Every February, Canadians dedicate a month to celebrating the rich history and vibrant contributions of Black communities. While the official recognition began in 1995, the roots of Black History Month in Canada stretch back further, intertwined with its American counterpart and the tireless efforts of Black Montrealers. The Canadian government officially recognized February as Black History Month, following a motion introduced by the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament, the Honorable Jean Augustine. Since then, Black History Month has become an integral part of the Canadian cultural landscape, serving as a platform to amplify the voices and experiences of …

Dr. Alwin Spence The title of this article is a line borrowed from the Hon. Clifford Lincoln, who was a Cabinet Minister in the Quebec Legislative Assembly. It is a line of passion, feelings, truth, and honesty, and I thank Mr. Lincoln for making this statement popular in Quebec and Canada. As we are nearing the end of February, Black History month, I must thank and congratulate all those who were involved in the planning and execution of the many and different relevant activities, to awake the general public to the long way toward Black Freedom in the New World, …

The recent CARICOM summit held in Montreal and Ottawa on the 18-19th of October was a significant event, marking 50 years of a partnership between Canada and the Caribbean Community, which includes 15 countries and five associate members. The two-day summit, underscored the shared values of democracy, rule of law, and human rights that have been the foundation of the relationship between Canada and the diverse and vibrant CARICOM nations. The Caribbean Community fomed in 1973, is a regional organization made up of 15 full members and 5 associate members. The countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, …

A Tribute To A Community Builder: Hilton “Tom” Thomas With the passing of Hilton Thomas on April 19, at the age of 83, the community lost a champion in the cause of vocational education, employment preparedness, youth empowerment and cultural development. For much of his life, Tom as he was known to all, dedicated himself to helping to build lives and communities here in Montreal and in his native Trinidad and Tobago. As a trained welder he knew the value of having “a trade” and he invested his efforts and resources in establishing The Minority Apprenticeship Program (MAP) in the …

Dr. Alwin Spence In most organizations and institutions such as colleges, foundations, corporations and small businesses, there is a written document that explains their aims and objectives. For my last two articles my focus was about Parenting. It suddenly dawned on me, is there a “parent document” that explains the aims and objectives of a parent? Yes, I found one and I will pass it on to you. It was written by Thomas W. Phelan in his book, “Self-Esteem Revolutions in Children” Here it is: A PARENT’S MISSION STATEMENT: My children didn’t ask me to, but I chose to bring …

Remembering Our Beautiful Marlene Yorke (Lewis) Sunrise – February 1, 1936- Sunset – April 5, 2023 Marlene, a community favorite passed peacefully in her sleep on April 5. The Trinidad and Tobago (Belmont,) born beauty was a strong supporter of all community and church events. Blessed with a wonderful personality and known for her kindness as well as her sharp wit Marlene was a delight to be around. With her engaging sense of humor, Marlene made friends easily and was always on point to keep everyone laughing out loud. She was constantly being asked if she was ‘behaving’ herself to …

The recent COVID- 19 pandemic had such a significant impact on the real estate market and industry that real estate agents are being forced to adapt to new ways of doing business and will continue to impact how we buy and sell a house . George Grant, who has been a realtor going on four decades has seen a lot of up and down in the industry. He describes Covid as ushering in “a perfect storm situation” for both buys and sellers, saying the demand for homes was high during the pandemic but there was not enough inventory and that …