All posts on April 3rd, 2023

It was Henry IV of France who decided that none among his countrymen should be without “a chicken in every pot every Sunday.” In her recently delivered federal budget, Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland could not reach for such lofty aspirations, but she was able to target about 11 million Canadians with a little financial assistance to help put some food in pantries across the nation. The Liberal government Grocery Rebate, as it’s termed will provide eligible couples with two children with up to $467 in a one-time payment. Single Canadians without children and seniors will collect between $234 and …

Unless they reverse their inglorious act, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government will forever be remembered for the injustice and potential harm that they have heaped on people seeking refuge in Canada, by closing the Roxham Road border-crossing. The closing took effect at 12:01 AM on Saturday February 25, a few hours after Mr. Trudeau met with US President Joe Biden and they announced an update of the border-crossing treaty between Canada and the US, the Safe Third Country Agreement. The agreement, which was signed in 2004 allowed Canada to turn away refugee claimants from the U.S. on …

The end-of-season concert MONTREAL GOSPEL CHOIR is a springtime treat for music lovers in this city. This year promises to be extra special when the group of 74 high-energy singers step on the stage at Salle Désilets on Sunday, April 30, because it will the first time the whole choir singing together on stage at the same time since 2019. As usual, MGC will be under the direction of Carol Bernard, who brings more than three decades of her musical prowess to the stage, and the choir will be serving up a repertoire of authentic gospel music that’s rooted in …

“The body never lies!” This is a quote I heard many times from one of my mentors, and it’s so true. The question is what is it telling us? I use the word sensations to refer to all the body cues we describe as feelings and emotions. When you say you are angry, frustrated, disappointed, hurt, happy and/or excited, they are all in reference to certain cues in your body. As we grow, we start to pay less attention to the internal cues our body gives us and we begin to pay more attention to external situations to describe how …

Remember as a child when our parents encouraged us to sit down and eat? It’s an age-old practice. While we may not have fully understood the importance of this, there are many benefits. Sitting down to eat is something that is practiced in many cultures worldwide. Whether we’re sitting around a table or on the ground, the common, shared practice is being seated while we eat. In fact, to sit on the ground and eat is a longstanding, ancient culture in many countries. It is said to provide a peaceful state of mind, sense of calm and belonging, particularly when …

Dr. Alwin Spence In the 60’s and 70’s, a new concept of schooling was introduced particularly to some urban districts. It was in response to the poor discipline poor learning, inadequate services, unqualified teachers, very high drop-out rate, and sometimes total chaos. These schools were labeled Inner City institutions since most, if not all were in cities in the United States and Canada. Because of the threatening condition of these schools, educators and psychologists frantically searched for answers to remedy this condition. Eventually it was determined that the reason for the poor discipline in these schools was that the self-esteem …

First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. —Martin Niemöller. Strange but true, there are some days when I grow weary of the constant strategizing, over-analyzing and self-negotiating associated with being Black. It has become what can only be termed a …

In loving memory of Basil Lennox Fenton September 17, 1954 – April 07, 2019 It has been four years since you left us for your heavenly home. Nothing can ever take away a love the heart holds dear. Treasure memories, forever in our hearts. Greatly loved, deeply missed. Lovingly remembered by, your wife Lorna, your daughter, grandchildren and host of family and friends.   Remembering Dennis Forbes It saddens us that one year ago, March 7, 2022, Dennis Forbes passed away from an illness he was fighting for several years. He was born and raised in Jamaica. In 1969 he …