IT ALL STARTS TOMORROW IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO

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Official Launch of STCC Kicks Off at David Pecault Square

Over 100 masqueraders will be on the Square to pose for pictures

MEDIA ADVISORY: The Official Launch of the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival Kicks Off at David Pecault Square

100 Masqueraders, Soca and Calypso Music, Caribbean Food and More

TORONTO, ON - (July 02, 2015) - The media are invited to join Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Michael Coteau, Mayor John Tory, Scotiabank VP of the Toronto East District Christine Williams, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders, Ontario Science Centre CEO Maurice Bitran, Festival CEO Denise Herrera-Jackson and CAO Chris Alexander, members of the Canadian Caribbean community to kick off the 48th annual Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7 at David Pecault Square.

What:

The NOON HOUR launch showcases the many events that will entertain and energize Toronto leading up to the Grand Parade on Saturday, August 1. Hosted by CTV Toronto's Colin D'Mello and CP24's Pooja Handa, the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival 2015 launch will be followed by a colourful parade of over 100 Mas players, Salmon Cupid and the All-Stars (steel pan), calypso singers and Caribbean dancers. Caribbean food vendors will be on-site with free entertainment to follow.

When: 

National anthem at 11:55 a.m. sharp. Speeches from 11:59 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Caribbean entertainment until 2 p.m.

Where: 

David Pecault Square, Metro City Hall at 215 King St. West.

All media are welcome to cover the event. www.torontocaribbeancarnival.com. The public is encouraged to attend this FREE event.

Richard Serra's Shift - a new movie, a new move to protect and a gala with the Globe, the McMichael Gallery and the Art Gallery of Hamilton

For Immediate Release

Richard Serra's Shift: An Evening of Film and Conversation. Saturday June 27, 2015

There is a world famous sculpture in a King Township field northwest of Toronto that the public is not allowed to see. This Saturday a new film about American Artist Richard Serra and the sculpture known as Shift, will be premiered in King City at the Kingbridge Conference Centre on Jane St. Following the movie a panel of well-known Canadian Art Experts will talk about the sculpture that is considered one of the most important site-specific works in the country. The evening gala is being hosted by Shelley Falconer, the new CEO of the Hamilton Art Gallery.

75-year old Richard Serra is an American minimalist sculptor and video artist known for working with large-scale assemblies of  sheet metal. Serra was involved in the Process Art Movement. He has created a number of memorials in Europe and North America to honour those who lost their lives to the WW2 Nazi genocide. His ionic Tilted Spheres  stands in the departure lounge of Toronto Pearson Airport's Terminal One. He lives and works in Tribeca, New York and on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island. 

Shift  is a sprawling outdoor concrete installation that was created between 1970-1972 on private farmland in King City, where it remains today. Despite being one of Serra's seminal pieces, and one of Canada's most important site-specific sculptures, few people have  ever gotten to see it. While the art piece is protected by local legislation, the owners of the land have fenced in the field and posted no trespassing signs..

Following the film, there will be a panel discussion with some of Canada's leading art specialists who will discuss, Issues of Site: The Role of Sculpture in Public and Private Spaces. The panel includes art journalist James Adams (The Globe and Mail) and the CEO of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection Victoria Dickenson.

The evening is sponsored by Arts Society King, King Township Historical Society, King Heritage Advisory Council, King Township Public Library and King’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture. Tickets - $20 Adults  / $10 Students + HST can be reserved by calling: 905.939.9357, or bought online on the ASK website: http://www.artssocietyking.ca/a-shift-in-the-landscape.html 

STEPHEN WEIR
Stephen Weir & Associates | stephen@stephenweir.com 
109 Castlefield Avenue, Toronto, ON
CANADA. M4R 1G5
Tel: 416-489-5868 | cell: 416-801-3101 
www.stephenweir.com twitter: sweirsweir 

Dorian FitzGerald- The Throne Room, Queluz National Palace, Sintra, Portugal 2009 =acrylic paint and caulking on canvas 
320.5 x 396.6 cm The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Purchase, 
Photo by The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Christine Guest.

ART GALLERY OF HAMILTON

Invites the media to tour this show, meet the artists and curator, & yes take selfies at the new exhibition:

are you experienced?

Bilingual media preview 10.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.

THURSDAY JUNE 25th

From abstraction to figuration, are you experienced? features seven of the world’s top contemporary artists. The works of Nadia Belerique, Jessica Eaton, Olafur Eliasson, Dorian FitzGerald, Hadley+Maxwell, and famed Korean artist Do Ho Suh, are spread out over 8,000 square feet of gallery space. This groundbreaking exhibition is accessible, often familiar, and boldly outrageous. These are works that will engage audiences, young and old alike, on many levels.

Curator Melissa Bennett will be present to provide tours of the exhibition. 4 artists expected to attend.  Interviews are available. Explore are you experienced? in advance of the evening opening. The show runs until January 3 2016. 

RSVP to steve@artgalleryofhamilton.com  

Steve Denyes, Manager, Communications

[T] 905.527.6610, x 255 |  [E] steve@artgalleryofhamilton.com

Art Gallery of Hamilton, 123 King Street West, Downtown Hamilton L8P 4S8

Issued by Stephen Weir

on behalf of the Art Gallery of Hamilton

stephen@stephenweir.com

May 22, 2015 17:44 ET

MEDIA ALERT: Tuesday 11:30 -- Media Kick-Off for the 2015 Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival

TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - May 22, 2015) - The media is invited to join community leaders, Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival performers, sponsors, Federal, Provincial and City politicians at the official media launch for this year's Carnival on Tuesday, May 26 at 11:30 a.m. at the Ontario Science Centre.
WHAT:
The Festival Management Committee will host an event at which they will provide:

• Updates to the annual parade route by the Festival Management Committee
• An introduction of Pannist and Mas Model Raesha Sirois -- the new "Face of the Festival"
• A performance by The Chitans -- a family singing group that recently received the U.S. Congressional Award for work they have done on the streets of New York City.
• A performance by a Pan Group
• A performance by Calypso singer Roger Gibbs

WHY:Construction and TORONTO 2015 Pan Am / Parapan Am Games events are impacting the Parade and several other events this year. We will announce changes at the press conference. There are also new events, themes and costumes on the parade route this year.
WHO:
Speakers from the Festival Management Committee, the Toronto Star, the Federal Government and the City of Toronto, the Provincial Minister Responsible for the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am / Parapan Am Games, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Michael Coteau.
The Masters of Ceremony will be: Pooja Handa (CP24) and Andria Case (CFTO).
WHEN:Tuesday, May 26, 2015. 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
WHERE:
Great Hall, Ontario Science Centre. 770 Don Mills Road, Toronto, ON M3C 1T3
Free parking -- media please identify themselves at the parking kiosks.
For further information:Information about the programs and events, please visit the Festival Management Committee's official website at www.caribbeancarnival.com. The Festival Office is located at 19 Waterman Avenue, Toronto. Contact info: Tel: 416-391-5608; Fax: 416-391-5693; Email: info@caribbeancarnival.com

RBC Taylor Prize Winner Chosen

Plum Johnson Wins the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize for They Left Us Everything

TORONTO, March 2, 2015 /CNW/ - The Winner of the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize is Plum Johnson, author of They Left Us Everything, published by Penguin Canada. The $25,000 award was announced today in Toronto by Prize founder and Chair Noreen Taylor during a gala luncheon celebrating this year's finalists. This was the 14th awarding of the country's most prestigious prize for literary non-fiction.

Of the book, the jury notes: "[The story is] beautifully observed and written with great warmth and wit. They Left Us Everything is an absorbing memoir of grief, growth, and decluttering. Plum Johnson must deal not merely with the legacy of her difficult, ill-matched parents, but is handed the burden of disposing of the seemingly endless contents of their 23-room Lake Ontario home, which becomes a character on its own in the telling. The task, which she initially thinks manageable, proves Herculean, far more complex than she'd imagined, involving understanding her past and packing up its contents, both literal and metaphorical. A story of love, loss, and legacy, written with compassion and humour, it subtly evokes T.S. Eliot's lines: "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

Plum Johnson is an award-winning author, artist, and entrepreneur. She was the founder of KidsCanada Publishing Corp., publisher of KidsToronto, and co-founder of Help's Here! resource magazine for seniors and caregivers. The author lives in Toronto where she paints and is working on her next book.

The five finalists for the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize were: Plum Johnson (Toronto, Ontario) for They Left Us Everything, published by Penguin Canada; David O'Keefe (Montreal, Quebec) for One Day in August: The Untold Story Behind Canada's Tragedy at Dieppe, published by Random House Canada; Barbara Taylor (London, England) for The Last Asylum: A Memoir of Madness In Our Times, published by Hamish Hamilton Canada; M.G. Vassanji (Toronto, Ontario) for And Home Was Kariakoo: A Memoir of East Africa, published by Doubleday Canada; and Kathleen Winter (Montreal, Quebec) for Boundless, published by House of Anansi Press.
Presenting partner RBC Wealth Management will host Plum Johnson on a speaking tour of selected Canadian cities.

The jurors for the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize are: Kevin Garland, former executive director of the National Ballet of Canada; Martin Levin, editor, columnist, and playwright; and Andrew Preston, winner of the 2013 RBC Taylor Prize, editor, and lecturer. Diverse and accomplished, this year's decision-making team approached their reading list with skill to determine the best works of literary non-fiction for this the 14th awarding of the prestigious Prize.

"This is a prize that pushes non-fiction boundaries," commented Noreen Taylor. "Each year the winner sets the bar higher and higher for standards of excellence in the field of a unique Canadian non-fiction genre."

The 2015 RBC Taylor Prize also includes its second annual Emerging Writers Award, which is to be given to a promising Canadian author of non-fiction selected by the winner of the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize. The recipient of the Emerging Writers Award will receive $10,000 and the opportunity to be mentored under the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize winner. The second annual winner of the Emerging Writers Award will be announced later this month.

"On behalf of RBC Wealth Management, congratulations to Plum Johnson for this outstanding achievement" said Vijay Parmar, president of RBC PH&N Investment Counsel. "We are proud of our ongoing commitment to supporting talented Canadian authors and their passion for literary excellence through the RBC Taylor Prize. Presented annually to the author whose book best combines a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and perception, the RBC Taylor Prize recognizes excellence in Canadian non-fiction writing and emphasizes the development of the careers of the authors it celebrates. Since its inception as The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction, the Prize has helped engage Canadians in literary non-fiction and boost sales of its finalists' books."

About the RBC Taylor Prize:The RBC Taylor Prize is awarded annually to the author whose book best combines an excellent command of the English language, an elegance of style, quality of thought, and subtlety of perception. The Prize consists of $25,000 for the winning author and $2,000 for each of the runners-up. 

The Emerging Writer's award was established in 2013 to provide recognition and assistance to a Canadian published author who is working on a significant writing project, preferably but not limited to literary non-fiction. Through mentorship from the nominating author, and a $10,000 cash award, it is intended that the writer will be able to progress toward the creation of a first draft work. 

The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are: Michael Bradley (Toronto), Vijay Parmar (Toronto), David Staines (Ottawa), and Noreen Taylor (Toronto).

The presenting sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize is RBC Wealth Management, its major sponsor is Metropia, its media sponsors are The Globe and Mail (exclusive newspaper sponsor), CNW Group, The Huffington Post Canada, Maclean's magazine, and Quill & Quire magazine; its in-kind sponsors are Ben McNally Books, Event Source, International Festival of Authors (IFOA), The Omni King Edward Hotel, and The Toronto Library Board.
For more information visit: www.rbctaylorprize.ca. For more information about the finalists visit www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2015/finalists_15.asp. Visit RBC Taylor Prize on Twitter at www.twitter.com/taylorprize. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RBCTaylorPrize.
To download high-resolution images of our 2015 winner, the jury, finalists, and all shortlisted titles, please go to www.rbctaylorprize.ca/2015/photogallery_15.asp


Image with caption: "Taylor Prize winner 2015 Plum Johnson and Noreen Taylor, founder RBC Taylor Prize - Photo Tom Sandler (CNW Group/RBC Taylor Prize)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150302_C8712_PHOTO_EN_12734.jpg

Image with caption: "2015 RBC Taylor Prize winner Plum Johnson - Photo Tom Sandler (CNW Group/RBC Taylor Prize)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150302_C8712_PHOTO_EN_12735.jpg

SOURCE RBC Taylor Prize

For further information:

Media contact: Stephen Weir & Associates; Stephen Weir: 416.489.5868 | cell: 416.801.3101 | stephen@stephenweir.com

Jamaica Legalizes Pot This Evening - February 24, 2015

Jamaican / Canadian company has played pivotal role in the process

Jamaica Parliament has just given final approval today to legalize the growing, processing and export of medical marijuana

For Immediate Release:

The Government of Jamaica gave third and final reading to a bill to legalize both the production of medical marijuana and the personal consumption of marijuana.  Timeless Herbal Care Ltd., a Jamaican-Canadian company involved in the production and export of medical marijuana, was instrumental in creating a bill that establishes a framework for the production, use and export of Jamaican produced international grade medical marijuana.  

Speaking in Toronto, The Hon. Ernie Eves, former Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada and chairperson of Timeless Herbal Care Ltd. said today that, “Jamaica is now uniquely positioned to become the medical marijuana hub not just for the Caribbean and Canada but, for the world.” 

The bill to legalize marijuana could well be the law of the land in Jamaica within a week.  The bill was introduced to the House of Parliament by Senator Mark Golding, who is also Minister of Justice in the Lower House, and as such the bill that was voted on already has Senatorial approval.  All that is required now is Royal Assent from the Island’s Governor General.

 According to Courtney Betty, President and CEO of Timeless Herbal Care Ltd., “Our company is fully prepared to build an international global brand for Jamaican medical marijuana by combining the best of science and research with organic Jamaican marijuana of the highest quality almost immediately.  Our partners include the University of the West Indies, the Charles Town Maroons, The Jamaica Epilepsy Society, the Ganja Growers Association, BioRegeneration Integrated Medical Centre headed by Dr. Janice Fisher, Roxy Distributors Ltd. and renowned Jamaica scientist and researcher Dr. Lawrence Williams.” 

Timeless Herbal Care Ltd. has played a leading role in working with the Jamaican government to bring this bill to the House.  The company is committed to ensuring that Jamaica and its people get the benefits which will derive from this new industry. 

“Timeless Herbal Care Ltd. is proud to be Jamaican and proud of the many individuals who have sacrificed to preserve what will become Jamaica’s most profitable industry,” continued Mr. Betty. “We pay special recognition to industry, education and law enforcement officials who were very instrumental in paving the way for Minister of Justice Mark Golding to deliver this historic legislation.”

Jamaica’s Timeless Herbal Care combines the best of science and herbs for the health and wellness of all people. Timeless has created the Green and Gold Triangle with operations in Jamaica, Israel and North America structured to immediately supply the growing international demand for medical marijuana products.

For more information, contact: 

Timeless Herbal Care Ltd., Suite 31A New Kingston Business Centre, 5 Dominica Drive, Kingston 5; 

876.754.2121 JAMAICA; 416.907.0973 CANADA 

STEPHEN WEIR

Public Relations  | stephen@stephenweir.com 

109 Castlefield Avenue, Toronto, ON

CANADA. M4R 1G5

Tel: 416-489-5868 | cell: 416-801-3101 

www.stephenweir.com twitter: sweirweir    

A Moment in Time - Beach Photo Club - Todmordon Mills

LANCASTER MASH-UP ON DISPLAY AT BEACH PHOTO CLUB SHOW

My associate / photographer / videographer George Socka has a number of photographs in weekend show including: Toronto Boer War Memorial with Lancaster Bombers. His pictures , and the show, are at the Todmorden Mills Gallery. It is free, and the reception is always fun. Here is the listing.

A Moment in Time - Beach Photo Club

In the club’s third annual exhibition at the Papermill Gallery, 26 photographers demonstrate their keen artistic vision in capturing a fleeting moment in time – human drama frozen in stone, WW II bombers miraculously flying by a Toronto icon, a ray of sun breaking through a dawn mist, a massive piece of blue ice broken from an Icelandic glacier about to be swept away by a raging torrent, a brilliant starfish caught in a tidal pond, a field of sunflowers in full bloom, the glance of a fox about to dart away.

At the Papermill Gallery , Todmorden Mills, 67 Potter Road

February 18 – March 1
Hours:.
Wednesday to Friday: Noon to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: Noon to 4:30 p.m
Artists Reception: Saturday February 21, 1 – 4 p.m.