All posts on July 11th, 2022

MANYANG LUAL JOK Born in South Sudan’s Makuach village, turmoil and insecurity sent Manyang Lual Jok to Kakuma Refugee camp in northern Kenya. He took the trip with his uncle in 2005 in a truck with other migrants seeking safety from militia attacks. Whilst at the camp, he enrolled in a school within the camp and continued his elementary school education. “Having one or two meals a day was normal for me back then and I thought that’s how everyone else lived. Our school was outside we sat on stones and used divided books to write. Looking back, I realize …

Geoffrey Alleyne, has been in telecommunications for the last 51 years. A career he has found a great amount of satisfaction in. And as a telecommunications teacher at Pearson Electrotechnology Centre at the Lester B. Pearson School Board he has had a front row seat monitoring changes and development in the sector. Through the years he has watched the telecommunication industry morph and grow and as the world moves digital. Alleyne reckons this is a sector that young people need to jump on. The way he sees it the industry cuts across many spheres and industries not just limited to …

This past May, H. Nigel Thomas added to his impressive list of achievements when he was awarded the 2022 Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prize. He is one of two Canadians to receive the prize of $50,000, awarded to him in recognition of his outstanding contributions and achievements in the arts. It comes on the heels of the Judy Mappin Community Award that was given to him in 2021 by the Quebec Writers’ Federation, also recognizing a body of work that comprises 13 books: six novels, three books of short stories and two collections of poems. Along the way, …

Vincy Mas 2022 began on Friday 24 June and is in full swing. It ends Tuesday 5, July. A couple issues ago I made a mention to Vincy Mas as a must on your bucket list, but if you were unable to go 2022 Vincy Mas you can still get a bit of that experience here on July 16, with the Vincy Unity Picnic in Ontario and a live show in Montreal with Vincy artist Problem Child. On Saturday, July 16, thousands of Vincentian nationals and friends are expected to converged on Crysler Park in Morrisburg Ontario for the annual …

According to the calendar, almanac or whatever you use to gauge sea-sons and dates, summer is on. The best season of the year you say? It’s all personal and depends how much excitement and fun you squeeze out of it annually. But for Canada’s Indigenous Peoples, Tuesday, June 2I was special. So at various points throughout the day I tuned in to the nation’s station, CBC radio and listened to various programs highlighting different as-pects of Indigenous history and culture, as well as events happening in various parts of the country highlighting various celebrations. One thing that caught my ears …

After my previous article on food labels, I hope that I got you thinking and paying even more attention to the ingredients that are in your foods. I promised to continue this discussion. Let’s get started. Some people may be wondering ‘why do I need to read labels? Afterall, you only live once. In that case have fun, be merry, enjoy the foods you want, live your best life.’ In essence, no need to read labels, simply eat whatever you want, as much as you want and whenever you want. Point well taken, but let us look at this slightly …

Earlier this month, the government of Canada announced its recognition of Black Canadian cowboy John Ware as a person of “national historical significance.” The announcement was made on June 6, by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada would award John Ware for his life story: “Canada honours the resilience, innovation, and determination of Black people and recognizes the major contributions they have made, and continue to make, in all sectors of society.” Ware joins hundreds of other Canadian greats who have been bestowed this honour, such as Terry Fox, Harriett Tubman, Sam Langford and John Molson. What made …

Last week Toronto’s Police Chief James Ramer apologized to the public, following revelation of the police’s own analysis, and what has been known to all and sundry from time immemorial—the bias in policing, and disproportionate targeting of people of color. The chief called it a disturbing trend. From a civic stance I dare to digress as the word trend is blatantly inapt, and should be replaced by culture. According to the lexicon “culture” is a word for the way of life of groups of people, meaning the manner in which they do things. Culture is a reflection of a community, …

Remembering Uriah Jackson August 18, 1955 – July 1, 2017 My Angel how I miss you so. I think of you everyday The pain of losing you is always with me You are my inspiration It’s been five years So on July 3, a celebration of your life will be held at my mom’s place You’ll never be forgotten as long as I live Be at peace my baby You were the best thing that ever happened to me Yours Forever Angie     Randolph Pierre   On Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 2:40 am, our beloved father, Randolph Pierre, …