Black Community Housing Advisory Table Ensures that African Refugee Claimants are Supported

 By Neil Armstrong

Photo credit: Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre     Debbie Douglas, executive director of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI), speaks at press conference outside 129 Peter St., Toronto

 

Now that many of the African refugee claimants that were living on the sidewalk outside 129 Peter Street — location of the City of Toronto Referral and Assessment Centre — have been temporarily housed in churches and hotels, a critical next step is to file their claim for refugee status.

 

Debbie Douglas, executive director of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI), says it is important that each person filing a claim do it with the assistance of people who know what is required. 

 

“One mistake on a person’s claim could become a life or death issue. You really need not only to tell your story but know how to tell the story because you eventually end up before a judge to determine whether or not you will be granted refugee status.” 

 

A successful claim results in an individual being able to apply for a work permit, for Ontario Works as income support until such time as they find a job, and they are able to access services paid for by the province and the city, says Douglas who sits on the Black Community Housing Advisory Table (BCHAT) ensuring that the African refugee claimants are supported.

 

BCHAT, which is a table, not an organization, has taken the leadership on this issue. Also sitting at the table are OCASI, Black Opportunity Fund, and some other individuals and organizations.

 

On July 14, African groups, groups working with refugees, people experiencing homelessness, and other civil society groups gathered outside 129 Peter Street to call on all levels of government to urgently provide emergency housing and support, in order to address the current shelter system crisis that is impacting unhoused refugee claimants and migrants in Toronto. Among them was Pastor Eddie Jjumba of Dominion Church International Toronto whose church is now providing temporary shelter to many.

 

Douglas said almost two months ago it was the Ethiopian community that flagged the situation with African refugee claimants. 

 

The Ethiopian Association had put it out on the African Solidarity Network — a network of Black African leaders for which OCASI is the secretariat — that they needed help.  

 

“They basically said help, all of our people are sleeping outside 129 Peter. I think what they did was they went ahead and found private homes and some of the Ethiopian churches took in people.”

 

However, the Ethiopian Association very quickly became overwhelmed with donations of clothes because they had been defunded by the federal government about 12 years ago and did not have the capacity to continue to manage.

 

“So they have been completely erased from the story when in fact it was their alert that made many people, like OCASI, begin to pay attention to what was happening,” said Douglas.

 

Kizito Musabimana, founder and executive director of the Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre, and Diane Walter, executive director of Margaret’s Housing and Community Support Services, have been taking the lead in service coordination and also spoke at the press conference.

Photo credit: Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre    Kizito Musabimana, founder and executive director of the Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre, speaks at the press conference outside Peter St., Toronto, on July 14, 2023

Douglas is pleased that several organizations and churches have stepped up, especially Revivaltime Tabernacle and Dominion Church International Toronto. Last week, Pastor Judith James of Revivaltime issued a call for volunteers to help sort the donations that were coming from Ontarians to the church for the asylum seekers.  

 

OCASI’s role is to talk to the politicians who sit at various tables and make sure that things are happening to keep the matter in the media but also to talk about the larger issues.

 

Douglas said the crisis outside 129 Peter Street is being dealt with, and they expect other people to continue to show up because there is a lot of homelessness in the African community and others, but specifically among the African refugee claimant population. 

 

As people heard about the church offering housing many showed up and at one point the numbers swelled to 350-400 people between the two churches. 

 

“The federal government finally came up with some money, so did the province and the city but what we are pushing the mayor about is that we don’t care where you get the money from, you need to open shelters and the existing shelters have no space,” said Douglas who is calling for the expansion of hotel rooms.  Since Thursday many of these refugee claimants have been moved to hotels.

 

“Right now it’s about service coordination, who’s going, who’s doing what, our community health centres (CHCs) — Parkdale Queen West and Black Creek, Angela [Robertson] and Cheryl [Prescod], — really have shown up and are working to pull other CHCs, other health resources together. Organizations like the FCJ Refugee Centre are going in to help out with, as well as the Black Lawyers Association, are going in to help refugees specifically with claim forms to file for refugee status.” 

 

 

The city does not fund immigrant services directly but funds many community organizations that provide services to immigrants. The province provides services to new arrivals such as refugee claimants, migrant workers, international students, citizens and immigrants as well. 

 

However, the federal government is the largest funder. While the province spends about $125 million a year, including Adult ESL and other services as well such as immigrant employment and others, the federal government this year is spending over $500 million in Ontario’s region, notes Douglas explaining the difference in scope. 

 

Douglas said even before this crisis, OCASI has been pushing the province to increase its funding. 

 

“We have an increasing population of refugee claimants for whatever reason. They are increasing across the world; it makes sense we’re seeing it here in Canada and so the funding needs to be increased.” They have also been fighting with the federal government for years to lift the eligibility criteria. “They need to expand it to include refugee claimants, temporary workers and international students.”

 

Douglas said Mayor Olivia Chow has been stepping up. She said a vast majority are newly arrived refugee claimants.  When people come through the Toronto Pearson International Airport — which most people do — those who want to make a refugee claim will have their ID checked and if authorities think they are not a flight risk and their ID checks out, they are given the address for 129 Peter Street central housing because people come in and they have nowhere to go.

 

These refugee claimants were arriving at Peter Street only to be told there is no housing anywhere. 

 

At the beginning of June, deputy mayor Jennifer McKelvie announced that the City of Toronto had no other choice but to refer refugees and asylum seekers to federal Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) programs for support if the City’s refugee centres were full.

 

“The problem is there is no government program, housing program, the only hotel the federal government has in Toronto is for a two-week stay close to the airport for Ukrainians. But the city itself had opened a hotel for Ukrainians about a year ago and the federal government had not stepped up to pay for it. The city has been paying for it and people have been in there for a long time so that puts pressure on city’s budget,” said Douglas.

 

She outlined that there was the unexpected influx of Ukrainians, the Afghans were coming in, and many refugee claimants came through before the federal government shut the unofficial border crossing at Roxham Road down. 

 

A vast majority had been moved to Ontario after Quebec said it could not absorb any more. They intentionally stayed away from Toronto and went to Niagara, Cornwall and then later when Niagara started making noise to places like Kitchener-Waterloo, some out of province but people migrate to Toronto — the most multicultural, multiracial place. “Toronto is where people find their cultural community, where they hear their language, where they get their food, where they find queer community because many of the folks are queer. Many are queer and from west and east Africa — many from Uganda tend to be queer, gay, lesbian and trans.” After being assured by the two churches that they would be welcomed and treated with respect and dignity, BCHAT gave the okay for the claimants to be moved there. They also spoke about women and women safety. 

Photo credit: Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre    Some of the placards at the press conference held outside 129 Peter St. in Toronto on July 14, 2023

 

Douglas is hoping that now that people are moving into hotels it will give them a bit of stability for at least a few weeks so they can sort their issues — what they need in terms of healthcare, and if they are queer, finding queer community.

 

Douglas said the community has really rallied to support these refugee claimants and while many brought hygiene products, what was really needed was cooked food because these are churches. “People wanted to drop off clothes, no, this is a temporary situation: there is no place, they don’t need clothes.” 

 

Douglas does not know much about the fundraising efforts but said there is an attempt to centralize the messaging, and there has to be a public accounting for any funds raised.

 

Last week, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced the federal government would allocate $212 million for the Interim Housing Assistance Program, which provides funding on a cost-sharing basis to provinces and municipalities to cover the costs of interim housing for asylum claimants. Fraser said $97 million would be earmarked for Toronto. 

BCHAT says it is crucial to clarify the allocation of funds specifically for African refugee claimants and asylum seekers.

Toronto city councillors also unanimously passed a motion to expand funding and resources to help house asylum seekers in the city.

In a joint statement last week, Mayor Olivia Chow and Premier Doug Ford said that Ontario and Toronto would each provide $6.67 million as a one-time funding top up to the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit to get more people into permanent housing and quickly free up spaces in the shelter system.

They noted that historically, the federal government contributes two-thirds of the cost of the housing benefit program, and to help more people move into permanent housing, they are urging the federal government to provide $26.7 million in funding. That number would be in addition to the $97 million the federal government committed to help the city house an influx of newcomers last week.

Last week, Black community leaders Jean Augustine and Zanana Akande expressed how troubled they were by the scene outside 129 Peter Street. 

 

“This is not the Canada that we are building, this is not the Canada that speaks about diversity; this is not the Canada that speaks about respect for each other. This is not the Canada that gets around tables to talk about the situation of refugees, the situation of people around the world who need Canadian help, Canadian assistance and that we have a country where everyone is welcome, and everyone is given an opportunity to prosper, reach their full potential, to be and to have life a bit better than what they leaving behind. I think it’s important for us not to sit back, it’s important for us not to allow this to happen,” said Augustine.

 

Akande said she was shocked when she saw the makeshift dwelling on the sidewalk. 

 

“We have been listening for months about fires, about storms, from every part of Canada and beyond and immediately those people are taken into municipal buildings or into schools or into centres somewhere. And we have been hearing about refugees who have been coming to Canada and I know from the friends that I’ve made that some of our Ukrainians who have been here have been taken into centres, and our people are on the street. 

 

“I’m not an immigrant, I was born in this country, in this city of immigrant parents and we have always supported each other in being fair and expecting for each other what we have for ourselves, and extending our gifts so that others could profit from them, and yet we have Black people — let me be clear, Black people sleeping on the street, women trying to cover themselves adequately while they sleep — and I must tell you I am offended. This is not the Canada that I went to school and learned with, this is not the Canada that I taught hundreds and hundreds of children to be able to contribute to, this is not the Canada that I went to the University of Toronto and taught teachers how to teach so that they could make them welcome. 

 

“This is not that Canada and I want, no, no, no, I insist that my tax dollars be spent to give equal service to my people. And once again I have to talk about my people in a country where I’ve been raised, in a city where I’ve been raised living with Italians, Jews, and Ukrainians and white people, and Black people, and people from all parts of this world. You have, we have allowed my people to be so disrespected. I will not stop talking about this, I will not rest until they get equity.”

 

Meanwhile, Revivaltime Tabernacle has posted on its website the donations needed as of July 22, 2023. They include items categorized under the following headings: clothing, toiletries, cleaning and kitchen. Cash donations can also be made; the full list can be viewed at revivaltimetabernacle.org.

On July 20, the Toronto Dancehall Community in partnership with the Jamaican Canadian Association held a fundraiser titled “Refugee Crisis in Toronto” at the Jamaican Canadian Centre.

 

 

 

Emancipation Day ‘Underground Freedom Train’ Ride’s Conductor is Enthusiastic

By Neil Armstrong

Photo contributed        Barbara Thomas will be the conductor of the 2023 Emancipation Day 'Underground Freedom Train' Ride in Toronto on July 31

Barbara Thomas, a retired nursing administration coordinator at the Toronto Western Hospital for 55 years, is the conductor of the Emancipation Day ‘Underground Freedom Train’ Ride, marking its tenth anniversary on July 31 under the theme “Planting Seeds Beyond Emancipation.”

She is a former board director of the Jamaican Canadian Association and her record of volunteerism spans over 50 years.

“It’s a great honour to have been selected as the conductor. It’s a very meaningful and powerful representation of not only the Black community but also the Indigenous community and all who were impacted by slavery.”

Thomas, who is from Bullocks, Clarendon, pursued post-secondary studies at Kingston Public Hospital School of Nursing (General Nursing) and Victoria Jubilee Hospital (Obstetrics Nursing) before immigrating to Canada in 1968. While living in Jamaica, she worked as a registered nurse at the Kingston Public Hospital and as an acting head nurse in the Paediatric Emergency Department at Spanish Town Hospital. She also worked at the Exchange Visitor Program and was an acting head nurse, Labour and Delivery, at Cook County School of Nursing in Chicago.

One week after arriving in Toronto in May 1968, Thomas landed a job as a registered nurse at Toronto Western Hospital where she was also held the position of assistant head nurse and eventually worked as a casual employee.

The former vice-president and chair of the fundraising and membership committees of the Jamaican Canadian Association is the recipient of certificates and awards from the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Culture for her many years of community service.

Since 2013, the annual train ride celebration and milestone has evoked the deep history and triumph of the human spirit. The Emancipation Day ‘Underground Freedom Train’ Ride begins on July 31 and ends early on August 1 with over 1,000 people on board.

Since the inception of the event, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has partnered with the Blackhurst Cultural Centre (formerly A Different Booklist Cultural Centre) to provide an actual underground experience via its subway system. This is a very emotional song-filled train ride and is open to all Canadians for the price of a token. 

"The Emancipation Day 'Underground Freedom Train' Ride is symbolic of the role of the Underground Railroad within Canada's history," says Itah Sadu, one of the founders of the event. "This train ride is a recognition of the historic date of Emancipation Day on August 1st when slavery was abolished in the British Empire. It is also a celebration of the power and potential of the peoples of African descent."

Formerly enslaved people in the United States undertook an incredible and dangerous journey in their migration to Canada, and this symbolic train ride helps keep history alive by connecting the past to the present and ultimately linking to the future.

The journey begins at Union Station in downtown Toronto. It all starts at 10: 30 p.m. inside Union Station with choirs, drumming, brass music, and greetings from the TTC and City officials.  The train will be boarded at 11:40 p.m. and travels along the TTC subway line to Downsview Park Station, where there will be music, readings, and special guests just outside of the station. 

Also attending will be Kathy Grant, the recipient of the 2023 Emancipation Award for preserving, documenting, and curating local Black history in the city. She is also

the recipient of the 2023 Mary Matilda Winslow Award for advocacy in public education presented by the Ontario Black History Society earlier this year. Grant is the founder of Legacy Voices, an organization dedicated to the histories of Black Canadian war veterans.

Over the past years, the Emancipation Ride has planted seeds of hope and inspiration through its symbolism. This is evidenced in the attendance of all Canadians to the ride, its innovation, and the positive relationship shared with the TTC and community organizations as event collaborators.

"During this 2023 season of Emancipation," says Sadu, "it is important to give thanks to Mother Earth for nurturing us, to thank the ancestors who came before and prepared fertile ground. Finally, to ask the question, what new seeds will Canadians plant going forward, and how soon can they break soil and cultivate?” Passengers will be given a package of organic corn seeds during the event to take home. 

Some photographs from the 2019 Underground Freedom Train Ride

 Celebration of Emancipation Continues on August 1 along Bloor Street 

Blackhurst Cultural Centre continues the commemoration of Emancipation Day on August 1 along Bloor Street from Bathurst to Christie Pits Park, from 12.30 p.m. - 2.30 p.m.  The public is invited to join this Emancipation walk in recognition of the National Emancipation Day. Participants will gather outside the Randolph Theatre, located at 736 Bathurst Street, and are asked to wear white and come with wrapped heads.

Joining this year’s Emancipation on Bloor is BMO, to celebrate Emancipation and make a joint-announcement with the Blackhurst Cultural Centre. The announcement will take place at Blackhurst Cultural Centre, 777 Bathurst Street, at 12.00 p.m., followed by the Emancipation Walk at 12.30 p.m. 

Emancipation on Bloor is an animation of Bloor Street. The animation takes place at key intersections on Bloor from Avenue Rd. to Christie Pits Park with a number of artistic expressions and music.  Emancipation on Bloor commemorates an important milestone for descendants of enslaved Africans marking the abolition of slavery and honours the many contributions and resilience of African peoples throughout the diaspora. 

 

Beverley Salmon’s Passing is ‘a Great Loss to the City’ — Councillor Michael Thompson

 By Neil Armstrong

Photo contributed      Beverley Salmon

 

The passing of Beverley Salmon — the first Black woman elected to the municipal government of Toronto and the first Black female commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission — has many reflecting on the legacy she left Toronto. They described her as a trailblazer and a strong advocate for inclusivity.

 

Salmon, a former nurse, politician and prominent anti-racism and community activist, passed away on July 6 at the age of 92 at the North York General Hospital after a brief illness. 

 

A celebration of her life will be held on July 20 at 11:00 a.m. at St. John’s York Mills Anglican Church, 19 Don Ridge Drive, North York, and will also be live-streamed. Visitations will be held on July 18 and 19 at York Funeral Home in Toronto from 2:00-4:00 p.m. and 6:00-8:00 p.m. 

 

In a Facebook post announcing the funeral details, daughter, Leslie Salmon Jones, describes her mother as “ a true earth angel, who led with unconditional love, courage, strength, determination, and justice for all people from any and all walk of life.”

 

Salmon (née Bell) was born on December 25, 1930 in Toronto to a Jamaican father, Herbert McLean Bell Sr., who was from Richmond, St. Mary and came to Canada to sign up for the First World War, and a fifth generation Canadian mother of Scottish/Irish descent, Violet Bryan. 

 

She trained as a registered nurse in 1950 at Wellesley Hospital in Toronto and completed a Public Health Nurse certificate in 1954 at the University of Toronto’s Nursing School where she graduated with the award for the “most outstanding nurse.” Salmon was the only Black woman in her class. 

 

She then served for two years as a Victorian Order Nurse in Toronto before beginning her nursing career in Detroit, Michigan, 1956-60. Salmon subsequently returned to Toronto to live and work, eventually leaving nursing in 1966.

 

During her studies, she met John Douglas Graham Salmon, a medical student who was Toronto-born of Jamaican parents, and who would later become her husband and was the first Black surgeon in Canada. They became the parents of four children: John Douglas Salmon Jr., Warren, Leslie and Heather.

 

While living in Detroit where Douglas continued his training as a surgeon, Beverley was exposed to the civil rights movement museum and heard speeches made by Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall. 

 

When she returned to Toronto in the sixties, she got involved in the Black Liaison Committee and worked with the Toronto School Board on anti-racism training for teachers, and incorporating more Black history into the curriculum. 

Photo credit: Francine Buchner     Beverley Salmon with friends, Elaine Mintz and Joy Bullen, at the opera "Of the Sea"presented by Obsidian Theatre Company at St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in Toronto

 

In the 1990s, she co-founded the Black Educators Working Group with former school principal MacArthur Hunter to advocate for an inclusive curriculum, teacher training, and anti-racism policies. 

 

In 1985, Salmon was elected to represent North York Centre – becoming the first Black woman elected to the municipal council in Toronto – and later elected to the Metro Toronto Council until she retired from municipal politics in 1997. Her first motion changed the title “alderman” to “councillor.” 

 

While a city councillor, she was very involved in the efforts of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to improve race relations in municipalities across the country. 

 

“Bev Salmon was an amazing leader. She spent a number of years on Toronto City Council where she basically fought for equality and for opportunities for everyone, particularly young people, Black young Torontonians, and so on. She was always very poised and very focused on bringing people together to do the right thing for the best interest of all. I spent a lot of time with her on some very contentious issues facing the city and she was always interested in looking at the best outcome and opportunity,” says Toronto city councillor Michael Thompson. 

 

He described Salmon as a teacher and leader, noting that her family has lost a great leader and matriarch who was an outstanding person. “It’s a great loss to the city,” said Thompson.

 

As the first Black female commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, she was credited with bringing to the attention of fellow commissioners the fact that many acts of discrimination were veiled, hidden under clever disguises, and that systemic discrimination was still rampant in society.

 

Salmon was a founding member of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations established in 1975, and a founder of the Black Heritage Program. 

 

From as early as the 1970s when there were concerns in some communities about the lack of response by the police to several attacks against Black and South Asian people, Salmon and a small group which included community stalwarts Dr. Wilson Head, Bromley Armstrong, representatives of the Social Planning Council of Metropolitan Toronto, and others met to discuss the matter.

 

In 2014 when racial profiling and the carding of Black people by the Toronto Police Service were being discussed and challenged, Salmon was among the leading opponents of the practice. 

 

 

 “We’re deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Beverley Salmon. As Toronto's first Black woman to become a City councillor and a founding member of UARR, Bev was an extraordinary trailblazer who tirelessly ignited social change & amplified marginalized voices in our community,” said the Urban Alliance on Race Relations on Twitter.

Left to right: Beverley Salmon, Pearlyn Baptiste, Nadia Hohn, Denise Herrera Jackson, Jean Augustine and Rita Cox at "Soul-stice," a fundraising event organized by Blackhurst Cultural Centre at Shangri-La Toronto

 

David Betty, president of the Jamaican Canadian Association, hopes her memory will inspire generations to come to embrace their roots and strive for a more inclusive world.

 

"In the graceful strides of Beverly Salmon, we find the unwavering spirit of resilience and the power of diversity. Her legacy as Toronto's first Black female city councillor will forever shine as a testament to the strength of her Jamaican heritage and the boundless possibilities that arise from the fusion of cultures. We mourn the passing of a trailblazer, a woman whose life journey taught us the importance of breaking barriers and embracing our unique backgrounds.”

 

 

Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu, artistic director of Obsidian Theatre Company, said they are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Salmon. 

 

“Bev served on the Obsidian board for fifteen years. While on the board, she served as secretary, then chair, and supported the company through the tenures of three artistic directors. She was full of light and joy, a welcome presence in any space she walked into. She tirelessly advocated for Black art and Black artists. We are really going to miss her.” 

 

Salmon was invested into the Order of Ontario in 2016 for being a prominent anti-racism and community activist, and was awarded the Order of Canada on December 11, 2017. 

 

The citation for the country’s highest honour described Salmon as an exemplary model of civic engagement, noting that as city councillor she advocated for more inclusive policies and practices within municipal government. “Notably, she has been a dedicated champion for the social and educational well-being of Black communities in the city. Although officially retired, she remains an active volunteer, role model and mentor to members of her local community,” notes the citation.  

Photo credit: Francine Buchner    Beverley Salmon is presented with the Dr. Daniel  G. Hill Award by Rosemary Sadlier at the 2014 Ontario Black History Society Black History Month Kick-off Brunch at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex, Exhibition Place in Toronto

 

Warren Salmon described his mother as strong, humble and courageous and someone who lived a life of service and advocacy.

 

Salmon was predeceased by her husband John Douglas Graham Salmon and son John Douglas Salmon Jr. She leaves behind three children — Warren Salmon, Heather Regal Salmon and Leslie Salmon Jones and five grandchildren: Tyler Boffa Salmon, Caitlyn Salmon, Jordan Boffa Salmon, Sierra Salmon, and Shakarri Salmon. 

 

The City of Toronto will fly all flags at half-mast until after her funeral.

 

Owen ‘Blakka’ Ellis and Rhoma Spencer to Reunite at Nyam Comedy Show

 By Neil Armstrong

Photo contributed Writer, educator and performing artist Owen 'Blakka' Ellis

 

After an absence of about five years from the performance scene in the Greater Toronto Area, Owen 'Blakka' Ellis of the famed Bello and Blakka duo days will return to the Toronto comedy stage on July 8 at the “Nyam! Caribbean Dinner and Comedy Show” in Scarborough, hosted by the incomparable actor, director, playwright and comedian, Rhoma Spencer. Last September, he did a comedy show in Edmonton, Alberta.

 

Both Spencer and Ellis had Toronto audiences in stitches with their “Frankly Speaking” comedy shows circa 2010 and intend to recall those glory days at their upcoming show.

 

“Frankly Speaking,” which started at artist d’bi young anitafrika’s Theatre Space on Fraser Street in Toronto and then at the Todmorden Mills Theatre on Pottery Road, ran from 2009 to 2011.

 

“This reunion is special for me as I now have the opportunity to not only reunite with Blakka but to share this experience with Canadian comic favourites, Jay Martin and Crystal Ferrier from CTV’s Last Comic Standing, and the burgeoning newbie, Enoje, fresh from wowing audiences in Edmonton at the recently concluded, Francomen Comedy Show,” says Spencer.

 

Prior to the “Frankly Speaking” shows, Ellis and Spencer shared stages at the laugh festivals in Trinidad and Tobago and at the Caribbean comedy shows in Washington, D.C. in the nineties. 

 

Writer, educator and performing artist, Ellis has performed the Caribbean comedy circuit in the Caribbean, London, New York and Canada. His brand of comedy is relatable to all and audiences are assured that Blakka will never make you uncomfortable. 

“Nyam is a long -overdue comedy jam that promises a proper bellyful of Caribbean laughter and I can’t wait! I’m looking forward to the opportunity to joke, poke and provoke in collaboration with my friend, Rhoma.” 

 

Acknowledging that it will take some time to complete, Ellis has started a process of trying to phase out the moniker 'Blakka' for several reasons. “For one, I just feel personally that I have outgrown the name. Kinda just feel juvenile to me as I embrace my sense of my 63-year-old self. I'm not going to be hard and strict but going forward, I'm just going to be intentional about leading by example with the use of my government name.” 

 

Ellis has been doing comedy professionally for nearly 40 years now and his first official gig as a stand up comic was in 1985 as part of the Bello & Blakka duo.

The PhD candidate in cultural studies took a break from academia but he is now trying to return to the focus of his study, Trench Town. Ellis is documenting the history and inscribing its significance as space and place — “Trench Town as a site of exodus, exile and pilgrimage.” 

Photo credit: Jocelyn Reynolds       Actor, director, playwright and comedian Rhoma Spencer

 

Nyam! comedy show is a first for Scarborough’s Spade Bar and Lounge. “There is a perception that comedy shows only happen in various comedy clubs in the city and midtown, so coming to Scarborough is a coup d'état,” says Spencer. 

 

Organizers are leaving no stones unturned to deliver an evening of hilarity while being served a sumptuous Caribbean cuisine dinner buffet. 

Tickets for the show inclusive of dinner are available at http://Nyamcomedy.eventbrite.ca. There is also the option to pay more at the door. For further information, call 416-578-8245.