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Fallen Angel Ryan Duke A Beloved Brother, Father and Friend of the Community

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6 years ago

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BY: ALYSSA MAHADEO 

It doesn’t matter who you speak to if you ask anyone in the WI Entertainment community everyone has the same kind, beautiful and positive words to say about Ryan.

I myself never had the chance to meet Ryan, but as a community reporter, my job is to share the stories of people who left lasting impressions on society to ensure that people remember them for the amazing and wonderful individuals that they were.

In the days leading up to November 28th, 2018 news flooded throughout social media of Ryan Duke being admitted to the hospital. Close friends, family, and members of the community asking for prayers for a man who was a great friend to the community, an individual who truly understood what it meant to love humanity.

Ryan Duke was a DJ, a friend, a brother, a beloved husband, and father. Throughout his life, Ryan touched so many people. In whatever he did, he was always looking to help people in any way that he could, offering helpful advice to those that needed it, bringing a meal to feed the hungry or just be that shoulder to cry on, always actively working to reassure people that everything would be okay.

He left lasting impressions on people that had only briefly crossed his path, and the bonds of friendships he formed were everlasting. People respected him for his hustle, the way he raised his son, the pride he had when he spoke of his boy’s accomplishments and the way that he would always go above and beyond for anyone who needed his kindness.

When news of Ryan’s passing broke, the community mourned. They had no words to describe their feelings and it hurt them to hear about his sudden passing.

“Ryan was a really sweet guy,” shares his girlfriend Sasha Mohammed, mother to his four-month-old daughter Jazmyn Aryah Duke. Sasha and Ryan met through a mutual friend in the club scene where he was spinning as a DJ. “The pride he had about his son, the love that he had was just so sweet, it immediately made me recognize what a great guy he was.”

Ryan’s big heart knew no bounds, he was always searching for ways to make the world a better place. It didn’t matter who you were or what you needed Ryan would do what he could to help. At his funeral service, many came forward to share stories of times when Ryan had helped them when they were struggling financially, or living in shelters, to help them find a job, and get them back on their feet vastly improving their lives, and that of their families.

“He was a very humble and caring person,” shares Maria Duke, mother of Ryan’s oldest child Brandan Duke also known in the community as Brandan Duke the DJ. “He was one of those people that if you needed help, he was the first in line to help you.”

Ryan was a very positive and optimistic person, there was never a dull moment when you were around him and it didn’t matter how bad a situation might be, he somehow was always able to find the positive and make it known.

“I used to call him my knight in shining armour because he saved me,” Sasha says. “He always protected me even if it was something trivial, he was always there for me and he helped me through a lot.”

“He always commanded a high level of respect from people, even if they didn’t know him, they respected him, and what he did. That’s the type of man he was.”

Ryan’s greatest legacy is his two children, Brandan, and Jazmyn Duke. Although Jazmyn will be too young to remember her father, her big brother Brandan is stepping up to ensure his little sister will know all of the great memories they shared together.

“Our relationship was amazing, we always stuck together, we were a team.” Brandan shares. “One of our mottos was, teamwork makes the dream work and we worked together all the time on cool new ideas to share with the public.”

At 12 years old, Brandan speaks with a maturity not yet discovered by boys his age. His memories of his father and their unbreakable bond over music is a testament to what Ryan taught his son about loving life and extending that love to his family and the entire community. His father worked tirelessly to carve out a path for Brandan in the entertainment scene supporting him in his DJ career and making him the youngest DJ in the world at the age of 6.

“He was always trying to teach his son Brandan life lessons, always looking for the good in people, don’t judge a book by its cover,” Sasha says.

“My dad would always tell me to be humble, make sure you’re not doing bad things, or saying bad things to other people,” Brandan explains. “He would also say no matter how many people are in the crowd whether it’s one, or it’s a million make sure you always play your best, no matter what always make your best impression, because you never know who is out in the crowd watching.”

Ryan’s legacy will continue to live on through Brandan’s music. The Duke family has incorporated Ryan’s final heartbeat into Brandan’s new logo featuring his love for his faith, and his work as a DJ in the community, inspired by the hopes of great things the future has to offer.

“Ryan loved golfing, bowling and cricket even if he wasn’t the best!  His most valuable time would be watching the Raptors, Leafs, Jays and believe it or not the Buffalo Bills with his son and closest friends around,” shares two of Ryan’s close friends Sheena Rohoman and Natalie Tulshi-Persaud. “Ryan loved being around people and we loved being around him.”

“Ryan has been a part of our lives for almost 20 years. We admired Ryan’s dedication towards the relationship between us all. We loved his home gatherings that were more personal and intimate, far from the rest of his life.”

Ryan is remembered by the way he would treat people, be them people he knew intimately or a homeless man he’d just met on the street. He was touched by the people he met the stories they shared and his kind-hearted nature always drove him to go above and beyond for anyone in need.

In the entertainment industry, Ryan was revered by his colleagues and his peers. His passion for music, which he passed on to his son, was something that got him into the DJ business, he was always looking to provide a professional service and something over and beyond that of a regular DJ.

“He was a highly reliable person, he was one of those guys that I knew I could really rely on to orchestrate and plan events,” shares another close friend Riyad Mohammed, also known in the entertainment community as DJ Riyad.

“He was a man of his word if he committed to doing something he would do it, and I liked the way he conducted himself.”

His DJ name DJ R.Y.A.N stood for #Rockinyaallnight a tag which can be found across social media tied to posts of tributes from people paying their respects to Ryan appreciating the music he shared with them, and all the memories made at the events where he brought the rocking vibes all night long.

“He really wanted to bring music to the people,” Riyad says.

Ryan was committed to giving back, he never backed down from a difficult situation, never made excuses for why something couldn’t be done. Even in the coldest of winters, he would take time to go downtown with the help of Riyad, another friend Brother Krishna and a team of people from the Gopal Mandir to feed the homeless.

“He was always very supportive and did whatever he could to assist, to give back and help out. If it was one thing about Ryan he always made you feel comfortable.”

Upon his passing, Ryan’s family consented on his behalf, to have his organs donated. Through his donation, Ryan was able to help 4 individuals live to see another day. “Based on the kind of person that he was, it was what he would have wanted,” Maria said.

Over the past week, the family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, and support from the community. Tribute songs have been written in Ryan’s honour, memorial services were efficiently organized, and everyone was able to come together to remember Ryan in a way that he would have wanted. The family would especially like to thank Jerry at Calypso Hut for all of the help he has given them, and for allowing them to use his restaurant as a collective gathering place for the community.

On December 28th Ryan would have been 42 years old. As a celebration of his life, his closest friends and family invite the community to a special fundraising Dinner & Dance on Saturday, December 29th, 2018 at Chandni Convention Centre*. This is a semi-formal family event and all proceeds from the night will be put towards an Education Savings Plan for Ryan’s children Jazmyn and Brandan.

“They don’t really make people like Ryan anymore where the core values of that person are honesty, integrity, and reliability. He had it all, and he would always try his best to do what’s good for everybody else around him, he would always put people before himself,” Riyad says.

His daughter Jazmyn will never have the chance to know her father, but the people who knew him will have so many stories to share with her one day, to guide her in everything she chooses to pursue.

“I want her to know that no matter whatever bad day her dad might have had he always found ways to make you feel better. He would find ways to make you laugh, he never liked to see people hurting,” Sasha shares.

“If you can make someone smile and make their day a better day, your father would be so proud.”

Rest in eternal peace Ryan Duke. #Rockinyaallnight

*Venue has been changed since article printed in the newspaper, this is the new location.

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Urban Alliance on Race Relations celebrates and highlights Racial Justice Award recipients

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3 days ago

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December 19, 2024

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BY PAUL JUNOR

It has been almost 40 years since the Urban Alliance on Race Relations (UARR) has been at the forefront of: promoting tolerance, social justice, racial equity and fairness. Since it was formed in 1975, they have celebrated and recognized changemakers in the fight for racial justice in diverse sectors such as: health, labour, government, education, arts, media, environment, and justice.

On Saturday, December 7th, 2024, there was a great turnout at the 2024 Racial Justice Awards Night held at The Estate Banquet & Event Centre in Scarborough. In attendance were many community supporters, civic officials, long-time racial justice warriors, and individuals from diverse ethnic groups.

UARR is grateful for all the sponsors of the Racial Justice Awards Night Celebration. It notes in its email to its supporters on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024, the importance of its sponsors including:

  • United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) of Canada, UFCW, Local 175
  • The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 353
  • Unite Here! Local 75
  • Toronto & York Region Labour Council
  • Canadian Labour Congress
  • The Coalitions of Black Trade Union (CBTUL)

“Your sponsorship plays a vital role in shining a light on individuals and organizations driving equity, justice, and change in our communities. This celebration is more than an event, it’s a movement. Thanks to your support, we’re: honoring changemakers, amplifying unheard voices, and funding initiatives that break down systemic barriers.”

The categories and names of the awards and recipients were:

Racial Justice in Arts: Hannia Cheng

She is an artist and cultural worker who co-founded Unit 270, a DIY gallery and multi-purpose grassroots community hub in Chinatown Centre.

Racial Justice in Labour: Vanessa Story

She is the founder of the Black Youth York Region and co-founder of the York Communities for Public Education coalition.

Racial Justice in Education: Shannon Simpson

She is Senior Director of Indigenous Initiatives at the University of Toronto.

Racial Justice in Environment: Dr. Ingrid Waldron

She is a Professor and HOPE Chair in Peace and Health in the Global and Peace and Social Justice Program in the Faculty of Humanities at McMaster University.

Urban Alliance of Race Relations Agent of Change Award: Kirk Mark

He is the Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Consultant at KIRK Mark & Associates.

Racial Justice in Media: Amanda Parris

She is an award-winning writer, tv host and producer, and former host of CBC Arts Exhibitionist.

Racial Justice in Health: Camille Orridge

She is former CEO of the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (TCLHIN).

Racial Justice in Government: Amira Elghawaby

She is a journalist and human rights advocate who was appointed in January 2023 as Canada’s Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia.

Racial Justice in Justice: South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALC0)

This legal clinic supports low-income South Asian people in Canada.

The funds raised from the Awards night will be going toward the work of the Diversity Youth Fellowship Program. This innovative and creative program is directly involved in enabling racialized youth to get paid experience working in municipal governments and at various public policy making organizations across Canada.

The performers at the event included: Katheen Zaragosa (a Filipino music performer), Rithika Jeristus & Maya Jeristus (Bharatanatyam dancers) and Yasmin Said (spoken word artist)

UARR is looking forward to its 50th anniversary celebrations in 2025 and shared five of its strategic priorities for the next 10 years including:

  • Employment and economic opportunity: The goal is to foster inclusive workspaces and economic opportunities.
  • Education: The goal is to promote racial equity in education and research.
  • Communication: The goal is to expand public awareness and reach to amplify our stories.
  • Community engagement and outreach: The goal is building community capacity and convening towards change.
  • Truth and reconciliation-relationship building and supporting calls to action. The goal is to strengthen our solidarity and action towards truth and reconciliation.

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What is it about those short videos that keep us captivated? Oh! Yes! Our short attention span

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3 days ago

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December 19, 2024

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BY KAHA GEDI

As our attention spans decrease, short form videos are becoming more popular. From TikTok, to YouTube Shorts, to Instagram Reels, these “snack sized” videos have positive qualities alongside the bad. Mainly we want to know what makes them so effective, and why are they becoming the go-to choice for both viewers and marketers? In this article, I will be discussing how these videos have received such popularity worldwide.

First, we need to understand what counts as and what is short-form content. According to blog.hubspot.com, “Short-form videos are videos that are less than 60 seconds long.” However, some marketers and content creators agree that short-form videos can be up to 3 minutes. “They are videos that deliver information in a ‘digestible’ format so that viewers can quickly watch and save content if they’re in a hurry or enjoy it.” Now, I’ll talk about the main reasons why these videos are so popular.

First, our attention spans have gone down exponentially. Dr Gloria Mark has written a book called “Attention Span,” and she says her research indicates people’s attention spans have been shrinking over the last 20 years. According to the same article Dr. Mark said that “Back in 2004, we found the average attention span on any screen to be two and a half minutes on average. Throughout the years, it became shorter. So, around 2012, we found it to be 75 seconds. Then in the last five, six years, we found it to average about 47 seconds.” So, it’s notable that our attention spans started out longer but then decreased over time.

Secondly, these videos have become cheaper and easier to make. Unlike long-form videos, which require extensive: planning, editing, and storytelling, short-form videos are simpler. To the point where they can even be shot on a smartphone. For example, DuoLingo, the app that helps learn new languages, went viral on TikTok a long time ago by posting funny, low-budget videos that resonate with millions. Like a video of a DuoLingo plus being: tossed down the stairs, sitting outside on a rainy day, or being soaked by the shower with the title “When you ignore my notifications.”

Lastly, they provide valuable information in a short amount of time, and they are easily accessible. According to a recent Adobe Survey, two in five Americans use TikTok as a search engine, and nearly one in 10 Gen Zeers are more likely to rely on TikTok than Google as a search engine. This isn’t always reliable for real news because anyone can claim to be an expert, and you wouldn’t know if they’re telling the truth. So, even though they give valuable information in a short time, they can also give misinformation or mislead you.

Short-form videos have changed how we watch and learn things. They fit our short attention spans, are easy to make, and share information quickly. Even though they’re fun and helpful, they can also spread false information or leave out important details. Even with these problems, short-form videos are here to stay, so we should use them in proportion, but also enjoy the benefits.

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Dr. Edward McInnis on the Importance of Preventive Care in Family Medicine

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3 days ago

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December 19, 2024

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Preventive care is a cornerstone of modern healthcare, emphasizing the importance of addressing potential health concerns before they escalate into severe conditions. By focusing on proactive measures such as regular screenings, vaccinations, and lifestyle counseling, preventive care offers individuals and communities the opportunity to achieve long-term wellness.

Below, Edward McInnis highlights the transformative potential of prevention in reducing healthcare disparities, alleviating systemic challenges, and ensuring that every individual has the tools and access needed to lead a healthier life.

Understanding Preventive Care in Family Medicine

Preventive care in family medicine focuses on proactive measures to maintain health and prevent illness before it occurs. This approach emphasizes regular health evaluations, screenings, and interventions that identify potential issues early, reducing the likelihood of severe complications. Preventive care fosters long-term well-being by addressing risk factors and promoting healthier lifestyles while minimizing the burden of chronic diseases.

The philosophy behind preventive care aligns with the idea that staying healthy is more effective and less costly than treating illnesses after they arise. Early detection of conditions such as hypertension or high cholesterol allows patients and physicians to manage these issues effectively, preventing them from escalating into more severe health problems. Beyond individual benefits, this care model contributes to healthier communities by reducing the overall demand for healthcare systems.

Benefits of Preventive Care for Individuals and Communities

Preventive care profoundly impacts individuals and the broader community by addressing potential health concerns before they evolve into severe conditions. Early detection through routine screenings can significantly lower the risk of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. This improves individual health outcomes and reduces the emotional and financial toll of managing advanced diseases.

Communities prioritizing preventive care experience a ripple effect of healthier populations and reduced strain on healthcare resources. When more people engage in regular check-ups and adopt healthier habits, the prevalence of preventable conditions drops, creating a collective benefit. Individuals who invest in their health through preventive measures often enjoy longer, more active lives, positively influencing families, workplaces, and society.

The economic advantages of preventive care are undeniable, as early intervention typically costs far less than treating advanced illnesses. Vaccination programs, such as those targeting seasonal flu or childhood diseases, can drastically curb outbreaks, saving lives and reducing medical expenses. These benefits demonstrate how preventive care is a cornerstone of sustainable and effective healthcare systems.

Core Preventive Services in Family Medicine

Family medicine emphasizes various preventive services designed to address health needs across all stages of life. Regular health screenings, such as blood pressure and cholesterol checks, are critical in identifying silent health risks. These assessments provide actionable insights that allow individuals to make timely adjustments to their lifestyles or begin treatment when necessary.

Vaccinations are another cornerstone of preventive care, protecting individuals and communities from infectious diseases. From childhood immunizations to seasonal flu shots, these interventions safeguard personal health and prevent the spread of illnesses within larger populations. Counseling services, including guidance on nutrition, exercise, and stress management, empower patients to take an active role in their long-term well-being.

The Role of Family Physicians in Prevention

Family physicians play a pivotal role in fostering preventive care through their ability to build lasting, trust-based relationships with patients. These relationships enable them to understand not just medical histories but also lifestyle factors, family dynamics, and social determinants of health. This comprehensive knowledge allows physicians to craft personalized preventive strategies that resonate with each patient’s unique circumstances, ensuring a more practical approach to maintaining health.

Beyond individual care, family physicians act as educators, equipping patients with the knowledge to make informed health decisions. Whether discussing the significance of regular screenings or addressing misconceptions about vaccines, their guidance helps patients take ownership of their health.

The continuity of care provided by family physicians also ensures that preventive measures are consistently monitored and adjusted as needed, fostering long-term well-being. Their ability to provide holistic and deeply personalized care sets the foundation for healthier patients and communities.

Challenges in Accessing Preventive Care

Despite its proven benefits, accessing preventive care remains challenging for many individuals and communities. Financial barriers, such as lack of insurance coverage or high out-of-pocket costs, often deter people from seeking preventive services. Additionally, limited awareness about the importance of early detection and health promotion means that some individuals may only prioritize preventive care once a health issue becomes severe.

Geographical disparities also play a significant role in limiting access. Rural and underserved areas frequently face shortages of healthcare providers, making it difficult for residents to receive consistent preventive services. In such regions, innovative approaches like mobile health clinics and telemedicine have emerged as solutions to bridge the gap. Expanding these efforts could help overcome logistical obstacles and ensure that preventive care reaches those most in need.

Cultural factors and mistrust of the healthcare system can further complicate access to preventive services. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach that includes community engagement, culturally sensitive care, and efforts to build trust between healthcare providers and patients. Strengthening health literacy and facilitating dialogue between healthcare institutions and the communities they serve are also critical steps in overcoming these barriers.

Promoting and Advancing Preventive Care

Advancing preventive care depends on raising awareness and fostering a culture that values proactive health management. Educational campaigns, workplace wellness programs, and school-based health initiatives encourage people to adopt preventive practices. These efforts create an environment where individuals feel empowered to prioritize their well-being, leading to healthier lifestyles and earlier intervention.

The integration of technology is revolutionizing how preventive care is delivered. Wearable devices that track physical activity, heart rate, and sleep patterns provide individuals with real-time data about their health, prompting timely action when irregularities arise. Similarly, data analytics and predictive tools enable healthcare providers to identify at-risk populations and deliver targeted interventions, improving outcomes on a broader scale.

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