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Scarborough Celebrates Cultural Fusion At The 6th Annual Afro-Carib Fest

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BY KRISTINA RAMCHARRAN

The sun was shining in Scarborough as the city kicked off the 6th annual Afro-Carib festival. It was a cultural affair as the sounds of Afro-beats and Soca music filled the venue and poured out onto the streets. The colourful and vibrant printed clothing from the vendor stalls blew in the wind as people of the community shopped with fascination. The Albert Campbell Square located on the outside of the Scarborough Civic Centre was filled with a lively assortment of vendors of all kinds and at the centre of attraction was the stage showcasing all of the festival’s performances.

The two-day festival was packed with a culturally exquisite line up of singers and dancers of African, Caribbean and other descents. Apart from entertainment, the festival served as a great way for cultural vendors to reach out to the public and gain support within their cultural communities.

Local vendor Jamal Rowe spoke on his first experience being at the event and said that the festival’s environment is looking positive for his soap business. “So far it’s pretty lively, actually a lot of people are coming out. Really good food, good weather so it’s a perfect time for the event.”

On his product, Rowe was present at the festival selling handmade soaps along with his business partner. He noted that he enjoys making wholesome products like their soap for the cultural community because they have a strong appreciation for natural products. “Everybody wants something more natural, especially from, you know, their own community as well. So, we actually hand make it, so that’s what makes it really special and we keep out all the preservatives.”

Rowe added, “It’s tailored for us. It’s naturally smooth, it’s not that bulk stuff you get at the store, so it’s really catered for us. It’s for us, by us.”

Because of the great vendor environment and the cultural community support generated from the festival, vendors from previous years have returned annually to be a part of this cultural extravaganza. Such a vendor like Marvin Joachim has returned to the festival for four years consecutively.

Joachim runs a business also selling natural products such as body oils, body butters and noted that natural is the way to go, and the crowd at the Afro-Carib fest easily proves to agree. Being present at the festival for four years as a vendor, Joachim said that much has changed and developed over the years. “It’s been a good experience actually. When I first came here it was around six vendors and now we’re about maybe what, 40 deep? So from like six, seven to forty, it’s been a nice ride.”

He also said that the event’s growth pushes his business to grow even further. “[I] try to go bigger and better every year. I try to grow with them.” He also added that the Afro-Carib fest’s value of diversity is evident in everyone. “Everybody that’s coming together, the diversity, the different cultures. I mean everybody just comes here to have a good time,” said Joachim.

Apart from the vendors, there was lots of excitement happening in the front centre stage of the event. The stage featured headlining performances from musicians like Exco Levi and the High Priest band, Ammoye Evans, Destiny band, Jae Baz and more. The days also featured special dance performances from groups Socacize, C-Flava, Bongo Masala and Carnival Spice.

Carnival Spice dancers Sulaire Parahoo and Shakera Martin said that they had an amazing time, as they usually do at Afro-Carib fest and were honoured to be back for another year. Parahoo said, “It’s really cool because we were earlier in the set, so we got to warm up the crowd and get them ready for what the remaining of the weekend is going to be like. And it’s our fourth time at this festival and it’s always great vibes, great energy and an amazing crowd.”

When asked about the growth of the festival, Parahoo added, “Tons more vendors, obviously a bigger audience, because more recognition comes with repeating an event, a successful event at that, and just smiling faces.”

Shakera Martin noted that her favourite part of the performances at the festival is interacting with the kids. “The kids are fantastic. They love the costumes, they love the colours, they’re engaged.”

She added that the warming response from the children shows great cultural involvement from the younger generations. “If you call anybody else to come up and interact, it’s always the kids that come first, because they love that. We’re just happy to get out here and you know, just share our culture with them and get them moving and get them participating and involved in the Caribbean, Soca and Afro beat music.”

The Afro-Carib festival was also presented with an official greeting from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The greeting was received and displayed on stage by Scarborough centre MP Salma Zahid. The festival is promising the community it will be back next year, even bigger and better than before!

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Are citizens the ones causing harm to the environment, or is it our world leaders?

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BY MICHAEL THOMAS

For many years now, we the public have been hounded by the climate change hoaxers in government and climate zahrs who have lied to us, lectured us, and now have subjected us to punitive financial steps to make us comply with their climate change lies. In this piece, we shall first look at, and then reveal who the real climate vampires are.

A recent study published by PubMed has revealed what many others have long suspected, which is that wireless radiation emitted by cell towers and other wireless technology harms both human health and the environment.

All these mentioned in the paragraph above fall under electromagnetic fields (EMF), which seriously affect many different life forms, from plants and animals to insects and bacteria.

This is exceptionally serious considering that from the depths of the soil to the highest layers of the atmosphere imbalances caused by this wireless radiation emitted by cell towers can affect the universe in ways that we as humans never thought possible; here is how this is happening.

It is important to note here that as recently as August 2021, The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in favor of Children’s Health Defense (CHD) in its landmark case against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), challenging the FCC’s decision not to review its health and safety guidelines regarding 5G and wireless technology.

This happened because the court recognized that the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) did not fully disclose the harmful effects of these radiations upon the public. This ruling also made it clear that the FCC was arbitrary and capricious in its failure to respond to comments concerning environmental harm caused by RF radiation.

Here are the findings of this study about what, how, and who is affected.

As mentioned earlier studies have shown that radiofrequency EMFs can have detrimental impacts on plant species, some of these impacts include: A shorter lifespan in certain plant species and trees that are exposed to cell towers being damaged on the exposed side which over time spreads to the entire tree.

In animals the effects are devastating; here is how. Radiofrequency EMFs have also been shown to adversely affect several animals such as: birds, frogs, rats, and mice.

These studies show that electromagnetic pollution from wireless telecommunications may be a factor in reducing certain mammal populations. There has been a notable decline in the number of babies and irreversible infertility in mice due to radiofrequency radiation.

Cell towers can cause developmental problems and death to the tadpoles exposed to them. Then there is the inability for birds to navigate their path safely because of electromagnetic noise, which blocks out their magnetic compass.

Even rats that come into contact with the waves from these cell towers give birth to babies with altered genetic expression in the brain. Insects experience changes in their: behavior, physiology, and morphology because of the trauma of these 5G networks and their towers.

This study revealed that even bacteria are not exempt from the harmful effects of EMF sources such as Wi-Fi, which have also been shown to have significantly altered their growth rate.

Studies have shown that even the extremely low-frequency EMFs from power lines can produce changing effects in the magnetosphere, the region of space around the earth.

As promised in paragraph one, we looked at and explained the damage caused by these: cell towers, WIFI, radiofrequency EMF, and 5G radiation. In closing, we will examine who is responsible. I will be concise in my answer by saying that it is those mentioned in the same paragraph.

Imagine hypocrites and liars like: Al Gore, Tony Blair, John Kerry, Justin Trudeau, and the little WEF climate actress Greta Thunberg lecturing us on climate change.

These are the liars who use private jets to circle the globe religiously, while climate taxing us and attempting to shame us for using our little cars.

Finally, we must follow the money. Who owns and benefits from the 5G rollout? Readers, I am sure your surname is not BlackRock or Vanguard, is it? Now we know who is controlling these greedy climate puppets mentioned above.

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Public Service Alliance of Canada calls on government to ensure pension surplus goes to workers and not o federal coffers

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BY PAUL JUNOR

The issue of what to do with the federal public service pension surplus of $9.3 billion is of significant concern to more than 700,000 federal public service workers, retirees, and territorial government employees. The federal government has expressed an interest in utilizing the surplus and this has prompted the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) to launch a national campaign to bring awareness of the government’s plan. PSAC released information in a press release on Wednesday, November 20th, 2024, to express its concerns about the government’s planned actions.

Sharon DeSousa, National President of the PSAC states, “This is a betrayal of trust. Workers and the government contribute equally to this pension fund, but now the government is taking a break while workers are left to shoulder the burden.” PSAC believes that the government’s desire to put its hands on the surplus pensions would be a precedent-setting move. It could prompt private and public employers to do the same thing to their employees’ pension plans. This is an essential issue for the largest public sector union in Canada. “This is more than a fight for public sector workers; it is a fight for everyone who believes in: fairness, accountability, and the retirement security of workers.” National President Dsouza notes further, “If the federal government (the largest employer in the country) can raid its own workers’ pensions, what stops other employers from doing the same thing?”

PSAC is optimistic and hopeful that the federal government will reverse its course of action as it is still early. They have presented three possible solutions to protect retirement security and tackle the pension surplus. These include:

  • Reverse the two-tier system:

Reverse the two-tier system introduced by the Harper government in 2012. Under the Harper changes, federal workers who started their jobs on, or after January 1st, 2013, must work five years longer to reach full retirement. This inequality is fundamentally unjust.

  • Equitable retirement options for frontline workers:

Follow through on the government’s commitment to provide equitable retirement benefits for frontline public safety workers.

  • Suspend employee contributions:

If the government gives itself a contribution holiday, workers who equally pay into the pension plan should get one too, ensuring fairness and equality.

DeSousa states, “This isn’t about pensions; it’s about fairness, accountability, and doing the right thing for the workers who serve Canada every day.”

In a press release on Monday, November 25th, 2024, issued after the federal government’s announcement of a multi-billion-dollar surplus, PSAC notes that “This represented a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in the future of Canada’s public service, and righting the wrongs of the Harper era.” The press release referred to a report by the independent Chief Actuary of Canada, which acknowledged that there was a $1.9 billion surplus in the Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) that is more than the optimal surplus allowed according to prescribed legislation. These funds will be transferred to the Consolidated Revenue Fund by the government.

PSAC is not pleased that federal workers who commenced on, or after January 1st, 2023, have to wait five years later to get a full pension. For PSAC, “This inequality is fundamentally unjust.” President DeSousa notes, “Federal workers built this pension surplus through their hard-earned contributions, and taking these funds is a betrayal of their trust. It also sets a dangerous precedent for all Canadian employers who may now be eying the pension contributions of other public sector workers.”

PSAC believes that the transfer of these funds into general government revenues rather than to alleviate the unfair two-tier pension system is inherently unfair. PSAC has offered a cost-neutral policy to the government to undo the policies introduced by Harper and will continue its fight to ensure these funds are allocated equitably. “PSAC is determined to express opposition to any actions by the federal government to divert these funds,” DeSousa notes. “A two-tier system is inherently unfair, especially for: racialized, Black, Indigenous, and young workers who make up the majority of recent hires-the same workers this government has confirmed to support and recruit into the public service. If the government is serious about equity and inclusion, we need fair retirement benefits for everyone.”

In an email on Friday, November 29th, 2024, PSAC announced that government’s actuaries revealed that $7.4 billion will be taken from the PSPP as it suspends employer contributions. The government has tabled measures indicating that it will pass the surplus to its coffers. President DeSousa states, “The decision by the government to put itself ahead of workers is wrong. They’re suspending employer contributions for the plan, but not investing in fairer pensions, or a contribution break for workers. That is a betrayal.”

PSAC is disappointed that the government did not engage in consultations with them and hid their true intentions hoping that they would not be found out. DeSousa notes, “The government could have given much-needed financial relief to some of the lowest paid workers in the federal government and make a fairer pension system in a revenue-neutral way, at no cost at all to taxpayers. The question is, why didn’t they?”

DeSousa expressed disappointment at the failure of the government to table pension reform legislation and ensure that frontline public safety and law enforcement workers have access to future equitable retirement benefits. “I spoke with the Prime Minister earlier this week. He must do right by these workers. It’s not too late.”

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Vegetable Pancakes: Wintertime delicious

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BY STEVEN KASZAB

Zucchini Pancakes: A flexible vegetarian meal that allows you to add whatever you desire to it, feeding your family a nutritious main for breakfast, or lunch. The main ingredients need not be zucchini, but perhaps squash, or any other fleshy fiber laden veggie. Also, you can top the pancake with just about whatever you desire be it: hot peppers, fried eggs, jam or even delicious maple syrup.

Family instructions: You will prepare this just as you would a regular pancake.

  • Shred three small zucchini’s and add a teaspoon of salt to draw out the moisture, leaving it to breathe for about 10-15 minutes.
  • While you’re waiting, chop green onions, or scallions finely. You will need 3 – 4 eggs to blend into the zucchini. If you wish to replace eggs with another substitute that will bind the shredded zucchini such as: flax, or chia seeds in water, mashed bananas, or applesauce do so.
  • Mix together and add if you so desire a cheese such as parmesan cheese to your distinctive taste, along with fruit, or berries. Add one cup of flour (more if you want the pancake to be denser).
  • Using a large spoon add to a hot pan, frying to your desired consistency. Flip and add some cheese to melt if you wish.

Another less costly ingredient may be the ever-present Mexican Avocado diced and added to the mix. The Germans often add fried onions with diced mushrooms and in Southern Italy don’t be surprised to find fried anchovies with pitted olives added.

Cooking is limited only by your imagination, so be creative, experiment and enjoy.

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