of prestigious awards that adorned his achievements, including the Nobel Prize for Literature handed to him in 2001, and his Knighthood with Trinidad and Tobago’s Trinity Cross in 1990, and the Booker Prize in 1971. The man that the world knows as VS Naipaul, celebrated son of Trinidad and Tobago, …

I don’t know about you, but hearing all that talk about race, racism and its deleterious effects (on Black people in particular) last weekend just about drove me nuts. Especially because all the politically and racially fuelled angst and outcome are being pinned on one individual, who some in Black America refer to as “#45.” Understandably, his arrival on the political global stage, his ascension to what many consider to be the supreme political office in the world, still have people befuddled, scratching their heads, pulling out their hair, tongues wagging, and more… Many contend and have concluded that he’s …

Wait! Wait! Are you that person who keeps putting things off? Are you a procrastinator? Procrastination is putting off something for tomorrow that you can do today. It’s postponing or delaying something that needs to get done. We’ve all been guilty of procrastination at one time or another. You have good intentions but you never seem to get around to completing the task. You’ve heard the saying, “procrastination is the thief of time?” Well, it’s true, the more you procrastinate the more time you waste. Procrastination can be a major cause of stress and can increase your anxiety because in …

It was a sad/sweet get together for those in the calypso fraternity and community members who gathered at Caribbean Paradise Lounge in tribute to popular musician Reno Byer, who is battling cancer. The evening was flavored by non-stop music featuring performances by calypsonians Loveman Kent, Lady B, Pete and Love Express, pannist Martin Albino, gospel performers Ray Johnston, Dexter Johnston and R&B man CC Walker. Truth is Reno, was front and centre in providing entertainment by singing and dancing for the audience. The evening was sponsored by Babita and her Danraj of Caribbean Paradise. In a tear-jerking speech, she  thanked …

If healthy living is a personal objective, then here’s something of interest to the community. On Saturday, September 22, the community is invited to the Jamaica Association of Montreal on Jean Talon to an enlightening and informative event focusing on health and well-being. The day-long event will include displays and samples of a range of all-natural products and services as well as presentations by professionals on diet, physical fitness,  mental health and  financial well-being. Amassi Small, a local and well-recognized herbalist and certified naturopath will be on hand to assist participants in exploring the benefits of a variety of  fresh …