REFLECTION & REASON

It's often hard to articulate just how wonderful Caribbean carnival is as a cultural occurrence, as a point of legacy, as a hobby, and most importantly as a creative outlet for so many individuals around the world. The neverending calendar of carnivals, fetes, and launches give global carnival enthusiasts a permanent anticipation knowing that in just another few weeks there is another carnival...somewhere. For those of us residing in Toronto, that somewhere is right here on Lakeshore Boulevard, the CNE grounds, and the streets and parks of downtown that are embraced by the Caribbean festival every summer. The highlight for many, as it takes place during the long weekend preceding our Civic Holiday Monday (the first Monday in August), is that it also tends to mark the "end" of the official fete and boatride season, and the winding down of summer holidays in the weeks leading up to Labour Day and the beginning of a new school year. Right now, June, it is prime Toron...

It's too easy to stay connected, make notes, send memos and track events. We know this. We have over a dozen apps and numerous devices designed to keep our lives hassle-free, up-to-date, and contribute towards everyone's ultimate goal: a combination of success and happiness. With plot outlines, characters, literary settings, and formatting all trying to line up in order in my mind, it still can be a challenge to maintain organization, despite all of the tools available. Regardless of this ultra-accessible Insta-world we all occupy, even the most basic organizational tasks can still seem challenging. Lately, I find myself reverting back to the techniques and mechanisms I relied on pre-Google, and am surprised at how refreshing it feels to integrate myself into old familiar ways of staying on track and alert. As a writer and book lover I'm naturally biased, and could barely resist the fall organizers and perfectly covered agendas and calendars they had on display at m...

Carnival Nationz Mas Camp Shantal Otchere for Now Toronto It's tradition. After the spring launches of the individual Toronto Caribbean Carnival masquerade bands, carnival enthusiasts and participants across the city and beyond can also look forward to the Mas Camp grand openings and the true physical beginning of the carnival season in the city. The Mas Camp is the hub of activity, construction, design, and camaraderie in the carnival community. It is a dedicated space where costume designers and their teams begin to carefully construct their costumes in preparation for parade day. It is the home for the individual mas bands, working towards the coveted titled of Band of the Year, based on their creativity, adherence to theme, and cohesiveness of their group/band overall. Carnival Nationz Mas Camp, Shantal Otchere for Now Toronto At the mas camp, not only can you witness creatives at work, but you can also take part in the development of the mas band for the seaso...

We are fortunate to live in a time where walking into a bookstore and finding an ethnically diverse selection of children's books is no longer an anomaly. The past decade has brought a vibrant increase in visibility to the characters that fill the pages of children's literature, and with each generation we will surely see the social effects of this inclusive representation. As a child, bestselling children's author and storyteller Angelot Ndongmo didn't have the literary luxury of choosing between culturally reflective texts at the library or through her local bookseller. In fact, selecting books was less tied to personal reflection and instead focused on plot and theme. A fictional adventure is always satisfying for a young mind with a healthy imagination, but it was an avoidable misfortune for the generations who never had the added bonus of being able to receive that extra boost of culture through literature at a young age. If you happen to live in Toronto an...

Very seldom can we witness a moment in history and know that, without a doubt, it is going to be a memory that remains a significant part of our lives forever. There are incidents that we'll always recall for personal reasons, or times we hold dear as a part of our family legacy, but the cultural moments that simultaneously resonate with us all are rare to come by. But when they do hit...we feel no pain. It wasn't my intention to watch the inaugural performance of the Buju Banton " Long Walk to Freedom Tour " from the cold familiarity of Toronto, Canada. Since Buju was released from incarceration, in December of last year, I knew that every moment up until this particular performance was going to be one of great musical anticipation...and I wanted to be there for the climax. "Due to circumstances beyond my control..." I was unable to fly to Kingston to see Mark Myrie touch the stage after nine long years. Instead, I made sure to lock in every device and ...