Travel Advisor Diana Winters Wins Edith Baxter Memorial Award

 

By Neil Armstrong

Left to right: Wendy McClung, executive vice president, Baxter Media; Diana Winters, and Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Government of Jamaica

 

A seasoned Canadian travel advisorl has won the Edith Baxter Memorial Award which was founded in 2021 and biennially recognizes outstanding individuals who leverage their influence to promote the positive advancement of Jamaica’s tourist industry and/or Jamaican culture within Canada.

 

Diana Winters, who has worked in the tourism industry for close to 30 years and gives back to communities in both Canada and Jamaica, was among five finalists shortlisted and was named the grand prize winner at the Edith Baxter Memorial Award luncheon organized by the Jamaica Tourist Board at the Toronto Region Board of Trade on September 22.

 

“She has been an unwavering advocate for Destination Jamaica throughout her career as a travel advisor and in her roles with tour operators and hoteliers. During her time at Palace Resorts, Diana discovered her philanthropical side while working with the company’s Fundación Palace Resorts program. Branching out on her own, Winters has undertaken numerous independent charitable initiatives to encourage support for the people of Jamaica,” read a biographical note about her.

 

It said Winters has organized philanthropic trips for Canadian travel agents to build homes and schools on the island, raised funds for local medical clinics, and launched a donation drive during the pandemic to collect tablets, laptops and other education supplies.

 

Winters was awarded a luxury all-inclusive vacation for two to Jamaica courtesy of award partners Sandals Resorts and Air Canada Vacations at the luncheon held at the Toronto Board of Trade near the city’s waterfront. 

 

“We are all doing great things one person at a time,” said Winters who was honoured that she was the recipient of an award named after Edith Baxter. 

 

Jamaica’s minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett, director of tourism Donovan White, and minister of state in the ministry of foreign affairs and foreign trade, Alando Terrelonge, also responsible for diaspora affairs — who was in Toronto to present the keynote address at the Regional Jamaica Diaspora Conference (Canada) the next day —were in attendance.

 

The commemorative award program was established in partnership with the Baxter family in memory of Canadian travel industry publishing icon Edith Baxter. In keeping with the competition’s namesake, the five finalists were selected based on their strong character and outstanding efforts toward promoting and advocating for Destination Jamaica.  

 

As co-founder of Baxter Media and editor-in-chief of Canada’s most influential travel trade publication, Canadian Travel Press, Edith Baxter was a powerful voice within the Canadian travel industry for more than five decades. A passionate advocate for Destination Jamaica, she was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Government of Jamaica in 2009 in recognition of her contributions to the tourism industry.

Born Edith Newman in Usti nad Labem, in the former Czechoslovakia, on December 30, 1927, Edith spent her youth in England before coming to Canada at the end of WWII with her husband, William, her parents, and sister. She passed away on November 3, 2020, at home, surrounded by her family.

White described Baxter as a savvy businesswoman who loved Jamaica and Bartlett said he recommended in 2009 that she be given the Order of Distinction.

 

The five finalists of the Edith Baxter Memorial Award with tourism and travel industry figures from Canada and Jamaica

The other finalists were Jamaican-Canadians storyteller and speaker Sandra Whiting, saxophonist and humanitarian Dave McLaughlin and media professional Simone Smith, and Guyanese-Canadian veteran journalist and photographer, Ron Fanfair.

The finalists were shortlisted by a panel of four judges: Angella Bennett, regional director, Jamaica Tourist Board, Canada; Wendy McClung, executive vice president, Baxter Media; Lincoln G. Downer, now former consul general of Jamaica at Toronto; and Kelly Schmitt, president and co-founder, Spoiled Agent.

 

Minister Bartlett, host of the event, spoke of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre that collaborating with Dr. Gervan Fearon, president of George Brown College, he established at the college in Toronto. He is also having discussions with McMaster University in Hamilton and Carleton University in Ottawa and has set up similar centres in eight countries. 

 

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre is a transformative tool which seeks to safeguard and improve the tourism product in Jamaica and countries around the world as well to ensure the sustainability of tourism globally.

Recipients of the Tourism Resilience Award with Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett;  Dr. Gervan Fearon, President of George Brown College; Donovan White, Director of Tourism, Jamaica; and Angella Bennett, Regional Director, Jamaica Tourist Board, Canada

Five individuals and two organizations — Dr. Pamela Appelt, Howard L. Shearer, Dr. Mary Anne Chambers, Adaoma Patterson, Mary Bishop, Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation, and Air Canada Vacations — were presented with tourism resilience awards.

Sandra Whiting and Jean Augustine

Chris Chambers, Mary Anne Chambers and Alando Terrelonge, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica

Arlene Amitirigala, a writer, speaker and podcaster, was the emcee of the event which was hosted by Minister Bartlett.

Photo credit: Eddie Grant   Left to right: Omar Smith, Neil Armstrong, Alando Terrelonge, Arlene Amitirigala, and Kurt Davis, Jamaica's new Consul-General at Toronto

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minister Alando Terrelonge Bats for the Involvement of Youth in Diaspora Engagement

 By Neil Armstrong

Alando Terrelonge, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and minister with responsibility for diaspora affairs, with emcee, Danae Peart

 

Jamaica’s minister of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Alando Terrelonge, and chair of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council, believes youth, who he calls young kings and queens, can positively impact development once given the appropriate resources and opportunities. 

 

He was the keynote speaker at the Regional Jamaica Diaspora Conference (Canada) 2023 held at the Ebenezer Holiness Church of God in Toronto on September 23, with satellite venues in Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver where he expounded on the theme of the gathering — engagement, collaboration and action.

 

 

“Sustainability of the diaspora movement and fostering affinity among the over 104,000 second-generation Jamaicans and over 42, 000 third-generation Jamaicans as well as fourth-generation Jamaicans here in Canada is therefore critically important as the demographics of the community continue to evolve,” said Terrelonge who was on his first official visit to Canada as minister of state with responsibility for diaspora affairs. He was introduced by Marsha Coore-Lobban, the new high commissioner of Jamaica to Canada.

 

 

“If we fail to involve the youth of Canada of Jamaican descent then we will continue, and if we continue to lose more stalwarts, as they continue to grow older, then it means that we would have failed to continue their legacy.”

 

He underscored the importance of Jamaicans involving their children and grandchildren so that they can continue the legacy of their forefathers. 

 

The minister noted that they have recognized through the first term of the council some of the specific issues in which the youth cohort has demonstrated key interest and plan to participate.

 

These include education, sports, technology, tourism, investment opportunities, innovation, and the creative arts. As a result, his ministry has deliberately engaged the ministries of tourism, culture, gender, entertainment and sport, and industry, investment and commerce to leverage their assets to anticipate the work by the Global Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council as mandated by the National Diaspora Policy. 

 

He said leveraging technology is a key enabler for diaspora engagement and as they continue that approach, they must recognize that technology is one way to get everyone’s involvement. 

 

Minister Terrelonge said there is a digital registration portal being developed in partnership with the International Development Bank and is slated for public testing later this year.

 

“We anticipate that the portal will be publicly launched at the upcoming tenth biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference scheduled for June in Jamaica, 2024. As one of the deliverables emerging from the Diaspora Policy, you’ll be pleased to note that this portal will provide tailored services, including outreach activities, social and economic engagement as well as streamlined data access and collection to Jamaicans in the diaspora in concert with Jamaican ministries, departments and agencies. 

 

The minister assured that the information will be confidentially held and stored in a safe environment. Speaking on the Jamaica Diaspora Engagement Model (JAMDEM), he said it is a bespoke investment portal developed in partnership with the International Organization for Migration. 

 

In extending the welcome, Dr. Sylvanus Thompson, chair of the Regional Jamaica Diaspora Planning Committee, said the Jamaican diaspora in Canada is “a living testament to the resilience, strength, and creativity of our people.” 

 

“It is a community of close to 250, 000 persons, that has flourished, adapting to new environments while holding steadfast to the vibrant traditions and rich cultural heritage of Jamaica. Our presence here is a living bridge between two nations, a bridge built on the pillars of unity, opportunity, and mutual respect. Our cultural heritage is a beacon that guides us, no matter where we are in the world. This conference provides a platform to celebrate our traditions, share our stories, and foster cultural exchanges.”

 

Thompson noted that the aim of the conference was to bring together individuals from the Jamaican diaspora across Canada to celebrate their shared heritage, promote cultural understanding, and explore opportunities for collaboration and growth. It sought to provide a platform for participants to engage in meaningful discussions and collective actions about important issues impacting Jamaican Canadians, share knowledge, and exchange ideas.

 

“This event will emphasize the importance of unity, cultural diversity, and the power of connections in building a vibrant and prosperous diaspora community. Furthermore, by fostering connections among participants, the conference will aim to inspire collaboration, and encourage entrepreneurship,” said Dr. Thompson. 

Left to right: Dr. Orville Grey, Dr. Hugh Simmonds and Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica

 

The regional conference also featured a fireside chat with minister of tourism Edmund Bartlett, Dr. Orville Grey and moderator Dr. Hugh Simmonds about the future of tourism, sustainability and the challenge of climate change; the workshop on the impact of racism and discrimination on Jamaican Canadians panel included Kathy McDonald and Bishop Glenford Duffus moderated by Dave D’Oyen; the one on challenges and opportunities of healthcare in Jamaica featured Dr. Upton Allen, Dr. Hamlet Nation and Jennifer Dockery; the panelists for the crime and the justice system workshop were Peter Sloly and David Mitchell moderated by Capt. Kevin Junor;  and the session on education and the diaspora’s role in preparing Jamaican students for the future included Luther Brown, Rhona Dunwell and moderator Kashane Denton; and moderator Adaoma Patterson led the closing plenary session examining “where do we go from here?”

 

Dr. Thompson noted that the issues discussed at the conference under the theme “engagement, collaboration and action” were identified through a community engagement survey in areas such as healthcare, crime and the justice system, education and the future of tourism. 

 

With respect to economic empowerment, he said those in attendance heard from Rezworth Burchenson, senior vice president and member of the executive leadership team of the VM Group, about investment opportunities in Jamaica and the presentation was repeated to Jamaicans in western Canada later that day. Lisa Rutty was the moderator.

Left to right: Donnovan Simon, Audrey Campbell and Adaoma Patterson

Adaoma Patterson and Danae Peart

 

The new consul-general at Toronto, Kurt Davis, sang the Jamaican anthem alongside consul Younna Bailey-Magalhaes while Mark Henry of Montreal sang the Canadian anthem virtually. The emcee for the opening ceremony was Danae Peart, Bishop Glenford Duffus, a member of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council, offered the prayer, and there was a dance performance by the Ebenezer Holiness Church Youth Group.

 

Children’s Literature Author to be Presented with the 2023 My People Award at 2023 Black and Caribbean Book Affair

By Neil Armstrong

Photo contributed        Children's literature author Yolanda T. Marshall

Blackhurst Cultural Centre: The People’s Residence will present the 2023 My People Award to children’s literature author, Yolanda T. Marshall at the opening night of its three-day Black and Caribbean Book Affair on October 12.

The My People Award is presented to an African, Black or Caribbean writer in Canada who is excelling at their craft and telling the stories of our heritage in their work.

 Marshall is an award-winning Guyanese-born Canadian author who writes diverse, inclusive and festive children’s literature. She ventured into the world of publishing in 2008 and is the author of 17 books. Marshall is currently agented and traditionally published; in 2019 she received a multi-book deal. 

 

“My son is my greatest inspiration,” says Marshall on her website.

 

Marshall’s books include: A Piece of Black Cake for Santa, Miles Away In The Caribbean, Sweet Sorrel Stand, C is for Carnival, Hot Cross Buns for Everyone and one of CBC’s best Canadian picture books of 2020 and TD’s Top Recommended Reads for 2023 - My Soca Birthday Party: with Jollof Rice and Steel Pans. 

 

She is also a columnist/editor for Caribbean Camera newspaper where her column “Lit Corner” promotes the books of other marginalized, Canadian authors. 

 

For the last few years in Canada, Marshall has read for over 25,000 students annually, and was recently invited by a New York school board into their classrooms.  

 

She appeared in numerous television interviews, magazine and news articles and is a recipient of the Caribbean media Loop Awards: Author of the Year 2022, CBC’s 2020 Best Canadian Picture Book List, CIBWE Top 100 Black Women to Watch 2017, and one of Canada’s 100 Accomplished Black Women in 2022.

 

Marshall is a Membership Chair on the CANSCAIP Board (Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers), a professional member of The Writer’s Union of Canada and a PAL member of the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators). 

 

 

From October 12 to 14, the annual Black and Caribbean Book Affair under the theme “Books Open Our Worldview, Bans Limit It” and tagline “Affirming African presence and history, no erasure here — International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024)” will showcase the works of several authors, among them GauZ’ (Armand Patrick Gbaka-Brédé) whose book, Standing Heavy, was shortlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize.

 

On October 12, 6:00-8:00pm, the Book Affair will open with reflections on the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024 by Kemba Byam, Acting Manager, City of Toronto’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit, the presentation of the My People Award, and a Conversation with GauZ’ about his book, Standing Heavy, now published in English by Biblioasis. He will be interviewed by Ottawa-based translator and television and radio host, Sarah Onyango, on Zoom.

 

Standing Heavy is a funny, fast-paced, and poignant take on Franco-African history, as told through the eyes of three African security guards in Paris.

 

On Friday, October 13, there will be two sessions dedicated to students and teachers. Community historian Kathy Grant will present the book, We Remember the Black Battalion by Serena Virk. In the First World War, when so many brave young men enlisted to fight, there were many Black men who wanted to join, but many were denied. This resulted in the Black Battalion being created. Illustrator Ken Daley will showcase virtually the world of illustration and books to these young people.

 

In the evening, from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Sheila White, author of The Letters: Postmark Prejudice in Black and Whitewill be in conversation with Itah Sadu, Managing Director of Blackhurst Cultural Centre, about her book which tells the story of her parents.

 

Vivian Keeler is an intelligent, attractive and determined white woman from a traditional Nova Scotia family who risks it all by falling in love with a Black man. Billy White is a charismatic and gifted member of a prominent Black family; he’s the brother of celebrated classical singer Portia White and the son of a renowned Black minister who garnered fame as an officer during the First World War.  

 

The closing day on Saturday, October 14, is filled with activities starting at 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. with a workshop titled “The World of Distribution – the Dos and Don’ts” for aspiring writers who want to know about the industry.

 

From 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., mental health coach and philanthropist, Audley Coley, will talk with poet and educator Michelle Muir about the book, Audley Enough: A Portrait of Triumph and Recovery in the Face of Mania and Depression, written by Lesley Whyte Redford and Patricia Lavoie.

 

To celebrate “Culture Days,” Yolanda Marshall and Suzette Vidale will host a

a story time and steel pan event incorporating reading and soca music for kids from 1:00-2:00 p.m.

 

Educator and children’s book author Nadia Hohn will present her book, The Antiracist Kitchen: 21 Stories (and Recipes), an anthology featuring stories and recipes from racialized authors about food, culture and resistance, from 2:30-3:15 p.m.The book is a celebration of food, family, activism and resistance in the face of racism. 

 

Actor, singer, producer and writer Asha Bromfield will launch her book, Songs of Irie from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in a conversation with author Gayle Gonsalves. Perfect for fans of The Black Kids, Songs of Irie is a sweeping coming-of-age novel about a budding romance struggling to survive amidst the Jamaican civil unrest of the 1970s.

The Book Affair closes with a community conversation about “Black Women, Oral History and Social Activism in Canada.” 

 

Building on the works of Dr. Karen Flynn’s Moving Beyond Borders and Dr.  Funké Aladejebi’s Schooling the System, this session will explore the ways oral history projects can shift conversations in Canadian history and reveal the significance of Black women’s lived experience and ways of knowing. Both scholars will be interviewed by PhD candidate Catherine Grant-Wata, Department of History, University of Toronto.

 

“As the keepers of memories, communities, and family histories, Black women lives and experiences respond to important silences, gaps, and omissions often missing, buried, or unrecorded in traditional archives and national histories. In this session, three Black women historians, at different stages in their careers, explore ways to collate, tell, and preserve the life stories of Black women in Canada. In conversation with community members, we will consider how oral histories challenge traditional historical narratives and why it is important for Black women to tell their histories on their own terms,” notes a synopsis of the event.

 

All of the events take place at Blackhurst Cultural Centre – The People’s Residence at 777 Bathurst Street in Toronto, Canada. 

 

The 2023 Black and Caribbean Book Affair is supported by: Biblioasis, Yorkland Publishing, Orca Book Publishers, MacMillian Publishers, Toronto Arts Council and Caribbean Camera.

 

Series of Videos Engages Black Community to Focus on Prostate Cancer

 By Neil Armstrong

Photo credit: Selina McCallum         Actor Shemroy Parkinson in the 12-part series of educational videos promoting prostate cancer awareness by The Walnut Foundation and TAIBU Community Health Centre in September, Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Veteran community leader and nonagenarian Roy Williams says to be alive is the best option when dealing with prostate cancer and so Black men should focus on their health and not be concerned about being stigmatized or the loss of their sexual prowess. 

 

That’s an outlook that Winston Klass, 80, a Director at The Walnut Foundation (TWF) and the Lead of its Prostate Cancer Support Group, shares as his cancer was discovered through a Digital Rectal Exam (DRE). “It saved my life because that is how my cancer was found,” he says emphatically.

 

Both men are survivors of prostate cancer and advocate for Black men to screen early — as early as age 40 — and regularly through Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) tests.

 

It has been 27 years since Williams, a 94-year-old retired professor at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) and the first president of the Jamaican Canadian Association, was told by his doctor that he had the disease. He chose the treatment of a radical prostatectomy. 

 

In 1996, two years after he retired, he did an annual physical and his doctor suggested that he should do a PSA test. The result led to him doing another PSA test which showed a high Gleason score — a system used to grade prostate cancer cells — and so the doctor referred him to a surgeon in Newmarket, Ontario.

 

“It was diagnosed to be cancer and that word frightened me. I had never considered the whole issue of prostate, and then prostate cancer,” says Williams who was informed of the consequences of the surgery: incontinence and erectile dysfunction.  

After surgery he was not as virile as he would have liked to be, but he is happy to be alive.

 

Williams is among several Black men in Ontario who are survivors of prostate cancer and whose lived experience complement the work of The Walnut Foundation that has collaborated with TAIBU Community Health Centre to showcase a series of videos during September, Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

 

 

The 12-part series was created to educate the community and to provide guidance and support to those living with prostate cancer. Each episode features a different concern: one has urologist Dr. Neil Fleshner of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre answering the concerns of Andre Rose, a board member of TWF; another introduces 78-year-old Reuben Smith, a 16-year survivor of prostate cancer, and in another his daughter Simone Jennifer Smith talks about how the family was affected by the news.  Filmmaker and digital creative Selina McCallum was masterful in her production of the videos which mainly show younger people on screen. As a men’s health interest and prostate support group working with the Black community in identifying the needs of Black men in the areas of health and related issues, The Walnut Foundation strives to make a difference in men’s health and wellness, and to provide a forum for discussion in a comfortable, safe and supportive environment.

 

In Canada, 1 out of 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their life, and 63 are diagnosed daily with 11 dying from it. Black men of West African or Caribbean ancestry have almost double the risk of developing prostate cancer compared to non-Black men and the mortality rate among Black men is higher than others. They have a 76% higher rate of prostate cancer and are two times more likely to die from it. Black men tend to discover their cancer in its later stages due to not getting an early screening. 

Doctors recommend that Black men start screening from the age of 40. If prostate cancer is detected early the survival rate is nearly 100% at 5 years, 98% at 10 years, and 96% at 15 years. However, if it is detected late, the survival rate in 5 years drops from nearly 100% to only 30%.

“Based on the various studies that have shown that Black men are disproportionately impacted by prostate cancer, given the fact that if caught early prostate cancer is treatable and curable and given the stigma, the relationship between the Black communities and systems in general and the health care system in particular, reaching out to the communities through various means of health information and promotion from a trusted community organization is very important. This is why TAIBU is honoured to support and partner with The Walnut Foundation in bringing these educational and awareness building resources,” says Liben Gebremikael, Executive Director of TAIBU Community Health Centre.

Photo credit: Selina McCallum    Ravin is one of the actors in the educational videos rolling out this month to raise awareness about prostate cancer in the Black community.

 

Williams’s doctor always recommended a DRE, also known as a prostate exam, and a PSA test. “The sooner the diagnosis, the greater the probability of the best outcomes in terms of the range of options of treatment that are currently available. But the early diagnosis is the best start in terms of the care of one’s prostate.” 

 

When he was diagnosed, Williams relied on the support of his family noting that he was not aware of any support groups in Canada or Jamaica where he lived for some time after surgery. He believes support groups help Black men to overcome the stigma associated with the disease and build confidence in them that treatment is possible and there are survivors.

 

Klass says the video series underscores the message that men should screen regularly for prostate cancer, and it is very likely that they will catch it early. 

 

“If you catch it early there is an almost 100% chance that you are going to die from something else. It’s a very simple message that underlines everything and it goes back to screen early and it’s a simple blood test,” says Klass who is also on the board of Prostate Cancer Support Toronto, and Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada. 

 

The Walnut Foundation intends to hammer home that message hoping that the simplicity of it will motivate Black men to act. Klass says the videos gives the organization the flexibility to play them to multiple audiences in different locations and on social media, and therefore they should be able to reach more members of the Black community.

 

Like Williams, Klass was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1996, he was 53; within four years he became active in a support group and describes it as quite a revelation.

 

“I remember when I attended my first support group. I saw these guys that didn’t look like they had cancer, it was very encouraging for me. I got to know them, and I realized they were very strong people in the way they confronted their condition and the way they managed it.”

 

Klass says this was one of the best moves of his life and the men who participated in those support groups left feeling that the sessions helped them emotionally and in tangible ways, such as finding resources to make informed decisions about treatment options. The feedback from group members allows someone newly diagnosed with prostate cancer to know about the side effects as well, but ultimately it is a personal decision.

 

“The problem with this though is that a lot of guys, especially Black men, are not aware of the existence of support groups for prostate cancer and they suffer in silence. The problem here is that prostate cancer affects an organ that is associated with sexuality and because of this there are a lot of myths around how you get prostate cancer.”

 

He says the average Black man who is diagnosed with prostate cancer tends to withdraw socially, particularly from women, because their sexuality has to do with performance.

 

“If we can get Black men to go out there and screen regularly then we’re there, in terms of our goal, because most of them, if they were to get prostate cancer, they would catch it early. That increases the options, and the chances that the treatment will not be intrusive and with side effects, or anything like that,” says Klass about debunking the myths and letting men know that they can be treated and recover their sexuality.

 

On the matter of addressing the stigma, Gebremikael says stigma exists because of a variety of reasons. 

 

“One reason is due to the mistrust of Black communities with systems in general and healthcare institutions in particular due to generational and historical events that have caused this in the first place. This area is not an easy fix. It also takes time for institutions to take responsibility in redressing the mistrust.” 

 

The executive director notes that addressing stigma in the community requires continuous engagement and awareness with information from a trusted source. 

 

“We have seen the success of such community-based community engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Black Scientist Task Force on Vaccine Equity has played a pivotal role in increasing uptake of COVID-19 vaccine among the Black population through the sharing of accurate and trusted information and education on the virus and the development of the vaccine, hosting community town halls and forums encouraging discussion and addressing concerns from the community.”

 

 

Klass added that if a man has prostate cancer there is a likelihood of a genetic connection and a family history of it increases the chances of their younger male relatives getting cancer. There are prevention routines such as diets and exercises that can delay or prevent it.

 

He underscored that a blood test does not confirm that one has prostate cancer but only suggests the possibility of it; confirmation only happens with a biopsy. 

 

The Walnut Foundation remains focused on prostate cancer but has realized that it is not enough; as a result, it is expanding its vision to include men’s health in general and to enlist the support of younger men.

 

“One of the reasons for this is that prostate cancer is associated with older men and therefore an organization that focuses on prostate cancer can be perceived as older guys getting together. We must break this mould and start to make us more acceptable to the younger guys,” says Klass noting that their strategy includes mental health which is important to the targeted group.

 

To measure the effectiveness of the videos, Gebremikael says there will be monitoring metrics such as number of views of the videos and TAIBU will work with The Walnut Foundation to implement ways of eliciting feedback from the community through feedback surveys. “The aim is also to use these videos as community engagement tools as part of health promotion programs and events. These will be important spaces to engage with community members and seek the impact of the videos on their and/or family members' awareness, attitudes, behaviour and access to preventative services.” 

 

To view the educational videos created by filmmaker Selina McCallum, here is the link:  https://thewalnutfoundation.com/watch-our-videos/

 

 

 

 

 

Play Featuring Anansi and Ginnal Kicks Off Buddies in Bad Times Theatre’s 45th Season

 By Neil Armstrong

Photo credit: Diana Luong      Theatre artist daniel jelani ellis's play speaking of sneaking will be featured at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto

Theatre artist daniel jelani ellis is promising more dancehall and much more leaning into the world of the mythical folk hero Anansi in speaking of sneaking, a groundwork redux and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre production in association with Obsidian Theatre, when the 45^th anniversary season of Buddies opens later this month.

 

Directed by fellow Jamaican Canadian artist, activist and academic d’bi.young anitafrika,  ellis — who appeared as “Boy” in DM St. Bernard’s The First Stone in Buddies’ 2022-23 season — brings an exhilarating theatrical experience to the Buddies stage: a compelling tale of self-discovery and the pursuit of belonging. 

 

Both are collaborating on another project at the Theatre Centre where he is in residency, and she is the director and dramaturge of the piece. When the opportunity arose to present speaking of sneaking sooner at this Buddies, they seized it.

 

Drawing from his Jamaican roots and lived experiences as a Black queer man navigating “Foreign” (Canada), ellis delivers a multidisciplinary performance that combines dance, poetry, and pantomime to create a transformative journey like no other. He plays ten different characters who appear on stage, “some of them speak, some of them are just there, and it begins with Anansi, we’re entering into Anansi’s web.”

 

“It was in the artistic space of Buddies’ Emerging Creators Unit that speaking of sneaking was first tenderly brooded over for months,” says the creator and performer. “With that infant iteration, I was exploring my newly-forming identity as a Canadian — a Black queer Jamaican young man brand-new to Toronto — reconciling new freedoms and transgressions. It is a surreal experience to return to this piece over 10 years later in the very space where those first ideas were incubated.”

 

Originating in Buddies’ Emerging Creators Unit (2012) and further developed in Why Not Theatre's RISER project (2018), speaking of sneaking has garnered five Dora award nominations, including for outstanding production and outstanding new play. 

 

Eleven years ago, working with theatre director and educator Evalyn Parry, ellis in the 25-minute piece was exploring the issue of code switching not only showing up in language but in the body. 

 

“I was answering that question, like what is the voice of an uprooted Black queer body. And then at RISER it was expanded working with d’bi and it was from Ginnal’s perspective. In terms of this iteration, another way it has changed and continue to evolve is that we (the audience) will be entering into Anansi’s world. This is from Anansi’s perspective; we’re in the realm of the deities, Anansi is the deity of storytelling in this piece,” says ellis, noting that this version of speaking of sneaking is weaving of a story from Anansi the god.

 

When the work was presented at the Theatre Centre, ellis worked with his brother Jesse, a talented musician, who was the sound designer, and in terms of the movement Brian Solomon brought a contemporary dance interpretation of the dancehall.

 

“But for this iteration we’re really leaning into the dancehall so we’re working with a sound designer Stephon Smith and choreographer Jaz “Fairy J” Simone who both independent of the piece have a relationship with dancehall, with Jamaica, with Caribbean through diaspora culture so they are showing up with their own —obviously realizing d’bi’s vision — but then also offering their own interpretation, their own inspirations based on their relationships with dancehall so the dancehall just really exploded for this iteration.”

 

Ellis says at Buddies they have greater resources and the luxury of more time than the RISER project allowed and so they are taking full advantage of that, and it is on a grander scale. 

Photo contributed     daniel jelani ellis in rehearsal for speaking of sneaking

speaking of sneaking follows the story of Ginnal, who yearns to send a barrel back to his family in Jamaica from his bachelor apartment in Toronto. The play artfully collapses past and present, as Ginnal reminisces about his youth in Yard and his path to Foreign. Guided by the playful and ancient spider Anansi, Ginnal navigates the complexities of Black queer masculinity and wrestles with the fraught potential of leaving one home to find another.

 

Ellis says he grew up with Anansi as a figure of storytelling and a revered folkloric spirit and so it felt very natural to be drawing from that culture to incorporate Anansi in the work. 

 

Following the structure of Anansi stories, he believes that ginnals came to be because of Anansi and so he decided to include the figure.  

 

“I wanted to defend ginnals; we understand ginnals as crooked, shady, and trying to benefit themselves. I wanted to offer a perspective that maybe ginnals are doing what they need to do to get through. If we consider that mainstream society or the hegemonic structures serve a very specific kind of person, to be able to navigate these structures with your humanity you have to be flexible, you have to be a bit of a ginnal so that’s how the ginnal and Anansi archetypes came to be.”

Under the expert direction of d'bi.young anitafrika,  whose Anitafrika method helped to develop the piece since its inception, speaking of sneaking returns to Buddies for its mainstage debut. Set and costume is by Rachel Forbes and lighting by Andre Du Toit.

 

Ellis says working with d’bi.young has been surreal and they share so much in common.

 

“It’s a dream come true. We’ll have moments in the day where we will look at each other and giggle when we reflect on how our lives have intersected. We went to the same high school in Jamaica, not at the same time; my dad taught her theatre when she was a youth; my dad and her mom were in the Jamaica School of Drama at the same time. When I moved here, about six months after that I saw her on stage in “Da Kink in My Hair,” that original production at the Princess of Wales Theatre. And I was like woe, theatre is still a possibility here so I have long been looking toward her as model of what is possible, of what I would like to do with my life.”

 

The play opens on September 21, with previews on September 19 and 20; it closes on October 1.