All posts on September 4th, 2018

Egbert Gaye “When you’re in the middle of a hurricane and you see stuff coming at you from all directions, it’s difficult to decide what to focus on and how to protect yourself.” So it was for Emily Ramdas, her brother Brandon, and the rest of the family over the past year or two as they struggled to keep open the doors of Montreal’s oldest Caribbean grocery store, Ramdas Foods, located at 1503 Dollard Avenue in LaSalle. Sadly, they were overwhelmed by a perfect storm of family predicaments together with external challenges and were forced to make one of the …

Leonard Wharwood: activist, community organizer and diplomat Egbert Gaye When it comes to community building and organizing, Leonard Wharwood was a giant of a man. Dependable, hard working and smart, he was a go-to guy for the many organizations and groups with which he was associated for the past 30 years or so. His passing on Thursday, August 23 has left a void in our community and a patch of sadness in the hearts of those whose paths he crossed during his endless hours of work developing his business and assisting others. He was only 60-years-old when he died following …

Fimba, Blacksand and a lineup of Montreal deejays also at end-of-summer mega fete Contact Staff In Montreal, soca fans love Delroy ‘Fireman’ Hooper. For good reasons. He is one of his generation’s most exciting performers and has the titles and credentials to show: ten times Power Soca Monarch champion. His mega hit this year for Vincy Mas, Amen, easily won him the title for the second year running. Nothing new for the prolific performer who in 2014 scored a trifecta, with two super hits, Unruly and Rum Meeting, earned him the Ragga Monarch, Soca Monarch and Road March titles. Among …

Contact Staff The final send-off for Aretha Franklin is well underway in Detroit, Michigan, where tickets for the free concert, A People’s Tribute To The Queen, organized by her family at Chene Park Amphitheatre. A lineup of stars will perform for the thousands gathered at the Park. The event features tributes in R&B, Jazz and Gospel and an All-Star showcase. There will also be a dance sequence and appearances by stars such as Tyler Perry, Jenifer Lewis and Judge Greg Mathis. The show finale will feature all performers doing “Respect.” The event is part of a three-day celebration of her …

Rosie AWORI Media are reporting that the family of Nicholas Gibbs, a 23-year-old Black Montrealer who was shot on August 21 in NDG is calling on Montrealers to assist in raising funds to help with his funeral and other expenses. A family friend has started a GoFundMe campaign in order to help the family meet the funeral expenses. The goal of the campaign is $15,000, which will also aid the widow, and her children move to another house, as she no longer feels comfortable living within the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce location where Gibbs was shot. According to those reports the police were …

Quebec Votes on October 1 Egbert Gaye On October 1, Quebecers will decide whether to give Premier Phillipe Couillard and the Quebec Liberal Party another term in office after almost 15 years in power since 2003. But it doesn’t look good for Couillard who took over the leadership of the party in 2013. Because poll after poll shows that voters are signaling their appetite for change and many are leaning towards the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) and its leader François Legault, especially in the rural regions of the province and in the Quebec City area. However, with more than a …

Racism thrives in America, now he’s attempting to foment racial conflict overseas in a country that’s still trying to come to terms with its racist past.   If for one reason or another you missed, or have forgotten about, that long period of dehumanization of Black people in South Africa – a slice of one of the most mineral-rich and most beautiful parts of Africa – here’s an excerpt from an online article that sums up the dawn of white minority (supremacy, reign of terror and) lording over South Africa’s majority Black and other nonwhite peoples. “[…] After the National …

Minister Kathleen Weil Announces Grants for English Speaking Quebecers By Clarence Bayne AAfter years of negotiating and protests and   several unplanned selections of community organizations for project-funding, the Quebec government under Premier Phillipe Couillard has put in place a funding structure that is now part of policy and decision making system. The new structure gives the English speaking Black communities hope that they will be able to participate fully in the social, cultural, economic processes of the Quebec society also that Blacks will ultimately cease to be seen as ‘immigrant problems.’ The Government has, under pressure from a diversified but …

Be comforted. It’s been said that grief is the price that we pay for love… While I was home recently in Montreal I had the opportunity to speak to several people who had experienced a significant loss, so I wanted to take a moment to talk more about grief. As you know I’ve been Neonatal ICU nurse and a Licensed Grief Counselor/Coach for several years. I’ve heard so many heart wrenching personal stories relating to grief and loss and I’ve had the honor of working with many families who have lost a newborn baby in the ICU. I’m passionate about …

IMPACT: Get rid of doubt and embrace faith It’s time to believe the word of the Lord in a personal way. It’s time to understand that God’s word is to help you in this life. This is your set time to be favoured. This is your set time to prosper and be in good health. It’s your set time to be established in your destiny but you need to believe the word of the Lord rather than circumstances, statistics and doubting thoughts. Stop doubting whether there is a God. I want to assure you that there is a God and …