BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“The Caribbean Travel Marketplace is not an event in the context of a single activity, but it’s an opportunity, a great opportunity for us as Caribbean people, not just to showcase the strength and power of our assets, but also to provide leadership with innovation.” Edmund Bartlett (Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism)

Welcome to the Caribbean, a paradise on Earth where turquoise waters meet golden sands, and vibrant cultures thrive amidst lush landscapes. Join us on an unforgettable journey through this enchanting archipelago, where every island tells a unique story. The Caribbean is more than just a destination; it’s a collection of experiences, each island offering its own unique charm and adventure. Whether you seek relaxation, history, adventure, or celebration, the Caribbean invites you to discover all that it has to offer.

Over the next six months, the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper will take you on an unforgettable journey around the islands. We’ll give Canadians a chance to experience the unmatched beauty of the Caribbean and those from the Caribbean Diaspora a chance to indulge in everything they have missed back home.

How are we going to be able to do this? Well, we were invited to the 42nd staging of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace, which took place at the Montego Bay Convention Center from May 20^th -23^rd, 2024.

The Caribbean Travel Marketplace afforded tourism suppliers the opportunity to meet face-to-face with wholesalers from around the world selling Caribbean vacation travel over the course of two days of business meetings. This event stands as the region’s premier platform for: networking, forging partnerships, and showcasing the vibrant offerings of the Caribbean hospitality and tourism sector.

The Caribbean Travel Marketplace is not a typical trade show; the two-day event consisted of pre-scheduled appointments between suppliers and buyers. It was something that I have never experienced before, and something that I am looking forward to sharing with communities across Canada. It consisted of a Caribbean Travel Forum (now in its third year) that focused on the business of tourism in the Caribbean and reflected on visioning a new tourism landscape. Specific topics focused on what is needed to achieve the WTTC economic study projection of a doubling in GDP and an additional 1.34 million jobs by 2032.

Captains of the international and regional travel industry, general managers, private and public sector thought leaders and other officials provided insightful and relevant information to the Caribbean Travel Industry including sharing global and regional travel industry data insight, as well as consumer and travel trends.

Caribbean Travel Marketplace kicked off with the Caribbean Travel Forum on May 20^th, focusing on “Visioning a New Tourism Landscape for the Caribbean.” The forum featured an awards luncheon to honour the Caribbean Hotelier of the Year and present Destination Resilience honours and the President’s Award for Excellence in Caribbean Tourism.

They also had a responsible Tourism Day, which coincided with Jamaica’s Labour Day on May 23^rd, 2024, and included a focus on addressing climate change, sustainable development, and agricultural linkages to emphasize responsible stewardship of tourism communities.

The best thing about the journey that I am going to take you on; I am going to immerse you in the allure of the beautiful islands of the Caribbean, and we are going to start at the headquarters of the Marketplace in 2024, Jamaica. I am going to offer the opportunity for readers to explore the islands, indulge in adventures, unwind with a spa treatment, groove to the rhythm of its music, and savor the unique flavors of Caribbean cuisine. Whether by the beach, atop a waterfall, or in a lively dancehall, the Caribbean offers a plethora of experiences to enrich your visit!

With all these compelling reasons it’s hard to refute that the Marketplace was a must-attend. From the ability to shake hands and make business deals to exploring and immersing myself in the region, the Marketplace was the place to be for journalists, travel junkies, buyers and sellers of Caribbean travel.

Are you ready? In this edition, we are going to start our journey with Anguilla and the launch of their Summer Campaign, Exclusively Yours, Anguilla. Let’s go!

BY STEVEN KASZAB

The public sector often relies upon the private sector to effectively and continually test their products as to their functions, possible imperfections and failures to operate correctly. to them. The public authority simply does not have the staff to continually connect with these manufacturers and industry sector leaders. The public authority relies upon the: manufacturers, producers and industries management to do the job for them. The private sector’s promises of regulatory maintenance are taken for granted. Their promise to never put profit before the safety of the public is assumed, but often never fully scrutinized, never fully investigated by public regulators.

• Passengers complain of carbon monoxide poisoning on and during travel on airlines
• Medicines approved before proper studies of potential side effects (examples like COVID Vaccines-Opioids-Ozempic)
• Airlines maintain on a strict regular schedule all active aircrafts belonging to airlines
• The automotive industry tests all safety measures in their vehicles like airbags properly inflating
• Meat purveyors preparing, cleaning and processing all meat safely, in disease free facilities without the possibility of contaminated material flowing into the public’s consumer sphere

How can the public authority expect a private concern to operate and make items, provide a service to the public without placing profitability before the public’s safe operation, or consumption of an item? Business exists to make profit and is not a lost leader for the public concern.

The opioid epidemic was allowed to be initiated and grow by the ineptitude of public officials who approved flawed procedures and medical trials so that opioid meds can be sold. Why? Public officials believed the corporate propaganda, tests and procedures of corporate America. They were told these drugs were safe, but no satisfying warning of definitive addictions were mentioned until the marketplace had been saturated with this drug. By the way, who usually hires former public regulators and provides excellent employment opportunities for them? The private sector, assuredly Big Pharma.

Meat packers and agricultural producers are often pressured by management to release products for public use even though these items can be contaminated. Sales must go on, business must never step back, but always advance and grow its industry. Jobs are on the line; profits need to be made.

Governments are always under the gun, receiving undue pressure from the corporate sector to lower taxes, reduce regulatory action, and get its noise out of its business. When a new vehicle is designed and made, insurance policies are established by the corporate sector, considering the probable injuries and deaths caused by their products’ failure during use by the public. I once helped develop a handle for AMC that would not break, guaranteeing 2000 pulls. The corporate officials came, took all relevant materials from us, and told us they were in the business to make money, so the handle did not need to be guaranteed past the two hundredth pull. Profits always over the consumers pocketbook, safety or relevance in the big picture.

There are equations and studies used by the corporate world to evaluate, often in real time, the possible injuries and deaths that will be caused by the use of the corporations’ products. Next time you go onto a plane, wonder if it has been maintained properly, or if you purchase a vehicle, was the airbag properly installed or working at all. When a family member gets medicine, investigate what it is and what sort of side effects it may cause.

The corporate world only provides info packs of propaganda, so you are responsible for your family’s safety and well-being. The public is responsible while the public sector tries to catch up to the public’s needs. If something happens, a product fails in mass, or food is contaminated and consumed, the public suffers, while the corporate world has insurance and a strong legal department. Public officials are protected by law from any of their failings to act and get their job done.

The public is a petri-dish of experimentation, where big business introduces new and exciting products to be publicly used with little real regulatory authority applied. Drugs are infused with other stuff often not shown, and a long list of side effects may be listed, putting the corporations’ legal woes to rest, since they made some effort to be transparent. The consumer is the responsible authority, the one given the choice to decide what to: consume, eat or travel on. Be Wise!

BY PAUL JUNOR

The 83,000 strong Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETF0) has consistently fought for the rights of its workers. Prior to the settlement reached with the Ontario government, it has brought attention to pertinent issues that need focus.

On Tuesday May 22^nd, 2024, it issued a press release in which details are described of its application with the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) regarding an unfair labour practice complaint against the PC-led provincial government. It is specifically related to actions taken by the government with respect to the April 28^th, announcement of changes made by Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce to Programs/Policy Memorandum (PPM) 128: The Provincial Code of Conduct and School Board Codes of Conduct.

PPM 128 is a part of subsection 301(1) of Part XIII of the Education Act, which recognizes that the Minister may establish a Code of Conduct governing the behaviour of all persons in schools. This memorandum must be interpreted alongside others such as PPM 119, PPM 120 and PPM 145: Progressive discipline and promoting student behaviour. The overall purpose of PPM 128 is to create a positive climate that supports the achievement and well-being of all students in Ontario and respects all human rights.

There are seven purposes of the Provincial Code of Conduct, which are listed including:

• To ensure that all members of the school community, especially people in positions of authority, are treated with respect and dignity
• To promote responsible citizenship by encouraging appropriate participation in the civic life of the school community
• To maintain an environment where conflict and difference can be addresses in a manner characterized by respect and civility
• To encourage the use of non-violent means to resolve conflict
• To promote the safety of people in the schools
• To discourage the use of alcohol, illegal drugs and, except by a medical cannabis use, cannabis
• To prevent bullying in schools

President Karen Brown of ETFO notes in the press release, “We have begun a formal process to remind the Ford government of its legal obligation to bargain in good faith, and to respect and honour central agreements. The Ford government reneged on its commitments to ETFO at the central bargaining table; they simply cannot be trusted. We intend to fight these unprincipled actions-actions that, time and time again, attack workers’ rights.”

The press release identifies two areas that were crucial in the last round of the central bargaining process. These include:

• Addressing increasing violence
• Disruption in schools

The persistent advocacy of ETF0 led to several positive outcomes at the central bargaining process. These include publicly facing school signage that communicates behaviour expectations for everyone, as well as jointly developed revisions to PPM 128 to address: behaviour, consequences, and safety.

ETFO is concerned that the provincial government has not kept its side of the bargain but has retracted its steps and proven untrustworthy. President Brown elaborates, “Despite having committed to a collaborative process and meeting with ETFO on two brief occasions and agreeing to a third-party meeting prior to the release of the revised PPM, the government acted in bad faith, proving again that they are not interested in partnering with educators to address violence in schools.

We left the bargaining table committed to working together. True to form, the government was never interested in being a partner. It misrepresented its intentions, dismissed our expertise, and chose to ignore labour laws. The Ford government cannot be trusted.”

ETFO references Section 32 of the School Boards Collective Bargaining which emphasizes the importance of good faith as a critical element in central bargaining. The press release notes, “This includes a duty to avoid misleading or misrepresenting its intentions with respect to contemplated initiatives. These were violated by the government’s conduct.”

In a written statement from Isha Chaudhuri, spokesperson for Education Minister Stephen Lecce, he states, “Parents have been clear in their support for removing distractions like cellphones and social media and cracking down on students vaping at school, given the negative impacts these have on the academic achievement and mental and physical health of students. This common-sense policy will help reduce behavioral issues in the classroom and increase students’ health and well-being, and it is disappointing that this teacher union opposes it.”