Queen’s College of Guyana Alumni Association -Toronto Chapter’s Literary Event

BY MICHAEL THOMAS

Queen’s College of Guyana Alumni Association of Toronto is hosting its literacy event program called The Launching of Kidnapped; A Living Nightmare by QC Alumnus, Dave Rohee, a founding member of QCAA Toronto Chapter.

This event will take place on Sunday, July 14^th, 2019, from12.30 pm. to 4.30 pm.at Warden Hilltop Community Centre at 25 Mendelssohn Street (Warden & St. Clair Avenue). Refreshments will be served, and admission is free.

An audio-visual presentation will be shown highlighting parts of China, a unique country and its historical background. The author will also be discussing the reasons for making this risky venture into a foreign country, the results of which were disastrous and life-threatening.

The author Dave Rohee states that Kidnapped is the true story of an international kidnapping event that took place in China in 2001. This horrible incident happened to a Canadian businessman who was trying to develop an aviation business in a foreign country. Unknown to him at the time, the country was considered the worst place for a foreigner to try and start a business.

This story is the hair-raising account of the kidnapping and its outcome. There were several international law enforcement agencies involved with hunting down the culprits. These agencies worked tirelessly to find the criminals responsible. This amazing story is recounted as it happens. Truth is stranger than fiction, and this is one good example. This factual account will keep you engrossed by the twist and turns for the five days of captivity that seemed to last a lifetime.

Toronto Caribbean Newspaper spoke with Kemahl Khan, Vice President of Membership and Communications of the association here in Toronto. Khan said since their inception in 1991, the QCAAT’s major goal has been to assist the students and staff of the school, Queen’s College in Georgetown, Guyana. The association provides assistance, which helps to maintain the standard of academic excellence for which Queen’s College of Guyana is renowned for since it was established in 1844. Graduates have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields of endeavor; five of whom became heads of the Guyana Government in the post-colonial period. From its humble beginnings of 15 students, Queen’s College (QC) now is home to 700+ students pursuing an expanded and varied range of disciplines. “Our contributions to the school for various projects to date total $220,000 Canadian dollars,” Khan reported.

These donations were used to finance things like: educational books, musical equipment, laboratory equipment, a PA system, desktop and laptop computers, a modern intercom system, the upgrading of the library along with the replacement and annual maintenance of the school’s computer network, which has full internet access. All this at a cost to date of $80,300 Canadian dollars.

The Chapter also contributed to the QC rebuilding fund following the disastrous fire in 1997, and helped to finance some completed building projects in the school’s compound undertaken by the QC Parent Teachers Association. It produced the 2009 revised edition of N.E. Cameron’s History of Queen’s College, and has awarded to both QC alumni/alumnae, and children/grandchildren of alumni 43 bursaries for post-secondary learning in institutions both in and outside Canada. In addition, it has contributed $500 Canadian dollars annually to Canadian charities.

The Chapter, while pursuing its main goal, has at the same time provided the opportunity for its members to participate in its activities and events, recapturing the camaraderie they enjoyed during their QC days. The Association has been able to meet its goals despite several challenges, particularly the need for its younger alumni and alumnae residents in Canada to join its membership as it continues to provide the much-needed assistance to its alma mater. The Association therefore invites those alumni who have not yet come on board to do so by completing the Membership Form accessible on its website at www.qcalumnitoronto.com.

For this specific literacy event program Khan told Toronto Carribean Newspaper, “Seating is limited from 60-70 people so seats must be reserved by contacting me as this is a catered event.” He expressed how grateful the association is for the support given by its alumni and the community.