Caribbean Graphic March 2014

March 12, 2014 CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC PAGE 1
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VOL. 8, NO. 05 March 12, 2014 Website: www.caribbeangraphic.ca Tel: 905.831-4402 Fax: 416.292.2943 Email: caribbeangraphic@rogers.com
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First published in January 2001 as Graphic News, Caribbean Graphic changed its name at the beginning of 2002
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origin. The paper went into hiatus in May 2005. In response to popular demand it was reintroduced, under new
ownership, in November 2011.
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is to serve as a platform to advanced awareness of the achievements, challenges and causes affecting Canadian-
Caribbean peoples. Its mission is to promote the Canadian-Caribbean communitys economic development and
an even greater sense of cohesion amongst its members.
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J
amaicas power-
house vocalist Tes-
sanne Chin, who
won season fve of NBCs
hit singing contest The
Voice in December, will
be honoured this month
at The University of the
West Indies Fifth Annual
Toronto Beneft Gala. The
event, slated for March 29 at
the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, pays
tribute to leaders of Caribbean
and Canadian heritage and will
see the reggae-fusion songstress
presented with a Luminary
Award alongside reggae legend
and The Harder They Come
star Jimmy Cliff.
Chin, who recently inked a
deal with one of the worlds larg-
est talent agencies ICM Part-
ners, will release her self-titled
album later this year.
The 28-year-old singers
father-in-law, Jamaican broad-
caster Michael Anthony Cuffe
Sr., will host the Toronto gala.
The events patron is Ray-
mond Chang, former Ryerson
University chancellor and phi-
lanthropist, who like Chin is of
Chinese-Jamaican descent.
The annual University of West
Indies event raises funds for
scholarships for outstanding
students in the Caribbean. To
date, nearly 150 scholarships
have been awarded.
The reigning Voice winner
will return to Toronto on May 17
for a concert at the Sony Centre
for the Performing Arts with her
Bread & Butter Band.
G
rammy Award-
winning gospel
music artist Heze-
kiah Walker will be the
headline act for this years
May 18 - 25 Barbados
Gospelfest. According to
Barbados Gospelfests Executive
Director Adrian Agard we are
responding to repeated request
from the regional and Barbadian
audiences for Hezekiah Walker
to Minister at the festival. We are
all excitedly anticipating Walk-
ers frst ministry experience at
the Barbados Gospelfest and we
are confdent that his presence
will be enjoyed by visitors to the
island and local patrons, as well
as sponsors and other partners
Toronto Honour For Tessanne Chin!
Hezekiah Walker To Headline Barbados Gospelfest!
of the festival. His signing is con-
sistent with the high quality and
standards upheld by the Carib-
beans Premier Christian Music
and Arts Festival.
Hezekiah Walkers latest hit,
Every Praise, from his album
Azusa: The Next Generation
has enjoyed an astonishing 23
week run as number one on the
billboard gospel chart.
Azusa: The Next Generation
is Walkers 14th album. He has
received signifcant airplay on
radio in Barbados with gospel
station Life 97.5 playing the song
Every Praise for a record fve
(5) hours from 12:00 midnight to
5:00 AM on Independence Day
November 30 and again on New
Years Day. This is the frst time
in Barbadian radio that any song
has enjoyed continuous play for
this length of time.
Programme Director of Bar-
bados Life Radio 97.5 FM Ron-
nie Clarke says Every Praise
is without doubt the most
impactful song on Life 97.5
Hezekiah Walker brings over
twenty years of quality music
ministry there is more to him
than a good song his message
is timeless and his impact life
changing.
Many of Hezekiah Walkers
songs have also been featured
in worship, mimes and dances
within Barbados Christian
community.
Walker, is also the founder
and leader of the Love Fellow-
ship Choir (LFC), and Pas-
tor and Bishop of the Love
Fellowship Tabernacle, with lo-
cations in Brooklyn, New York,
and Bensalem, Pennsylvania, in
the United States.
Tessanne Chin
Hezekiah Walker
Meet your local
Mortgage Advisor.
Bianca Aziz
Home Financing Solutions
As a Scotiabank Mortgage Advisor, I am committed to providing you with
excellent service and innovative mortgage solutions that are right for you. I am
committed to finding the most appropriate solution to meet your unique needs.
Are you thinking of
Buying or building a home?
Refinancing your existing mortgage?
Renovating your home?
Consolidating existing debts?
Bianca Aziz
Greater Toronto Area
647.983.6826
bianca.aziz@scotiabank.com
Youre richer than you think
Registered trademarks of the Bank of Nova Scotia.

Meet your local
Mortgage Advisor.
Bianca Aziz
As a Scotiabank Mortgage Advisor, I am committed to providing you with
committed to finding the most appropriate solution to meet your unique needs.
Are you thinking of
Refinancing your existing mortgage?
Bianca Aziz
647.983.6826
Youre richer than you think

Meet your local Mortgage
Advisor.
Bianca Aziz
As a Scotiabank Home Financing Advisor, I am committed to providing you with
committed to nding the most appropriate solution to meet your unique needs.
Are you thinking of
Renancing your existing mortgage?
Bianca Aziz
647.983.6826

Wishing you a very special
Mothers Day
Bianca Aziz
647-983-6826
Mama was my greatest teacher, a
teacher of compassion, love and
fearlessness. If love is sweet as a
flower, then my mother is that
sweet flower of love Stevie
Wonder
Holi (Phagwah) The Festival of Colours And Love
H
oli is also known
as Phagwah, the Fes-
tival of Colours and
sometimes the Festival of love..
It is primarily observed in In-
dia, Nepal, and other regions
of the world with signifcant
populations of majority Hindus
or people of Indian origin. It is an
ancient Hindu religious festival which
has become popular with non-Hindus
in many parts of South Asia, as well as
people of other communities. Outside
India, Holi is observed by the minor-
ity Hindus in Bangladesh, Pakistan as
well in countries with large Indian
subcontinent diaspora populations such
as Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and To-
bago, South Africa, Malaysia, the United
Kingdom, the United States, Mauritius,
and Fiji. The Holi rituals and customs
outside South Asia also vary with local
adaptations.
The festival has, in recent times,
spread in parts of Europe and North
Americas as a spring celebration of love,
frolic and colours. Traditional Holi cel-
ebrations start with a Holika bonfre on
the night before Holi where people
gather, sing and dance.
The next morning is free for all car-
nival of colours, where everyone plays,
chases and colours each other with
dry powder and coloured water, with
some carrying water guns and coloured
water-flled balloons for their water fght.
Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend
or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman,
children and elders. . Children and youth
spray coloured powder solutions (Gulal)
at each other, laugh and celebrate, while
elders tend to smear dry coloured pow-
der (Abir) on each others faces.
The frolic and fght with colours oc-
curs in the open streets, open parks,
outside temples and buildings. Groups
carry drums and musical instruments,
go from place to place, sing and dance.
People move and visit family, friends and
foes, frst play with colours on each other,
laugh and chit-chat, then share Holi deli-
cacies, food and drinks. In the evening,
after sobering up, people dress up, visit
friends and family. It is a national holiday
in India and in Guyana also.
Holi is celebrated at the approach of
vernal equinox, on the Phalguna Purn-
ima (Full Moon). The festival date var-
ies every year, per the Hindu calendar,
and typically comes in March, some-
times February in the Gregorian Cal-
endar. The festival signifes the victory
of good over evil, the arrival of spring,
end of winter, and for many a festive
day to meet others, play and laugh,
forget and forgive, and repair ruptured
relationships.
There is a symbolic leg-
end to explain why holi is
celebrated. The word Holi
originates from Holika,
the evil sister of demon
king Hiranyakashipu.
King Hiranyakashipu had
earned a boon that made
him virtually indestruc-
tible. The special powers
blinded him, he grew arro-
gant, felt he was God, and
demanded that everyone
worship only him.
Hiranyakashipus own son, Prahlada,
however, disagreed. He was and re-
mained devoted to Vishnu. This infu-
riated Hiranyakashipu. He subjected
Prahlada to cruel punishments, none of
which affected the boy or his resolve to
do what he thought was right. Finally,
Holika - Prahladas evil aunt - tricked
him into sitting on a pyre with her.
Holika was wearing a cloak (shawl)
that made her immune to injury from
fre, while Prahlada was not. As the
fre roared, the cloak few from Holika
and encased Prahlada. Holika burned,
Prahlada survived. Vishnu appeared and
killed Hiranyakashipu. The bonfre is a
reminder of the symbolic victory of good
over evil, of Prahlada over Hiranyaka-
shipu, of fre that burned Holika. The day
after Holika bonfre is celebrated as Holi.
In Braj region of India, where Krish-
na grew up, the festival is celebrated for
16 days (until Rangpanchmi) in com-
memoration of the divine love of Rad-
ha for Krishna, a Hindu deity. The
festivities offcially usher in spring, with
Holi celebrated as festival of love.
There is a symbolic myth behind
commemorating Krishna as well. Baby
Krishna transitioned into his charac-
teristic dark blue skin colour because a
she demon Putana poisoned him with
her breast milk. In his youth, Krishna
despairs whether fair skinned Radha
and other Gopikas (girls) will like him
because of his skin colour. His mother,
tired of the desperation, asks him to
approach Radha and colour her face in
any colour he wanted. This he does, and
Radha and Krishna became a couple.
The playful colouring of the face of
Radha has henceforth been commemo-
rated as Holi.
Beyond India, these legends to
explain the signifcance of Holi (Phag-
wah) are common in some Caribbean
and South American communities of
Indian origin such as Guyana and Trin-
idad and Tobago.
Holi festival has other cultural signif-
cance. It is the festive day to end and rid
oneself of past errors, end conficts by
meeting others, a day to forget and for-
give. People pay or forgive debts, as well
as deal anew with those in their lives.
Holi also marks the start of spring, and
for many the start of new year.
Holi is an important festival to Hin-
dus. The festival has many purposes.
First and foremost, it celebrates the
beginning of the new season, spring. In
17th century literature, it was identifed
as a festival that celebrated agriculture,
commemorated good spring harvests
and the fertile land.
Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying
springs abundant colours and saying
farewell to winter. Holi festivities mark
the beginning of new year to many
Hindus, as well as a justifcation to reset
and renew ruptured relationships, end
conficts and accumulated emotional
impurities from past.
It also has a religious purpose, sym-
bolically signifed by the legend of Ho-
lika. The night before Holi, bonfres are
lit, known as Holika Dahan (burning
of Holika) or Little Holi. People gather
near fres, dance and sing. The next day,
Holi, is celebrated .
C
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T
he members of Torontos
most exciting live band,
Fuh Fun, Wayne Dalmada,
Rick DaSilva, George DeSilva,
Brian Irwin and Ingrid Veeras-
ammy, will on April 19th bring
their outstanding musical talents
to the assistance of the Craig
Gonsalves Cancer Fund. Fuh
Fun will play at a Dance To Your
Favorite Classics Fundraiser.
The April 19 Fundraiser has been or-
ganized by Craigs dad, Mike Gonsalves,
to help offset the medical expenses
associated with his sons ongoing cancer
treatment. Substantial expenses, the
majority of which are unfortunately not
covered by OHIP.
A single father of four young children,
Craig Gonsalves had been battling two
brain tumours for three and a half to
four years. A third very aggressive Type
4 tumour appeared in August 2013,
necessitating treatment in the form of
a cancer drug named Avistan. Unfortu-
nately Avistan, which is very expensive,
is again not covered under OHIP. As
such Craig now has cover its cost out of
his own pocket.
Pickerings Recreation Complex,
located at 1867 Valley Farm Road, will
be the venue for the dance which gets
started at 7:30 pm and will run until
1:00 am. The ever popular Canadian
Guyanese Community DJ Bakes Pereira
will be spinning tunes in between Fuh
Funs sets. There will also be tasty West
Indian cuisine dishes available for pur-
chase and of course a CashBar.
Tickets for this most worthy cause are
only $25 per person. The organizers are
hoping for a sold out attendance.
Fuh Fun Helping To
Raise Cancer Funds!
BEAUTIFUL BETI:
In honour of the forthcom-
ing Holi (Phagwah) Festival,
we thought we should share
this very Beautiful Betis
photo. Our tribute, so to
speak, to the highly captivat-
ing, oftentimes mind blowing,
beauty of our Indo-Caribbean
women! Happy Phagwah all.
Publisher/Editor: Tony McWatt
Contributors: Sandra Ann Baptiste, Akua Hinds,
Christine Reid, Sir Ronald Sanders,
Legal: Oumarally and Baboolal
Graphic Design: Adryan Manasan (www.echodesign.ca)
Website: www.caribbeangraphic.ca Tel: 905.831-4402 Fax: 416.292.2943 Email: caribbeangraphic@rogers.com
Sir Ronald
Sanders
Guyana: Money Laundering And An
opportunity For Real Democracy
T
he governing Peoples
Progressive Party/Civic
(PPP) and the opposition
parties in Guyana are locked in
a unique governance struggle in
which two combined opposition
parties command the majority
in the legislature and, thus, can
block legislation introduced by
the government.
The PPPs Donald Ramotar was
elected President of Guyana by a plural-
ity of votes in November 2011 general
elections, but the party failed to win an
overall majority in the legislature. Since
then the country has had to experi-
ment with a novel model of democracy
because the elections produced no
overall winner and, therefore, there has
been no winner taking all. Instead,
the government and the two parties that
comprise the opposition have had to
bargain with each other to accomplish a
legislative programme.
The two opposition parties in the
legislature are: A Partnership for
National Unity (APNU) and the Alli-
ance For Change (AFC). APNU is itself
a coalition of political parties, mainly
the Peoples National Congress (PNC)
and the Working Peoples Alliance
(WPA). In combination, APNU and the
AFC have a one-vote majority over the
governing PPP and they have used the
one-vote majority to stop government
legislation and spending to which they
object and to demand changes that they
favour. The process has been acrimo-
nious as each party tries to win public
support for its positions.
In time, this period of Guyanas
governance will be an interesting and
instructive study for scholars of gover-
nance, politics, democracy and constitu-
tions. It may, in fact, point to new ways
and more democratic forms of gover-
nance not only for Guyana but all Carib-
bean countries. Right now, however,
the newness of the situation and the
rawness of the inter-party bargaining in
the legislature and in the court of public
opinion are too urgent to allow for sober
refection and benefcial refnement of
a system that may come to be the norm
in Guyana. That system could be one
in which no political party ever wins an
overall majority in the legislature and
bargaining, comprise and a real effort
at consensus among elected parties
become the standard. In other words,
no one political party would be able to
rule the roost and inter-party bargain-
ing in the legislature would become the
mechanism for national policy setting
and budget allocations with the govern-
ment as the implementing machinery.
None of the political parties in Guy-
anas legislature will ever stop hoping
for an overall majority and, undoubt-
edly, each will continue working
toward that objective. To do so, there
will have to be a radical change in the
politics, policies and programmes of
the PPP and PNC.
Historically, the PPP has cultivated
its principal support among the people
of East-Indian extraction while the PNC
(the main party in APNU) has sought
its main backing from the people of
African ancestry. Neither of these two
main ethnic groups in Guyana is now
numerous enough to give either party
an overall majority; each would have to
broaden its base signifcantly and that
process will take time. Even if the pro-
cess is launched now, it certainly wont
produce benefts for the next general
election due by November 2016.
The success of the AFC in securing
representation in Guyanas parliament
is an indicator that there is a substan-
tial number of people who see little
national beneft in race-based politics.
The younger generation of Guyana (and
there is now a signifcant number of the
population under 35), show a greater
tendency not only to racial tolerance
but also to integration. Like everywhere
else, they also want change from the
entrenched political system that has
dominated the country.
The experiment in Guyana of a ruling
party that does not control the major-
ity in the legislature is experiencing its
most severe test so far over Anti-Money
Laundering and Counter Terrorism
Financing legislation. The Guyana gov-
ernment is required to achieve the adop-
tion of this legislation by Parliament as
the initial measure to avoid the country
being black-listed by the Geneva-based
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for
non-compliance with rules that have
been accepted by the powerful govern-
ments of the world, including China and
India, as international criteria. As a
former Chairman (2003-2004) and Vice
Chairman (2001-2002) of the Caribbean
Financial Action Task Force (CFATF)
that conducted a review of Guyanas
situation and found it defcient, I under-
stand fully the adverse implications for
Guyanas fnancial services sector, busi-
nesses, and even ordinary citizens of the
legislation not being adopted as a frst
step in a raft of compliance machinery
that Guyana is required to implement.
The passage of the legislation is en-
meshed in the power struggle between
the governing PPP and the two opposi-
tion parties in the legislature. All parties
recognise the importance to the country
of Guyana not being designated as non-
cooperative and, therefore, blacklisted
internationally. The opposition parties
are, therefore, pressing the government
to deliver on demands they have made
that are not related to the anti-money
laundering legislation (although some
amendments have been suggested) as the
principal condition of agreeing to it. The
government on the other hand is relying
on both international pressure and the
rightful anxiety of the private sector to
cause the opposition parties to pass the
legislation without their ancillary de-
mands being satisfed. Each side blames
the other for the legislation not being ad-
opted and representatives of each party
have imputed links to drug traffckers as
the motivation for the others failure to
pass the law.
The fnancial services sector, businesses
in Guyana and any member of the Guyana
public who sends or receives money from
abroad, including Canada, have genuine
cause for concern. The Guyana economy
could itself suffer a setback.
At the time of writing, the negotia-
tions between the government and the
opposition show no sign of an early
resolution. These negotiations will be
the biggest test of the political parties to
operate Guyanas new form of democrat-
ic governance in the national interest. It
is time for maturity on all sides to work
for balance and compromise.
(The writer is a Consultant, Senior Fel-
low at London University and former
Caribbean diplomat) Responses and
previous commentaries: www.sirron-
aldsanders.com
The Importance Of Insurance
T
he frst job I ever got was
as a Life Insurance Sales
Representative. As such
Ive always appreciated how
valuable and essential life in-
surance is to anyones fnancial
well being. Within recent years,
events that have unfolded in the
lives of individuals Ive known
have only served to heighten
that appreciation.
A few weeks ago a former MoneyGram
International co-worker of mine, Eric
Pena, suffered a massive heart attack
and died. He was only 47.
Among those left behind to mourn
his loss was his wife and two young
children. Although wed worked
together fairly closely at MGI, in all
honesty I have absolutely no idea as to
whether he was insured or what effect
his sudden and unexpected demise has
had on the fnancial well being of his
immediate family.
Upon hearing the sad news of Erics
passing, my frst thoughts, not surpris-
ingly, were to hope that he was insured.
The thought that his familys already
catastrophic loss could be made even
more by fnancial burdens resulting
from his demise was worrying.
Erics passing was yet another stark
indication of our mortality and the fact
that tomorrow is promised to no one.
It also serves as a reminder that when
our time has come, as it inevitably will,
there are those that will be left behind
to bear the burdens of our passing.
Foremost among such burdens are
the associated immediate final ar-
rangements expenses. Beyond those
there is also the short and long term
effects arising from the loss of income
if, as in Erics case, the departed was
in their prime working years.
With such stark reminders ever pres-
ent why is it then that so many of us
place such little value on ensuring that
we are properly insured?
Here in Canada, car insurance is
mandatory. It also almost impossible
to get a mortgage without proper home
insurance. We readily accept that both
are essential. We can fnd the funds to
secure the required insurance for our
cars and our homes, as material as they
both are. Yet insuring our lives and
health, for the good of both ourselves
and others, is far too often viewed as a
fnancial burden not worthy of its costs.
Life insurance costs increase with
age. There are those of us that may be
un or under insured and unfortunately
also at an age that renders the acquisi-
tion of adequate coverage cost prohibi-
tive. There are however relatively inex-
pensive fnal arrangements policies
now available that have no age restric-
tions. Acquisition of such would at
least ensure that passing, when it does
inevitably occur does not infict any
fnancial burden on those left behind to
bear the loss.
Advances in medicine have radically
increased survival rates among those
afficted by diseases that were once
terminal. Necessary ongoing care and
treatments can sometimes however be
quite costly and required drugs are of-
ten not covered by Government Health
Insurance plans such as OHIP. Critical
Illness insurance, introduced in the
eighties, now provides coverage access
to lump sums of money that can be used
to offset ongoing treatment costs.
Whatever the type required life, living
expenses or fnal arrangements, insur-
ance coverage should be a must have for
every individual and household within
our community.
Tony McWatt
Fisherman
Conquers
Shark
BRIDGETOWN, There was no epic
battle pitting fsherman Don Archer
against a JAWS-like shark. In fact, for
the shark, the battle was over in about
ten minutes.The shark was brought to
shore; its future is now in a fsh market,
in therapeutic oil and in trinkets and
the victorious Archer is looking to his
next conquest.
For Archer, March 8 began like any
other day of fshing. He said he collected
some dead chickens from a chicken
farm in St Lucy, hooked them on his
line, with its cork foat, which he trailed
about 100 yards off the Animal Flower
Cave and then waited.
And when the foat started to bob in
the water, he knew he had caught some-
thing. It was a smooth skin shark, he
revealed. It was about six feet long and
weighed about 110 pounds.
Asked about the type of fight the
shark put up, Archer said, matter-
of-factly: Actually it wasnt much of
fight due to my experience. And it
was quite small as well. It was out in
about ten minutes.
The hardest part, he admitted, was
hauling it out of the sea. That took the
help of a group of men.
Archer, a craftsman who has a handi-
craft stall at the Animal Flower Cave,
explained: Normally I fsh here all the
time and I catch about four or fve a
year. The biggest one I caught was about
15 feet in length and a tiger shark. That
was in 2012.
The fisherman of many years said
he plans to sell the meat in the mar-
ket and possibly boil some of it for its
shark oil. I took the jaw and teeth and
head and I will cure them. Its a nice
conversation piece so what I would do
is take some of the teeth and make a
necklace, he mused. His next fishing
trip is tomorrow and Archer is hoping
for the same luck again.
Fishing is something that I love and I
like to eat my shark, he laughed.
KENSINGTON
NOT INSURED!
BRIDGETOWN, Extreme hard times
have left one of Barbados most famous
and expensive sports and entertain-
ment properties dangerously exposed.
The more than 10 000 mainly Bar-
badian and British cricket lovers who
descended on the world famous Kens-
ington Oval on March 9 to watch the
West Indies-England T20 would have
watched the match in a $100-plus
million facility that has no property
insurance coverage.
However, acting chief executive
offcer Kensington Oval Management
Inc. (KOMI), Ben Toppin, was quick to
explain that while the property might
be exposed, patrons defnitely would
not be. Thats because public liability
on the Oval is up-to-date.
He noted that the situation with in-
surance at the historic ground did not
result from negligence on the part of
the owners or managers of the facility,
but simply because they just could not
afford to pay.
HAPPY AT 100!
BRIDGETOWN, Machel Montano
may believe he is the happiest man
alive, but in fact there is one happier.
He is Marcus Augustus Corbin. Corbs,
as he is affectionately called, was ac-
corded the honour as friends gathered
with him at his French Village, St
Peter home on March 7 to celebrate
his big 100.
I am glad to reach this standard,
the islands latest centenarian said
as members of his church, those
cramped inside, as well as under
a tent adjacent his house, sang the
birthday song to him.
Im glad I reach . . . to see who
come to lift me up and give me praise,
for I come with Jesus. Who bring me
to this stage? Jesus, he said as he
smiled, punctuating it with his favou-
rite quote in Jesus name.
In his younger years, Corbin was
a man who loved to work with his
hands. For sometime he kept a shop,
but for the majority of his working
life, he was involved in agricul-
ture, cutting canes, digging cane
holes and digging soft stone. He was
predeceased by his wife fve years
ago. They had one daughter, who
resides overseas.
When asked about his recipe for
reaching the ripe age of a century,
not very talkative, he gave all credit
to the Lord. Before he could attend
school, Corbin was in church and
had committed himself to God. Up
to his early 90s he would walk over
the hill to attend church and give
testimony.
I cant tell [others] what to do . . .
. Just do all that is good. They got peo-
ple going to church and it aint no help
to them, he said. Or one can catch
him walking around and doing what
I can do for myself. That includes
cooking a mean meal for himself,
sometimes washing, and basically
everything else, except cleaning.
SPARMAN COVERED
BRIDGETOWN, Patients who receive
cardiac treatment from Dr Alfred
Sparman should have eligible health
insurance claims honoured.
This, says Sparmans attorney Sir
Richard Cheltenham, is a key out-
come of the High Court decision
on February 19 by Justice Dr Sonia
Richards that the doctor can con-
tinue working as a cardiologist until
the court hears his case against the
Barbados Medical Council for refus-
ing his registration.
Sparman fled for a judicial re-
view of the councils decision not to
grant him registration as a specialist
required by the then new Medical
Registration Act 2011-1.
Unlike the old 1971 act under which
Sparman was registered to practice
as a cardiologist here from 2001 after
presentation of certifcates, the new
law requires a two-tiered registration
frst as a general practitioner and
secondly as a specialist with proof of
qualifcations and/or experience with
affrmation.
BANK
CUTS
LOOMING
BRIDGETOWN, Scores of job
losses will be in the offng when the
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) shuts
two branches here.
The banks action is due to the
consolidation of operations of the
Upper Broad Street and Lower
Broad Street branches, as well as
of the Hastings and Lanterns [Mall]
branches in Christ Church.
The bank did not say when the
closures will take place and declined
to state how many people it em-
ployed and how many will be cut.
In both cases, the branches are
in close proximity to each other
and we do not expect any signif-
cant impact on our clients business
with us, the bank stated in a writ-
ten response to questions posed
by local media.
The bank, which has been op-
erating in Barbados for more than
100 years, said: While there will
be impact to our staff at the four
branches identifed, all the branch
teams have already been informed
of the consolidations, and we
have been working to manage this
impact and achieve effciencies
through varying means.
Oval Jam
BRIDGETOWN, It was a Jam
packed party at Kensington Oval
on March 9 during the West Indies-
England 1st T20 International. And
to add icing on the party cake, the
West Indies won too.
There was standing room
only at The Mecca as
eager spectators flled every
available seat to witness
the frst Twenty20 between
England and the West Indies.
And it turned out to be a
perfect Sunday outing for
most of them, as they wit-
nessed the home side romp
to a comfortable 27-run win
over the visitors.
It was a kaleidoscope of colour
across the Hewitt & Inniss,
Greenidge & Haynes, Hall & Grif-
fith and 3Ws stands, while flags
of all nationalities could be seen
flying high.Every boundary, espe-
cially those made by West Indian
batsmen, was greeted with the
sounds of thundersticks, whistles,
claps and screams, which added
to the festive mood.
Over in the Party Stand, it was a
Carnival-like atmosphere as pa-
trons wined and dined to the latest
soca, calypso and reggae tunes.
There was even a raging bull
on hand for those daring people
brave enough to ride it, although
they all suffered the same fate of
being tossed off. And even hours
after the match had finished,
the Party Stand resembled that
of a fete, with the majority of its
patrons opting to stay and enjoy
the entertainment.
For 26-year-old Josh Taylor from
Birmingham, England, his frst visit
to the island was turning to be a
very enjoyable one.
The atmosphere here is unbe-
lievable, its quite awesome to tell
the truth, he told the DAILY NA-
TION while gyrating to Rihannas
Drink To That as it blasted from
the speakers. Its my frst time
here and I really came to watch the
cricket, but I havent been able to
do much of that as yet.
Up in the third foor of the 3Ws
Stand, things in the Barbados
Cricket Associations Presidential
Suite were a bit more relaxed.
Among those opting to watch the
match from the Suites birds eye
view was Attorney General Adriel
Brathwaite, Minister of Youth, Sport
and Culture Stephen Lashley and
Director of Sport at the National
Sports Council, Erskine King.
START THE CROP
BRIDGETOWN, The Barbados Ag-
ricultural Society (BAS) boss has a
strong message for those involved
in negotiations for sugar workers:
stop playing Russian roulette with
the economy and get the sugar crop
started. Chief executive officer James
Paul says its too important to con-
tinue delaying it any longer.
I really think that the parties in-
volved need to recognize that whatever
negotiations have to be conducted, get
them over with. This is not the time
to play song and dance and play Rus-
sian roulette with peoples lives and the
economy, and with a whole sector, he
told local media as the country awaits
the start of the harvest which was ini-
tially to be the end of last month.
What people dont understand is that
the agriculture sector needs sugar to
survive and when people continually, on
an annual basis, play Russian roulette
with it, it does not help investment in
the industry.
The Barbados Workers Union (BWU)
has been representing sugar workers and
has been in talks with the Barbados Sugar
Industry Limited (BSIL) on a range of
outstanding matters related to the hours
the workers would be required to give,
considering there is only one sugar factory
at Portvale, St Thomas, in operation; the
waiting time for people hauling canes;
how employees will be compensated in
the event they have to remain on the job
for long hours doing nothing; and pay-
ment for general feld workers.
get your every praise on with Hezekiah Walker
MAY 1725, 2014
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Camillo Gonsalves Renounces US Citizenship
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Foreign
Affairs, Foreign Trade, Commerce
and Information Technology, Camillo
Gonsalves, has defended his right to be
appointed as a legislator in St. Vincent
and the Grenadines (SVG), insisting
that he has always been a national of
the country. The minister, the eldest son
of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves,
was born in Philadelphia in 1972.
In an Open Letter citing the St. Vin-
cent and the Grenadines Constitution,
Gonsalves said that he automatically
became a Vincentian at the moment
of his birth and that while his birth in
the United States does not disqualify
him from holding his senatorial post,
he had quietly renounced his American
citizenship ahead of his appointment as
a legislator on September 16, 2013.
To be clear: I am not a citizen of the
United States of America. I took that
decision as a mark of my personal and
unambiguous commitment to public
service in St. Vincent and the Grena-
dines, said Gonsalves, a lawyer and for-
mer ambassador to the United Nations.
The decision was compelled not by
law, but by my own conscience and
my private determination about what
I consider to be the best way for me to
serve the Government and people of St.
Vincent and the Grenadines, he added.
The disclosure by Gonsalves follows
recent comments on social media and on
political talk shows here questioning his
eligibility to serve as a parliamentarian.
Gonsalves said he likened the state-
ments to those made by the so-called
birthers in the United States, who,
despite ample legal and factual evidence
to the contrary, continue to question
Barack Obamas constitutional right to
serve as President of his country.
He, however, said that some parlia-
mentary members of the opposition
New Democratic Party have recently
decided to give credence to these false
claims, and have also raised questions
about my eligibility to serve in my cur-
rent capacity.
It is regrettable that, almost six
months after they welcomed me into
the Parliament of St. Vincent and the
Grenadines without objection, some
members of the Opposition have al-
lowed themselves to be misled on this
issue by fringe elements and Internet
crackpots.
It is even more unfortunate that
opposition parliamentarians with
extensive legal training have been so
completely bamboozled by the mindless
patter of the uninformed chatterati,
Gonsalves wrote in the Open Letter.
He said he listened with dismay to
a radio programme late last month in
which opposition members, with no
knowledge of the facts, and precious
little understanding of the applicable
law, made a series of false statements
that would have confused Vincentians
not only about my situation, but may
have had a chilling effect on other, simi-
larly situated individuals who may have
an ambition to serve their country in a
similar capacity.
In light of these recent fights of
fancy by otherwise credible individu-
als as opposed to the earlier rants of
uninformed partisan zealots I now
feel compelled to set out the facts and
the law related to my citizenship and
allegiance, Gonsalves wrote in his fve-
page letter.
LIAT CHANGES
NECESSARY SAYS
ANTIGUAS PM
ST JOHNS, Antigua, Prime Minis-
ter Baldwin Spencer called for bold
changes at regional airline LIAT.
He was attending a special meeting
of LIAT shareholder governments in
Barbados last night. In a pre-recorded
message, Spencer told supporters at a
political meeting in Buckleys Thurs-
day, that changes must take place at
all levels in LIAT.
The time has therefore come for all
of us concerned with LIAT to make bold
and innovative decisions to make LIAT
competitive and effcient, he said.
Changes have got to take place
from the board level, the management
level, and the level of the employees.
Spencer told supporters that people
at LIAT must be held accountable for
their actions. There is no doubt that
there needs to be a new culture and
LIAT which holds people responsible,
rewards those who achieve, reprimand
non achievers and eliminate ineffcien-
cies, the prime minister said.
The importance of LIAT to our
economies and our families require us
to do something and do it now.
UNION PLEASED
WITH PROTEST
ST. GEORGES, Grenada, The Grena-
da Union of Teachers (GUT) has said
that it is pleased with the response of
its members to the frst wave of pro-
test action to force the Keith Mitchell
government to pay arrears to public
servants.
Last month, the government said
it was unable to pay as schedule
the EC$12 million (One EC dollar =
US$0.37 cents) in retroactive pay-
ment to public servants.
The government said that while the
process of preparation for payment
is almost completed, it was mobiliz-
ing external funding which has not
yet arrived.
The third installment of the retro-
active payment to public offcers,
teachers, prison offcers was due to
be made on Friday and the state-
ment said that all unions and welfare
associations have been informed of
the situation. The total cost of this
installment of retroactive payment is
$12 million. This third installment will
bring the total retroactive payment to
$30 million with Government having
paid $18 million in 2013, a govern-
ment statement said, adding that an
update will be made on March 17 as
to when payment would be made.
But the GUT said that the govern-
ments approach compromised its
membership and was demanding
that payment be made by March 12.
If its not done by that time we will
defnitely heighten our process, said
Lewis who claims that government
has not met with his union executive
or membership to explain the issue
of the non-payment and when it will
be resolved. Last month, the govern-
ment said it was urging trade unions
to accept a three-year wage freeze as
it seeks to enter into an agreement
with the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) to deal with an ailing economy.
Meanwhile, a statement from the
Government Information Service
(GIS) noted that since coming to of-
fce a year ago, the Mitchell admin-
istration has made two sizeable pay-
ments to public offcers; honoured
the six per cent increase in salaries
and still managed to pay salaries on
time despite the fnancial situation
facing the country.
Apologising for the delay, the
statement said some members of
the trade union movement have
expressed disappointment that they
were not inform earlier.
Government understands and
accepts that reaction. It was remiss
of us, and for that we apologize, the
statement added.
Camillo Gonsalves
Caribbean Airlines Eyeing St Vincent Route
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, The Trini-
dad-based Caribbean Airlines (CAL) has
neither confrmed nor denied reports
that it was conducting inquiries into the
possibility of including St. Vincent and
the Grenadines on its Caribbean routes.
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves told
the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC)
that while he had not been formally
approached on the matter I understand
from our authorities that they have come
in and they were doing inquiries. But I
havent seen anything formally coming to
the state administration.
An airline industry offcial told CMC
that CAL offcials came to St. Vincent
recently to do a site inspection and that
they were accompanied by personnel
from its security, engineering, opera-
tion, and marketing departments.
The source further said that CAL has
contacted at least three local companies
about the possibility of one of them be-
ing handlers for the airline.
CAL Communications Manager Clint
Williams, while he would not confrm
nor deny the possibility of the airline
servicing the route, said Caribbean
Airlines is continuously evaluating new
routes and new opportunities.
Currently with our new business
plan we are evaluating all the fly-
ing on our fleets including our ATR
fleets, he added.
Gonsalves, who is chair of regional
carrier LIAT, had in the past objected
to CAL servicing the same routes as the
Antigua-based airline while CAL was re-
ceiving a fuel subsidy from the Trinidad
and Tobago government.
He said that the subsidy was illegal
under the treaty that established the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and
had threatened to go to the Caribbean
Court of Justice if the matter could not
be resolved through arbitration.
But the Kamla Persad Bissessar gov-
ernment subsequently discontinued the
subsidy that in 2012 was estimated at
US$40 million.
Gonsalves told CMC that he was no
longer opposed to CAL fying to St.
Vincent, there could be a partnership
between the two airlines.
Williams said that CAL would naturally
be looking at the regional situation, fy-
ing without our fuel subsidy and that the
airline had certain elements of its busi-
ness plan that needed to be put in place.
So we are considering all the oppor-
tunities that are available to the airline
at this time, he added.
Gonsalves said that in the past, LIAT,
which is owned by the governments of
St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barba-
dos, Antigua and Barbuda, and Domi-
nica, has had competition from several
other carries.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, The
regional airline, LIAT, says it will
take decisive action to deal with
unproftable routes as the Antigua-
based airline seeks to make its
operations fnancially variable.
We have been trying, before
going the harsh route, to persuade
people to invest. We have met
with a number of governments
and Prime Ministers... we have
expressed to them that we will have
no other option but to cut the ser-
vice, LIAT chairman Jean Holder
told a news conference on Thurs-
day evening.
I think we have reached the
point, after a lot of challenges,
where we need to do as we say that
we will do. That may after all be
more effective than the persuasion
route, Holder said after a meeting
of the shareholder governments.
Well have to take a very hard
look at our current schedules and
the proftability of our current
routes. We have brought in some
experts to assist us in looking
more deeply into the route analy-
sis issues, but it is clear that LIAT
LIAT Planning On Dumping
Unproftable Routes
cannot continue to provide essen-
tial social services to 21 countries
in the Caribbean on a daily basis,
offering close to 1 000 fights
weekly, and only four countries
put any funds into this operation,
said Holder.
In October 2012, then chief ex-
ecutive offcer of LIAT, Ian Brunton,
had warned that the cash-strapped
airline would soon be dropping at
least eight routes deemed to be
consistently unproftable.
Holder said that the company has
taking the stance that it needs to be
more professional and implement
the changes needed to keep the
airline on an even keel.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves,
who is also chairman of shareholder
governments, told reporters he had
been putting public pressure on
his counterparts across the region,
particularly from those countries
that beneft considerably from the
operations of the airline.
The prime minister said Holder
and acting chief executive offcer
Julie Reifer-Jones had made pre-
sentations to the meeting which
outlined a plan for sustainable
recovery of the airline, as well as an
immediate programme for imple-
mentation.
LIAT said it would employ an
expert to assess the unproftable
routes which would not only entail
cutting, but rescheduling or review-
ing them.
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Serving the Caribbean Community for over 30 years
FLY JAMAICA SPONSORSHIP
FOR LINK SHOW
GEORGETOWN , FLY Jamaica in collaboration with Mr Ron Robinson of the Link
Show will be presenting one lucky patron with a ticket to any of the airlines desti-
nations.
A representative of the airline said that they are elated to be given such an oppor-
tunity at this years Link Show. The drawing will take place at the held-over show
at the National Cultural Centre on Sunday, March 9th.
GEORGETOWN, Two major Canadian
mining companies, Goldsource Mines
Inc. and Eagle Mountain Gold Cor-
poration have merged forces with the
aim of accelerating the development
of the Eagle Mountain Gold Project,
near Mahdia in Region Eight (Potaro/
Siparuni).
Eagle Mountain Gold Corp. which
has exclusive rights to Eagle Mountain
announced the merger with Gold-
source earlier this week. As a result,
the company has become a wholly-
owned subsidiary of Goldsource.
Meanwhile, top offcials of both
companies have expressed optimism
that the merger will deliver good
results for the Eagle Mountain gold
mining venture.
Ioannis (Yannis) Tsitos, Chief
Executive Offcer (CEO), of Eagle
Mountain Gold Corp. said that the
merger had received the overwhelm-
ing support of the shareholders and
he believed that this new era will
drive signifcant growth and sustain-
able value for them.
J. Scott Drever, CEO of Goldsource
Mines, disclosed that he was pleased
that the business combination had
been successfully completed.
He said: The new Goldsource Mines
brings together a powerful combina-
tion of well-defned gold resources
and dynamic, successful people with
strong fnancial capabilities.
He added: We are convinced that
these attributes will set the stage
for accelerated development of the
Eagle Mountain Gold Project and
enable us to commence gold pro-
duction in Guyana on a phased
production basis prior to yearend.
Goldsource also reported that it had
recently raised Cdn $2.4 million by
means of shares.
Drill results to date have shown that
Eagle Mountain contains a resource of
188,000 ounces of gold (indicated) at
an average grade of 1.49 grams per ton
(g/t) and 792,000 ounces (inferred),
average grade of 1.19 g/t gold. Eagle
Mountain Gold Corp. previously dis-
closed that with the current resource
covering only a small portion of Eagle
Mountain 250 hectares inside the
5,050-hectare property there was
excellent potential for expansion.
Mining Companies Merge
JAPANESE
AMBULANCE
GRANT FOR RED
CROSS
GEORGETOWN, THE Guyana Red
Cross Society has received a grant
of US$6,1478 from the Government
of Japan, for the procurement of an
ambulance to be used for frst aid
services. Japanese Ambassador to
Guyana, Mr. Yoshimasa Tezuka and
Secretary General of Guyana Red
Cross Society, Mrs. Dorothy Fraser,
signed the documents for receipt of
the cheque on March 3.
The assistance is for the Grass-
Roots Human Security Project,
designed to promote grass-roots
projects worldwide by assisting non-
proft organisations, the envoy said.
This particular programme will allow
the Red Cross to improve the qual-
ity of its frst aid services and better
equip it to save lives, he explained.
Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsa-
ran, who was present at the sign-
ing, expressed his gratitude to the
Government of Japan for, yet again,
assisting the sector.
He acknowledged that the Red
Cross has kept volunteerism alive
and commended its efforts in
doing so. Ramsaran also said the
Ministry of Health will extend a
helping hand to the Red Cross for
it to collaborate in the training of
its personnel in the proper use of
the ambulance.
The vehicle will beneft the First
Aid Department of the Red Cross
Society, tremendously, since it of-
fers frst aid posts to many national
events, like Mashramani, GuyExpo,
schools sports and motor racing, to
name a few.
Such frst aid posts are manned by
Red Cross staff and volunteers who
have been trained in mass causality
management, as well.
GEORGETOWN, An Air Traffc Control-
ler (ATC) exited the tower at the Cheddi
Jagan International Airport around
midnight March 7 at the same time a
Caribbean Airlines aircraft was prepar-
ing to land.
Reports are that the controller was
angry that he was not relieved of his
eight-hour shift which ended at mid-
night particularly at a time he was
feeling unwell. The young man report-
edly left the facility after informing
his colleagues that he could not work
through the night, a clear breach of the
ATC profession if one is not relieved of
his/her duty, sources noted.
Local media were told that when
the young man left the facility, his col-
leagues scrambled to fnd someone to
take over the shift, even as the Caribbe-
an Airlines 425 fight, which was head-
ing to the CJIA from Trinidad, neared
Timehri for landing. The aircraft was
forced to circle the airport during which
time a senior controller was scurried up
to the tower from another unit to pro-
vide landing clearance and instructions
to the Caribbean Airlines aircraft. The
other unit is usually very busy at nights
when there are numerous overfights.
Air Traffc Controller
Abandons Post As Flight
Prepares To Land
A Caribbean Airlines source said the
fight landed about 10 minutes late. The
source explained that the plane left
Trinidads Piarco international Airport
a bit early so its scheduled arrival was
not affected.
The incident is likely to draw a sig-
nifcant investigation, since air traffc
controllers share a substantial depth
of responsibility for all aircraft whose
position in the air or on the ground , fall
under the mandate of the facility.
GEORGETOWN, Overseas banks are
threatening to close accounts be-
longing to Guyanese and Guyanese
businesses, according to Minster of
Finance, Dr Ashni Singh. The Minis-
ter was a part of the panel that held
recently a press briefng where he
stressed that as a result of Guyanas
current blacklisted status by the Ca-
ribbean Financial Action Task Force
(CFATF), business transactions have
been rendered more complicated.
Dr. Singh said he received a report
from an individual who said that they
were told that their account in an over-
seas bank would be closed if they con-
tinue to do transactions with Guyana.
That is happening now, accord-
ing to the Finance Minister, who
added that he was also in receipt of a
report of overseas banks refusing to
transfer funds until lengthy detailed
information is provided.
This, he said, is putting pressure on
local businesses, because they are be-
ing rendered into a position where they
are unable to complete their transac-
tions. He said that these businesses
now have to incur additional costs.
Dr. Singh spoke too of fnancial
challenges being incurred by local
businesses because they are unable
to have access to their money, ulti-
mately placing the wellbeing of these
businesses and the welfare of their
workers in jeopardy.That is a fact
that is occurring right now.
He said that even if the opposition
was unable to secure an agreement
with the Government on their pro-
posed amendments, APNU and the
AFC hold the majority to take it to
House and pass it, they dont need
support of Government.
As such, according to the Minister,
there is no reason why they need to
detain the Bill and await agreement
on their amendments.
So the deliberate act of detaining
the CFATF-compliant Bill on account
of these amendments is unnecessary
and places Guyana in jeopardy.
Dr. Singh was asked what guarantee
the opposition has that the President
would assent to their amendments
were they to proceed with the Bill
without their amendments and bring
it at a later date.
He responded: The President
(Donald Ramotar) didnt say that he
is guaranteeing that their amend-
ments would be enacted as is.
Dr. Singh reminded that what the
President said, was that he is willing
to consult with CFATF and once that
body endorses their amendments as
recommendable and acceptable and
will not place Guyana in default, then
he is providing the Leader of the
Opposition with the assurance that
Government will support them.
He said that the caveat is that the
Overseas Banks Threatening Closures
amendments would not collide with
CFATF and the Financial Action Task
Force (CFATF) standards and its
obvious why he would want to insert
that caveat.
The Finance Minister said that
no responsible Government would
enact amendments that would bring
Guyana in default where prior, we
were not in default. According to
Dr. Singh, CFATF identifed specifc
defciencies that the Bill now seeks to
address. In defending the 2009 Act,
which Government is now seeking
to amend, Dr. Singh said that while
CFATF did identify some defciencies,
it was a strong piece of legislation.
He said that the Act was very
substantial and was the subject of
intense deliberation.
According to the Minister, when the
original Act was submitted it spent
two years at the level of the Select
Committee before it was unani-
mously approved by Government,
AFC and APNUs predecessor, the
Peoples National Congress Reform.
Dr. Singh added that with the new
amendments, the Act will certainly
be strengthened further.
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Visas No Longer Required
For Bermuda Travel
KINGSTON, The Jamaica government has announced that
nationals travelling to the British Overseas Territory of Ber-
muda for vacation or to conduct business would no longer
require a visa. But Foreign Affairs Minister AJ Nicholson told
the Senate that for Jamaicans to be able to take advantage
of the waiver, they must be in possession of a multi-entry
visa to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Jamaican nationals who hold such multiple entry visas for
the USA, Canada or the UK must be careful to ensure that
the visas are valid for a minimum of 45 days after the expiry
of the planned stay in Bermuda. They must also ensure that
their Jamaican passports have a validity of at least 45 days
after the expiry of their planned stay, Nicholson said.
Nicholson said that Jamaica a few weeks ago signed an
agreement with Brazil to facilitate visa free travel for Jamai-
cans to that South American country.
Tessanne
Wows
White
House
KINGSTON, Jamaican singer Tes-
sanne Chin delivered a scintillating,
high-energy performance of Donna
Summers Last Dance at the White
House on March 6, earning sustained
applause from an audience headed by
US President Barack Obama and his
wife Michelle.
Chin, who performed after Patti
LaBelle, Janelle Monae, and Melissa
Etheridge, justifed her inclusion in the
stellar line-up for the Women of Soul:
In Performance at the White House
staged by the US frst lady.
At the end of her performance, as
Chin returned to her seat, she was
greeted with a hug and a kiss by Patti
LaBelle
JMFA
Denies
Loan
Sharking
KINGSTON, The Jamaica Micro
Financing Association (JMFA) says
it is alarmed and concerned by Dr
Christopher Tuftons characterisation
of members of the micro-fnancing
sector as loan sharks.
Dr Tufton has described as bur-
densome the interest rates being
charged by micro-fnance lenders
and urged the Government to look
seriously at regulating the sector.
Addressing a Jamaica Labour
Party (JLP) constituency confer-
ence in Southern Trelawny, Tufton,
a minister of industry, investment
and commerce in the previous JLP
Government, appealed to Jamaicans
to apply caution before accepting
loans from micro-fnanciers as often-
times the terms and conditions are
so harsh that they place borrowers
businesses in consistent debt.
He argued that individuals who
take loans on those terms are re-
duced to working only to pay back
the loan sharks.
However, the JMFA responded
saying that Dr Tufton was quick to
point out that micro-fnance com-
panies are charging interest rate of
six per cent per month, but failed to
mention that there are several micro
fnance companies offering loan at
rates between two and four per cent
per month.
According to the group, micro-
fnancing is short-term loans and
rarely exceed ffteen months.
Turning to the case of a public
passenger bus operator that Dr
Tufton cited, it is very, very, un-likely
that just had diffculty meeting a few
payments would have resulted in
the scenario he claimed the man has
found himself in, the JMFA said.
In his speech Dr Tufton made
reference to the case of a public pas-
senger bus operator who, he said,
borrowed J$40,000 from a micro-
fnance agency in July 2013 and had
diffculty meeting a few payments.
The mans bus was seized by
the loan shark, Tufton said, and
although he has already paid back
$144,000 he was still told that he
owes $126,000, and would not be
allowed access to his bus until the
outstanding amounts are fully paid.
This is tantamount to abuse, as
even though the lender has been
more than compensated, there is no
way that that small minibus operator
can sustain that kind of repayment
schedule and still operate a success-
ful small business, Tufton said.
However, the JMFA insisted that
most micro-fnancing companies offer
re-fnancing products (loan arrange-
ments) for circumstances like that
mentioned by Dr Tufton, nonetheless
adding that delinquent loans require
third parties intervention (bailiffs,
wrecker service, and storage) and
does become quite expensive.
Industrial Action
Threatened
KINGSTON, More than 4,000 thou-
sand sugar workers have threatened to
take industrial action following weeks
of failed negotiations involving their
unions and the Sugar Producers Federa-
tion (SPF) for improved wage and fringe
benefts. The three unions representing
the workers and the Sugar Producers
Federation (SPF) are still at a stalemate
in hammering out a wage and fringe
benefts agreement as a March 7 mara-
thon meeting at the Ministry of Labour
ended without a settlement.
The SPF has offered to increase wages
to 7 percent in year one and 3 percent in
the second year. This, however, has been
rejected by the unions.
First Vice President of the University
and Allied Workers Union (UAWU) Clif-
ton Grant says the SPFs offer has only
served to anger the workers.
The union wants a 13 percent (in-
crease) in the frst year for the employees
and an 8 and a half percent in the second
year. The federation says they are not in
a position to change. So we have commu-
nicated this to the employees. They are
very very upset. The feedback that we
are receiving is that the workers wanted
to take industrial action, but we have
asked them to give the Ministry of La-
bour and the minister and opportunity
to try and broker an agreement between
the parties, Grant said.
However, the SPF is insisting that the
industry stands to lose millions during this
crop season due to increased international
competition. But the unions are insisting
that they produce fgures for both rum and
sugar production to support the prediction.
Another meeting was scheduled be held on
March 13 at the Ministry of Labour.
B E D E S S E E I M P O R T S L T D .
2 Golden Gate Court, Toronto, On, Canada, M1P 3A5
Tel:(416)292-2400 Fax:(416)292-2943
Website: www.bedessee.com email:info@bedessee.com
Were i n your Ki tchen more than you Thi nk!
TM
Reggae
Goes
Carnival
KINGSTON, REGGAE held centre-
stage during last weekends Flo-
rianopolis Carnival in Brazil which
involved a number of Jamaican
personalities. Singers Bunny Wailer
and Andrew Tosh, music industry
veteran Maxine Stowe and former
Miss World Cindy Breakspeare were
joined by former Jamaica football
coach Rene Simoes, and Brazilian
music promoter Chritiano Andrade,
on a foat saluting Jamaican music.
The experience made an impression
on the 65-year-old Wailer.
Being my frst time in Brazil, to see
and feel the love of reggae and the
Wailers there, in their National Carnival,
is an indication of the impact that reg-
gae, Rastafari and Jamaica has there,
Wailer said. The foat touched on all
aspects of our music and culture.
With Brazil hosting the World Cup in
a matter of weeks and the Olympics in
2016, Wailer believes Jamaica should
strengthen ties with the South Ameri-
can country, one of reggaes biggest
markets.
Jamaican music has a massive fol-
lowing in Brazilian cities such as Rio
de Janiero and Sao Paulo, which has
populations of 20 million and 12 million,
respectively.
Salvador de Bahia, which has the
largest population of blacks in the
Western Hemisphere, is another major
reggae centre.
Jimmy Cliff was the frst reggae
artiste to make a mark in Brazil, during
the mid-1970s. Bob Marley, Jacob Mill-
er, Dennis Brown and Gregory Isaacs
also performed there in the 1980s.
The Congos, Eric Donaldson and The
Gladiators are also popular in Brazil.
Counterfeit Cigarettes
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Cigarette manu-
facturers Carreras have urged consum-
ers to check their cigarette packs as
attempts are being made to sell counter-
feit Craven A cigarettes. According to
Carreras, the counterfeit cigarette packs
can be identifed by the best before
dates and accompanying product codes
that can be found on the bottom side
panel in gold on each cigarette pack:
We wish to remind the public that
the illicit trade in cigarettes not only
hurts the Company, but it also denies
the Government of well-needed revenue
from taxes authorised by law, and de-
prives the National Health Fund of rev-
enues, Carreras said in a news release.
The company also cautioned that it
could not attest to the safety and quality
of counterfeit products.
In the meantime, Carreras urged the
relevant law enforcement agencies to
increase their vigilance and continue
its efforts in clamping down on the pres-
ence of illicit cigarettes.
Million Dollar Revenues
For Grace Kennedy
KINGSTON, Jamaican conglomer-
ate GraceKennedy Group has realised
record revenues of JA$67.3 billion
(TT$39.5 million) for 2013. This repre-
sents a JA$5.9 billion increase or 9.6 per
cent over the previous year.
This is the frst time the group has
exceed revenues by more than JA$5 bil-
lion, group chief executive Don Wehby
has said. This revenue increase was ac-
companied by a JA$973 million or 23.7
per cent increase in pre-tax profts.
Wehby said he was satisfed by the
groups performance in what he described
as a challenging economic climate.
Profts before tax amounted to
JA$5.075 billion, and the company paid
JA$1.28 billion in taxes. Despite the
signifcant increase in pre-tax profts,
2013 net profts were fat when com-
pared to 2012 due to a one-off change in
the companys deferred income tax in
2012, he said.
Wehby also noted the added impact of
the National and Private Debt Exchange
programmes in which the company
participated, which led to a one-time loss
of $293 million in the income statement
arising from the exchange of instruments.
The company had a live audio online
stream media briefng in Jamaica on
Thursday featuring Wehby and several
of GraceKennedys top executives.
Wehby acknowledged Jamaicas diff-
cult economic situation, and said he was
encouraged that the country had passed
the frst three International Monetary
Fund tests but cautioned the against
too much optimism, encouraging the
government to meet its targets.
He said the all sectors besides insur-
ance had seen increased performance,
and international markets were also
strong, especially the UK.
The company has also expanded into
Ghana over the last year, he said.
High energy costs in Jamaica are hav-
ing constricting impact on GraceKenne-
dys desire to increase its manufacturing
capabilities, chief executive of GraceK-
ennedy Foods, Michael Rangling added.
Energy in Jamaica costs US$0.30 per
kilowatt/hour, compared to US$0.06 in
Trinidad and Tobago.
If we were able to lower costs to
US$0.10 or US$0.15 per kilowatt/hour
we could signifcantly increase our
capacity, he said.
LAWYERS
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Mississauga, Ontario
L5A 2G9
T: 905-366-5400
F: 905-366-5404
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Family Law
Real Estate
Corporate Commercial
Personal Injury incl Slip and Fall
Employment
Civil Litigation
Wills and Estates
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Minister of The Arts
and Multiculturalism, Lincoln Douglas,
has hailed Carnival 2014 as one of the
most successful Carnivals we have had, if
not the most successful Carnival we have
had. Douglas was speaking at the March
6 post-Cabinet media conference at the
Offce of the Prime Minister, St Clair.
Questioned on the complaints from
spectators, masqueraders and vendors
about Carnival in the capital city, Doug-
las said Carnival was not confned to
Port of Spain alone.
He said there were Carnival celebrations
in 52 regions nationwide and there was a
signifcant increase in participation. He
said from this as well as a security and f-
nancial standpoint, Carnival was a success.
He said there was proper manage-
ment of the funds and there was no debt
incurred. He praised all stakeholders
involved in making Carnival a success,
adding that all events and shows were
successfully produced.
Douglas said there were issues to look
at in terms of copyright and the parade
route and these will be ironed out be-
fore Carnival 2015.
One Of The Best Carnivals
Ever, Says Minister!
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CAT E RI NG AVAI L ABL E F OR AL L OCCASI ONS.
HAPPY PHAGWAH
Thanks for your outstanding and
continued support.
Extra Time For Jack
PORT-OF-SPAIN, A High Court judge has given
former national security minister Austin Jack War-
ner until March 19 to fle a defence to a lawsuit
brought against him by his one time Cabinet col-
league and Attorney General Anaand Ramlogan.
Warner had sought a three week extension, but
Justice Robin Mohammed also warned Warner,
the interim leader of the recently formed Inde-
pendent Liberal Party (ILP), that if the defence
is not fled by March 19, he would be debarred
from defending the claim brought against him.
Ramlogan had taken issue with statements
made by Warner on the political platform during
last years Local government elections.
The lawsuit alleges that Warners words, in their
natural and ordinary meaning, were under-
stood to mean that, among other things, Ramlo-
gan was involved in corruption and scandal and
was guilty of corruption, abuse of power or mis-
conduct in public offce.
Justice Mohammed also ordered Warner, the
former vice-president of the International Foot-
ball Federation (FIFA), to pay costs estimated at
TT$12,000 (One TT dollar = US$0.16 cents).
DOCTOR
SUSPENDED
PORT-OF-SPAIN, The doctor who
performed a Caesarean section
during which a baby boys head
was sliced, penetrating his brain
tissue, has been suspended pend-
ing the report of an independent
investigation.
Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan told
local media that after receiving a
report on the incident he indicated
to chairman of the North Central
Regional Health Authority (NCRHA)
Dr Shehenaz Mohammed that the
doctor be immediately suspended.
On Carnival Saturday, a C-
section was performed on Quelly
Ann Cottle, 38, at the Mt Hope
Womens Hospital during which her
baby died .
The babys father, Emil Milling-
ton, pleaded for answers surround-
ing his sons death and called on
the authorities for action, claiming
there was an attempt to cover up
the incident by cremating his baby
the very day he died.
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BELLY BUSTAS: TAKE 3!
1. MEDICAL ADVICE
Morris , an 82 year-old man, went to the doctor to get a physical.
A few days later, the doctor saw Morris walking down the street with a gor-
geous young woman on his arm
A couple of days later, the doctor spoke to Morris and said, Youre really do-
ing great, arent you?
Morris replied, Just doing what you said, Doc: Get a hot mamma and be
cheerful.
The doctor said, I didnt say that.. I said, Youve got a heart murmur; be careful.
3. WISHING WELL
A married couple walks up to a wishing well. The guy leans over, makes a
wish and throws in a penny.

His wife decides to make a wish, too, but she leans over too far, falls into the
well and drowns.

The guy says, Wow, it really works.
2. CLAIMING OWNERSHIP
A husband and wife were having dinner at a very fne restaurant
when this absolutely stunning young woman comes over to their table, give
the husband a big sensuous kiss, then says shell see him later and walks
away. The wife, glares at her husband and says, Who the hell was that?
Oh, replies the husband, shes my mistress.
Well, thats the last straw, says the wife. Ive had enough, I want a divorce!.
I can understand that, replies her husband, but remember, if we get a
divorce it will mean no more shopping trips to Paris, no more wintering in
Barbados, no more summers in Tuscany, no more Infniti or Lexus in the ga-
rage and no more yacht club. But the decision is yours.
Just then, a mutual friend enters the restaurant with a gorgeous babe on his arm.
Whos that woman with Jim? asks the wife.
Thats his mistress, says her husband.
She replies Ours is prettier.
HOME AFFAIRS
Getting
Ready For
Spring!
A
s spring brings about the
renewal of plants and
adds colour to the out-
doors, it inspires us to dream
up plans for the indoors where
weve been holed up all winter.
Renovations are done for several
reasons, from adding living space and
increasing home equity and market
value, to repairing damage, becom-
ing more energy efficient, or simply
to improve comfort and convenience.
Maintenance and repair renovations
focus on protecting and improving our
investment and should be the prior-
ity as they usually require immediate
attention. Retrofit projects usually
focus on the homes shell or mechani-
cal systems like replacing a furnace,
adding siding, a new roof, or upgrad-
ing insulation. Lifestyle renovations
are the most varied. They can help
improve our way of life or give us a
chance to redecorate, rearrange and
redo. Some projects offer a payback,
depending on how long you plan to
stay in your home. Bathroom, kitch-
en, furnace/heating and basement
renovations typically offer the highest
payback. Sometimes, it takes a only a
little effort to make a big
difference. Painting is the quick-
est way to freshen up a home and
is easy to do yourself. A new colour
can dramatically improve the look
and feel of a room. In the kitchen,
new efficient appliances add appeal
as well as save energy and money.
Simply replacing bathroom fixtures
can add new sparkle, and replacing
light fixtures can shed new light on
any room. Its also the season for
reno or home repair scammers. A
friendly, knowledgeable construc-
tion professional might knock on
your door and offer a special dis-
count to do a must-do repair job he
just happened to notice while he
was working in the neighbourhood.
Perhaps they ll offer to do a free
inspection and then find a serious
problem. There might be pressure
to make a quick decision and pay a
deposit for the required materials.
Avoid any potential for home repair
fraud by dealing with a reputable
contractor and getting a detailed
contract in writing.
Do your homework. Know your
budget, check references. Have a
plan. Most of all enjoy it!
*The information in this article is not
intended as specifc investment, fnan-
cial, accounting, and legal or tax advice
H
ave you ever been at a party
where everything is going
great? The music is good, the
venue is fantastic and then suddenly
without warning, someone who is a little
too happy spills their drink on you? I
confess not only have I been doused but
I have witnessed many such events.
I recall some time ago my wife and I
were on an island vacation and we were
at an outdoor event with live music.
Much to our chagrin, a gentleman who
was well past intoxicated and carrying
two drinks came and stood close by. As
fate would have it, he spilled his drink
on my wifes top. The bumbling spillers
wife/girlfriend was quick to apologise
but ten minutes later, he did the same
thing again. In retrospect, that man
must have nine lives because I am not
sure how my wife did not do a matrix
manoeuver on him. Believe me she
is not the type of woman to hold back
when annoyed. The typical response
when this type of spillage occurs is to
tell the bumbling spiller off. It is more
likely you would want to look him in
his glazed eyes and say Man, I could
cuff you down right now; or perhaps I
could ring you blasted neck right here.
However, before you vocalize, it is
better to internalize and think before
you speak. The reason I would admon-
ish you to take this guarded approach
is that in the heat of passion, we may
often say things we would not normally
say. We may allow our tempers and
emotions to get the better of us and that
could spell trouble.
Why? That is because it is a criminal
offence to utter threats. Section 264.1 of
the Criminal Code:
264.1(1) every one commits an of-
fence, who, in any manner, knowingly
utters, conveys or causes any person to
receive a threat;
(a) to cause death or bodily harm to
any person;
(b) to burn, destroy or damage real or
personal property; or
(c) to kill, poison or injure an animal or
bird that is the property of any person
In terms of the elements of the
offence, you should know that what
you say will be viewed objectively to
determine whether under the cir-
cumstances your words or gestures
UTTERING THREATS
Think Before You Speak Or Act!
constitute a threat. In effect, would
a reasonable person under the same
circumstances interpret your words
or gestures as a threat?
In the scenario above, you would
want to say that you were just frus-
trated and upset but the important
aspect or question is, would a reason-
able person interpret your words to be
a threat to them?
The law is well established that it is
irrelevant whether or not you had the
means to carry out the threat. For
instance, if you say to someone I am
going to shoot you, it does not matter
if you did not own or possess a gun at
the material time. Furthermore, it is
not necessary that the threat be con-
veyed to the intended victim for the
offence to be committed. Again, as-
sume you call up Bob and leave him a
voice message stating that you are go-
ing to break his friend Johns legs. In

AT A FUND-RAISING DANCE
TO COVER MEDICATION EXPENSES FOR

MUSIC BY:
FUH FUN BAND
and
D.J. BAKE PEREIRA
DATE: SATURDAY, APRIL 19
TH
, 2014
TIME: 7:30p.m. to 1:00a.m.

PLACE: PICKERING RECREATION COMPLEX
1867 Valley Farm Road
Pickering, Ontario

Dress: Elegantly Casual
Food
& Beverage: West Indian Cuisine
& Cash Bar Available

TICKETS: $25.00 per person

Tickets may be obtained from:

Mike Gonsalves - 416-420-0565
George de Silva - 647-248-1377
Joe & Anne Castanheiro - 416-286-1956
Karen Heifa - 416-720-6902
Raymond Pereira - 905-471-8965

"Painting is the
quickest way
to freshen up
a home and
is easy to do
yourself. A new
colour can dra-
matically im-
prove the look
and feel of a
room."
this case a conviction can be secured
if the Crown can establish that the
words were meant to intimidate or
be taken seriously. The fact that the
threatening voice message was left for
Bob and not John is irrelevant.
Note: A threat can also be non-
verbal. A common example is running
your fnger across your throat as if cut-
ting or slicing or holding your palm out
with the fnger pointing as if it were the
nozzle of a gun.
So, the next time you are at a fete and
someone spills an alcoholic concoction
that is sure to stain your outft, think
before your speak or act. Choose your
words carefully and refrain from any
threatening words or gestures. Re-
member, it is always easier to get rid of
your stained clothes than it is to get rid
of a criminal conviction.
The foregoing is intended for infor-
mation purposes only and you should
consult a lawyer if you need legal repre-
sentation or a legal opinion.
Selwyn R. Baboolal is a partner at Ou-
marally Baboolal practicing in the area
of litigation for the past 20 years.
MONEY MATTERS
Isa M. Rahamat
Financial Advisor
Life Insurance Advisor
Investments, Retirements,
Estate and Tax Planning
Its now Autumn for many a time to relax and get away from it
all. So while you might take a vacation, your money never should.
Were committed to helping you find innovative ways to make
investments work harder for you.
Yorkdale Mall Tower
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Telephone: (416) 787-1616 Ext. 230 | Toll-Free: 1-800-361-8726 Ext. 230
Cellular: (416) 346-8883 | Fax: (416) 787-8998
E-mail: Isa.Rahamat@manulifesecurities.ca
RRSPs
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MUTUAL FUNDS
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INSURANCE
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Protect Your Retirement Plans
Dont let critical illness impact
your retirement savings
Getting sick isnt something most of
us think much about and Joe was no
exception, until he had a stroke when he
was 45 years old. Today, thanks to medi-
cal advances and healthy living, Joe is
recovering and getting on with his life.
Unfortunately, his retirement plans will
take longer to recover because Joe did
not include critical illness insurance in
his fnancial plan.
Getting sick isnt something any of us
like to think about. But it can happen. In
fact, your risk of being diagnosed with
a critical illness before age 65 is higher
than your risk of dying in that time.
1

As Joe discovered, treating and coping
with illness can mean signifcant and
often unexpected costs that may not
be covered by provincial or employer
health plans. Critical illness insurance
can help you pay the expenses associat-
ed with getting sick by providing a cash
beneft if youre diagnosed with one of
the conditions defned in your contract
and you survive the waiting period.
With the cash beneft you can:
Hire a nurse or caregiver to help you
at home
Pay off your mortgage
Receive income when you cant work
or your partner takes a leave of ab-
sence from his or her job to assist you
Help protect your retirement plans
Help manage business expenses
Take a vacation or reduce your work-
load to help you recover
Planning for the unexpected
is critical
Critical illness insurance is part of
a good financial strategy as it helps
you to plan for the unexpected. No
one anticipates getting sick. And, if
youre fortunate enough to live a long
and healthy life, many critical illness
plans offer Return of Premium op-
tions that can give you some or all of
your money back.
The critical illness insurance market
is growing in Canada and many compa-
nies now offer this type of living ben-
eft insurance. With so many plans to
choose from, how can you decide which
one is right for you?
As you evaluate the various options,
consider choosing a critical illness
policy that offers:
Coverage for the conditions that pose
the greatest threat to your health and
present the most signifcant recovery
demands and the greatest fnancial
challenges
1
Visit InsureRight.ca and click Whats
your risk? to view the likelihood of a
disability, critical illness or death before
age 65.
A partial beneft if your condition isnt
life threatening, but is life altering.
There are plans that give you 25 per
cent of your coverage (up to a maxi-
mum of $50,000) for conditions not
normally covered by other critical
illness products
The ability to receive a portion of
your beneft up front so your recovery
can begin sooner; some plans offer
a recovery beneft of 10 per cent of
your coverage (up to a maximum of
$10,000) that helps you get some ben-
efts faster, without having to fulfll
the waiting period
Signifcant impact on retirement
savings
Many people who get sick have no
choice but to turn to their savings to
pay their medical costs. For some, this
means tapping into their retirement
savings to fnance their recovery. As
you can imagine, this can signifcantly
impact your fnancial plan and retire-
ment strategy. It may mean working
longer and putting off retirement or
accepting a diminished lifestyle dur-
ing retirement. The point is that many
people do not plan to get sick and,
therefore, may not budget for it.
Joe had planned to retire comfort-
ably at 65
The cost of Joes recovery exceeded
$100,000. The price of new therapies and
other medical costs, and Joes inability
to work full-time for an extended period,
contributed to his soaring expenses. Joe
came up with the money to pay the bills,
but only by dipping into his retirement
savings. Joe and his wife, Mary, had a
plan in place to retire, but Joes unexpect-
ed illness took them off course.
Joe and Mary had intended to retire
comfortably when Joe turned 65. They
had contributed to their Registered
Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs)
each year and had started accumulat-
ing money in non-registered savings
accounts as well. Unfortunately, their
plan is now unrealistic. With additional
unexpected expenses and the RRSP
withdrawals they made because of Joes
illness, Joe and Mary wont be able to live
the lifestyle they expected in retirement.
Talk to your advisor
Critical illness insurance is an invest-
ment that can give you the comfort of
knowing that, if you get sick, you can
focus on what really matters: getting
better. Talk to your advisor for more
information and to discuss the costs of
critical illness insurance based on your
specifc circumstances.
The persons and situations depicted
in Solut!ons are fctional and their
resemblance to anyone living or dead is
purely coincidental.
Isa Rahamat is a Financial Advisor
with Manulife Securities. This content
is provided courtesy of Solut!ons from
Manulife Financial.
CARIBBEAN KITCHEN
Imported & Distributed By
CONTACT US FOR THE
RETAIL STORE NEAR YOU
6.5 x 10.25
Quality TRINI Products Introducing Quality TRINI Products Introducing
One Pot Dishes
W
e live in a hustle and
bustle society, always
on the go. Its running
to work, dropping off the kids,
heading to meetings, picking up
fast foods, deadlines and still
everyone wants your attention.
Its a wonder more people arent
having breakdowns. In todays
hectic world, we need to fnd a
balance and take a break from
it all. A good way is to fnd an
escape in your very own kitch-
en. Yes I know, preparing meals
can entail a lot, but taking time
to even prepare simple one pot
meals, is not only healthier, but
its also an opportunity for you
to slow down and enjoy a meal
together as a family.
Today I will share my recipes for
making chicken pelau, and beef with
noodles. Both quick and easy, tasty and
nutritious. You can also get the kids
involved in cutting up the vegetables or
seasoning the meat, but this is a twofold
purpose. For more information or for
catering services, please contact me at
hibiscusmary@bell.net or 647-294-7916.
Chicken Pelau
4 chicken leg and thighs (cut)
2 med. onions
1 bunch green onions (chive)
6 cloves garlic
Sprig of thyme
3 leaves chadon beni
2 small tomatoes
1 scotch bonnet pepper
3 pimento peppers
2 cans pigeon peas (drained)
2 cups rice
1/3 cup coconut milk or 1/3 block coco-
nut cream
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 pot spoon vegetable oil
1 pot spoon brown or white sugar
Wash and cut the chicken to desired
sizes. In a bowl add water to cover the
chicken and cup vinegar and let soak
for 5 minutes. Wash well to remove
slime and vinegar taste. Now season
with salt, black pepper, onions, garlic,
thyme, pimento pepper, chadon beni
and tomatoes, cutting all ingredients
small. Mix well, then use a fork and
stick up the chicken so the season-
ing will penetrate. If possible, leave to
marinate for at least hour. Using a
heavy pot or skillet add the oil while
having the heat on high. Add the sugar
and let it caramelize until it is brown,
stirring constantly. You want the sugar
to bubble. Add the chicken and stir until
all the pieces are covered with the sugar
then reduce the heat to medium. Let the
chicken cook for 15 minutes then drain
the pigeon peas and add them to the pot
along with the rice, scotch bonnet pep-
per, enough water to cover, and coco-
nut milk. Cook for 15 minutes on med.
heat them reduce the heat and simmer,
covered, for 30 minutes. Add water as
needed until the rice and chicken are
cooked tender. Serve with a salad or
coleslaw. This should take about 1 hour,
serves 4-6 people. If you season the
chicken the night before, then it should
take about 30 minutes to prepare the
meal.
Spicy Beef and
Noodles
400g spaghetti or
Chinese noodles
1 lb. beef thinly sliced
Soy source
1 pot spoon vegetable
oil
3 tbs. oyster sauce
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
1 thumb ginger sliced into matchsticks
2 carrots
1 stalk celery
cup broccoli
cup mushrooms
1 sweet pepper
2-3 chili peppers
Slice the beef into thin strips, add 1/3
cup of soy sauce, and allow to marinade
for 5-15 minutes. Cut the carrots and
sweet pepper into strips. Cut the onion
into big chunks and slice the rest of
the vegetables. Basically, you can add
whatever vegetables you desire. Boil
and drain the pasta, making sure not to
overcook it. In a wok or skillet, add 1 pot
spoon of oil on high heat. Add garlic and
ginger, cook for 1 minute. Then add the
beef and carrots. Let cook for 4 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the
vegetables and cook for 3 minutes. Then
add the pasta and oyster sauce. Toss the
pasta making sure everything is well
mixed. Taste for salt. Plate your dish
and garnish with chopped green onions.
Tony 'McAttack"
McWatt
Roy Singh, A Man On A Mission
R
oy Singh is a man on a
mission. Hes actually on
two missions either of
which, if accomplished will be
to the tremendous beneft of
Canadian cricket.
For those not in the loop, as a
means of enlightenment, Roy Singh
is the Trinidadian-born, now Toronto
based, entrepreneur who recently
announced seemingly audacious
plans to launch a Canadian T20
Cricket League.
Singhs plans, announced late last
year, were initially met with rampant
scepticism from many within Can-
adas cricketing community. Since
then Singh has gone even further,
boldly announcing more recently,
plans to construct a million dollar,
state of the art cricketing facility
within the GTA.
Having announced his audacious
plans, Singh has since impressively
engaged in very concrete actions
towards their realization. His ac-
tions are a stark and most welcome
contrast to the abject failure crickets
Canadian Governing body, Cricket
Canada, to engage itself in similarly
necessary activities for the further
advancement of the sport.
Under the Canadian Cricket Asso-
ciations (now called Cricket Canada)
governance, Canada participated in
the 1979 International Cricket Coun-
cils (ICC), England hosted, 2
nd
World
Cup. At which Sri Lanka was the only
other non-test playing country at the
time to participate.
In the now 35 years since then,
Sri Lanka has gone on to become a
recognized and established crick-
eting powerhouse. Acquiring Test
status, winning the ODI World Cup
and hosting several world cricketing
championships.
Canada by contrast, despite being
home to millions of former nationals
of established cricketing countries
such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, South Africa and the
West Indies, has if anything gone
backwards in its cricketing progress.
35 years after our 1979 World Cup
participation, we still dont have a
national cricketing facility capable of
adequately hosting large crowds for
international matches.
The 1989 United Way Exhibition
Match between the West Indies
and the Rest of the World attracted
55,000 spectators to the then Sky-
dome. Years later the International
Management Group (IMG) managed
Sahara Cup Matches between India
and Pakistan staged at the wholly
inadequate Toronto Cricket Club, at-
tracted sold out audiences of 10,000
plus per match.
Yet despite the obvious leverage
provided by these actual internation-
al cricket hosting examples, Cricket
Canada has done absolutely towards
acquiring its own cricketing facility.
Enter Roy Singh, with his now
very concrete and exciting vision of
dragging Canadian cricket into the
21
st
century. Singh has identifed the
formation of a T20 Canadian Pre-
mier League as the mechanism and
the construction of a state of the
art, covered cricketing facility as the
castle for the realization of his vision.
Singhs plans are to launch his
Canadian Premier League, next Au-
gust. His August launch timing will
allow him to capture the interest of
players who would have participated
in the preliminary round matches
of the 2015 Caribbean Premier
League, the Final of which is staged
mid August. Hes also cognizant
of the congregation of hundreds of
thousands of Caribbean nationals in
Toronto at that time of year for the
annual Caribana festivities.
Singhs plans are the stage the
inaugural Canadian Premier League
Season, at a yet to be fnalized make-
shift facility somewhere in the GTA.
Towards the objective of identifying
the most suitable facility, hes already
had concrete discussions with high
ranking offcials in several municipali-
ties, including Brampton, Markham
and Pickering.
Simultaneously Singh has also,
most impressively, put his money
where his mouth is towards the
realization of his vision for the future
construction of a state of the art
covered cricketing facility. Hes com-
mitted himself to an initial expendi-
ture in excess of $300,000 towards
the engagement of two frms that
will develop the Feasibility Study and
Architectural Plans for the facility. He
expects to have their work complet-
ed within the next four to six weeks.
Once he has his Feasibility Study
in hand, Singhs next move will be to
use that document to secure the land
acquisition for the facility, as well as the
private and government funding nec-
essary for its construction. Towards this
end hes already had highly encourag-
ing discussions with individuals at the
highest level of government, within the
international business community and
with several world recognized current
and former cricketers.
Roy Singh is a indeed truly man
on a mission. His vision of what he
needs to do to make his dreams a
reality is crystal clear. His actions to
date towards their realization have
been highly impressive. God speed
Mr Singh. Heres wishing you every
success. Make it happen.
W
est Indies wicketkeeper
Denesh Ramdin was
happy about his cen-
tury but disappointed with the
teams failure to win the third
and fnal ODI in the We v Them series
against England at the Sir Vivian Rich-
ards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua on
March 5.
England clinched the series 2-1 when
they won by 25 runs.
It was a good knock out there, I was
just watching the amount of balls and
the amount of runs that we needed.
I was not focused on my score. I didnt
know I reached the hundred so quick-
ly but it was one of my top innings so
far. I am happy for it, thank God but I
am a little disappointed I didnt get my
team over the line, Ramdin said.
Ramdin said Sunil Narine being run
out in the 47th over was unfortunate and
he was in two minds whether to take the
single or not. But Ramdin said he really
focused on batting through the innings.
I just went out there and batted some
balls. We were under pressure losing
four wickets quite quickly, so myself and
Marlon, we just tried to bat out some
overs by just rotating the strike, pick-
ing out the bad balls and putting them
away. I told myself I would just tried
to bat to the 45th over because I knew
Mixed Emotions For Ramdin
with some partnerships we would get
close. It was unfortunate we didnt get
that 100 run or 80-odd run partnership
up front that we really needed to go over
the line, Ramdin said.
The wicketkeeper-batsman, who
became the frst West Indian gloveman
to score an ODI century said the pitch
played well with Root and Butler getting
handy scores which gave England the
upper hand in the game
What cost us was in the middle overs
and the top of the order. We didnt have
any partnerships. We lost early wickets
and chasing 300 was always going to be
tough. We needed a big partnership at the
top of the order and we didnt get that.
Myself and the captain (Dwayne Bravo)
we tried in the middle there; myself and
Sammy, then coming down to the end, it
was all up to me, Ramdin said.
Ramdin said he would just continue
to go out and work on his game and
hopefully produce scores like his cen-
tury more regularly.
I take every day as an opportunity
and remember some people are not as
fortunate as others to be in this posi-
tion, so I am very happy I went out
there and did it but again as I said, a
little bit on the sad side that we lost , he
concluded.
228 PLAYERS LISTED
FO4 2014 CPL DRAFT
The players draft for the second
edition of the Caribbean Premier
League (CPL) will be held on April 3
in Kingston, Jamaica, and will include
228 players. In a release, the CPL said
121 overseas players had signed up
for the draft, which is more than fve
times the number of overseas players
in the 2013 draft.
English cricketers will feature in the
tournament for the frst time this year,
if drafted in by the franchises, the
CPL said. Players from Australia, New
Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and
Sri Lanka have also signed up. West
Indies aside, Australia will have the
largest representation at the draft,
with 30 players lining up, including 15
internationals.
The release said: The vast majority
of Pakistans T20 World Cup squad
has also signed up. New Zealand,
South Africa and Sri Lanka are also
well represented, and the draft will
include several current and former
international captains, leading Test
stars, T20 specialists and limited-
overs legends.
The full list will be made public on
March 17. The tournament will be
played in July and August. Jamaica Tal-
lawahs had won the inaugural edition,
ahead of Antigua Hawksbills, Barbados
Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St.
Lucia Zouks and Trinidad & Tobago Red
Steel; these same six franchises which
will play the 2014 competition.

Caribbean Graphic March 2014

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March 12, 2014 CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC PAGE 1

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