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CBTU Newsletter – October 2014
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CBTU Chapter Annual GMM November 13, 2014
Toronto South African Film Festival November 1-2, 2014
Congratulations Andrea McCormack!
Tickets Available for the CBTU 18th Annual Awards Dinner, Dance & Fundraiser November 8, 2014
CBC Video Link: Lynn Jones on a lifetime of campaigning for civil rights in Nova Scotia
2014 BCFED Diversity Forum
Article: Nova Scotia premier apologizes to former Home for Colored Children residents
Statement from CBTU Intl President Rev. Terry Melvin on $15 Min Wage Debate in Canada
Black Canadian Studies Association Conference May 21-24, 2015
Reachout Committee’s 9th Annual Christmas Event
The Black Experience Project: Meet & Greet November 26, 2014
Bowl For a Cure Event November 1, 2014
OFL Aboriginal Educational Gathering Nov 28-30, 2014
A Message of Thanks from the African Canadian Legal Clinic ( ACLC)
Congratulations Janice Gairey!
1. CBTU Chapter Annual General Membership Meeting November 13, 2014
Our CBTU Ontario Canada Chapter will be holding its next Annual General Membership Meeting on
November 13, 2014, at the OFL. 15 Gervais drive. The meeting shall commence at 6:30pm, and the
tentative agenda shall be distributed soon. If you require access by phone, please contact a member of
the board to ensure your participation. We hope to see you there!
2. Toronto South African Film Festival November 1-2, 2014
Sack Goldblatt is a proud sponsor of the Toronto South African Film Festival, which takes place
November 1-2 at the AGO. Information about the festival can be found on the attached poster and at
www.tsaff.ca.
The festival features a number of films on the theme of labour rights and/or social justice. These include
Miners Shot Down, about the 2012 miners’ strike, as well as Soft Vengeance, a film about anti-apartheid
activist and former constitutional court judge Albie Sachs.
Proceeds from the festival go to support Education Without Borders, which does incredible work
fostering educational opportunities in a township outside of Cape Town. Information about EWB can be
found at www.educationwithoutborders.ca.
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3. Congratulations Andrea McCormack!
Please join the Chapter executive in congratulating our very own Chapter 1st VP Andrea McCormack,
who was elected CBTU Region 1 Secretary at the CBTU Region 1 Conference at the end of the summer.
We know you will do a fantastic job in representing Canada on the Regional level!
4. Tickets Available for the CBTU 18th Annual Awards Dinner, Dance & Fundraiser November 8, 2014
Didn’t buy your ticket yet? You still can! Tickets are still available for the CBTU 18th Annual Awards Dinner, Dance &
Fundraiser. The cost is $90 for individual tickets, or $850 for tables of ten. To obtain tickets please contact either
Tricia Watt at (647) 333-8065 or tricia.watt@twu-stt.ca or Jan Simpson at (613) 293-1776 or cbtu2013@rogers.com.
Please see the flyer below, and please make note of the VENUE CHANGE. Thank you!
5. CBC Video Link: Lynn Jones on a lifetime of campaigning for civil rights in Nova Scotia
http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/Shows/More+Shows/At+The+Table/ID/2558050797/
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6. 2014 BCFED Diversity Forum
2014 HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE: BCFED DIVERSITY FORUM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23
Registration at 8 am / Forum at 8:30 am
Hyatt Regency Vancouver, Plaza Ballroom (2nd floor)
655 Burrard Street, Vancouver
FREE for Convention delegates / $50 for non-delegates
PRE-REGISTER for this event at Convention2014.bcfed.ca/events
7. Article: Nova Scotia premier apologizes to former Home for Colored Children residents
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/nova-scotia-premier-apologizes-to-former-home-for-colored-childrenresidents-1.2048543
8. Statement from CBTU Intl President Rev. Terry Melvin on $15 Min Wage Debate in Canada
CBTU President Supports Minimum Wage Increase in Canada
Statement of Rev. Terry Melvin President, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
Currently our brothers and sisters up north are debating a potential $15 an hour minimum wage. If implemented, this
would truly be an historic and momentous event. Currently too many workers in North America are struggling to get
by. With unskilled, highly replaceable jobs being the largest industries, we find citizens subject to the whimsy and
wage scale of employers. These jobs are largely non-union and pay their works the bare minimum. By increasing the
minimum wage, the standard of pay elevates across the board.
We support the bold leadership of Canada that is pushing the minimum wage issue. Their bravery in the face of
austerity cuts is inspiring and motivational. Keynesian economics looks at how an influx of monies to the lower
classes helps ends recessions and depressions. It takes the view point that the average worker will spend their
money locally, on local goods, in local businesses infusing much needed revenue into depressed areas. By
increasing the minimum wage, Canada would be infusing a hurt amount of disposable monies onto working people
who in turn will spend it on their local economy. This will not only enrich Canada, but also provide them with
additional revenue to spend potentially infusing more money into the economies of North America.
A rising tide lifts all ships. CBTU supports the efforts in Canada and sees the potential impact it will have on workers
there as well as the potential it will have in the United States. For too long Canada has been victimized by a growing
US Conservative movement. Hopefully if they succeed US progressive leaders will get the hint and also push to
further increase the minimum wage in the States. We support all efforts and encourage our chapters and members to
further be involved in the campaign. A win for one is a win for all.
For more information regarding the investigation we recommend you go to
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2014/September/14-crt-937.html which is the department of justice website. Educate
yourself on the details and process, get involved for sake of your family and conscience.
9. Black Canadian Studies Association Conference May 21-24, 2015
The Black Canadian Studies Association Conference is being held at Dalhousie University from May 21-24, 2015 in
Halifax, Nova Scotia. The conference will bring together world-leading academics and community leaders from
outside academia to promote dialogue, critical reflections and nuanced perspectives on the past, present and future
of Black leadership in Canada. Register now!
www.blackcanadianstudiesassociation.com
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10. Reachout Committee’s 9th Annual Christmas Event
The Reachout Committee is a non-profit organization that services to children, youth and their families across the
GTA. We will be having our 9th annual Christmas event on Saturday December 13, 2014 and we are hoping for a
donation in any capacity to help make this day a success for the children.
Please contact us with further information regarding how the Reachout Committee and your organization/company
can work together to provide our communities with a joyous Christmas. We would like to thank you in advance for
considering Reachout as a part of your community involvement and reassure you that all donations of any type and
any size will be going directly to the community to help families this Christmas.
I truly look forward to hearing from you. Thank you in advance for your kind consideration.
Angela Swain-Thorpe Founder, Reachout Committee
(647) 740-9337 (24hr)
Email: reachoutcommittee@bellnet.ca
Website http://reachoutcommittee.com
"It takes a community to raise a child"
11. The Black Experience Project: Meet & Greet November 26, 2014
Please join us to engage with the Black Experience Project (BEP) Team and key stakeholders over food and
entertainment as we mark exciting BEP advancements and announcements.
November 26, 2014
6:30pm-9:00pm
Aki Studio Theatre: Daniels Spectrum
585 Dundas Street East
Toronto, Ontario
Featuring:
- launch of the BEP video trailer
- visual display by Nia Centre For The Arts
- live entertainment and drumming
Public event! Space limited… RSVP mandatory at: https://bep-meetandgreet.eventbrite.ca
For more event information please contact Desmond Miller at 416-969-2792|bep-coordinator@environics.ca
To learn more about The Black Experience Project: www.environics.ca/bep-gta
"The Environics Institute in partnership with the YMCA of Greater Toronto, United Way Toronto, and Ryerson
University’s Diversity Institute are embarking on a ground-breaking research study to capture the lived experiences of
the GTA’s black (Black, Caribbean Or African Descent) population. The Black Experience Project (BEP) seeks to
understand the nature of the opportunities and challenges that occur within this community while highlighting its
strength, resiliency and vast diversity."
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12. Bowl For a Cure Event November 1, 2014
13. OFL Aboriginal Educational Gathering Nov 28-30, 2014
The Gathering will be held at the OFL Building from Friday, November 28 – Sunday, November 30, 2014. Additional
forms can be obtained from the OFL website http://ofl.ca/ or go direct to http://ofl.ca/index.php/ofl-aboriginaleducational-gathering/
If you have any queries please feel free to contact Janice Gairey at 416.443.7665
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14. A Message of Thanks from the African Canadian Legal Clinic ( ACLC)
The African Canadian Legal Clinic (ACLC) would like to thank you for attending The Human Rights Forum on the
Experiences of African Descendants in Canada!
Because of you, and the more than 115 other community members who attended the Forum, the day’s events
certainly met the objective of providing Inter-American Human Rights Commissioner Dr. Rose-Marie Belle Antoine
with insight and information on the complex and pressing human rights issues affecting African Canadians.
Whether you made a presentation and/or deputation, offered a comment to a panel, or simply participated in one of
the many informal conversations that took place among the Forum’s attendees, your contribution to the success of
the event was invaluable. The resiliency, pride and determination of the African Canadian community were on full
display throughout the day’s program.
But our work is only beginning.
The ACLC is now processing the ideas, information and recommendations shared during the Forum. What is being
gathered will be used to form the basis of a pro-active, long-term and sustainable strategic action plan for the African
Canadian community and its related agencies and organizations. Rooted in the affirmation of African descendants as
a founding people of Canada, the strategic action plan will be aimed at taking full advantage of the UN International
Decade for People of African Descent which starts on January 1, 2015.
Once the ACLC has fully processed the information gathered at the Forum, a meeting will take place in October to
discuss the plan of action moving forward. An invitation to participate in this meeting will be sent out shortly. We hope
that you will attend.
In the meantime, you are encouraged to check out the media coverage of the Forum:
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Jim Crow has morphed to suit the 21st century
OAS’s IACHR Rapporteur Gets Earful On State Of African Canadian Affairs
African-Canadians Express Concerns To OAS’s IACHR
Racism dominates rights forum
Forum provides much for OAS to consider
JCA Vice President Urges Black Community To “Please Vote’’
The ACLC looks forward to collaborating with you soon.
Kind regards,
Anthony
ANTHONY N. MORGAN, B.A. (Hons.), LL.B., B.C.L.
Policy & Research Lawyer
AFRICAN CANADIAN LEGAL CLINIC
8 King Street East | Suite 811
Toronto Ontario | M5C 1B5
T: 416.214.4747 ext. 23
F: 416.214.4748
E: morgana@lao.on.ca
W: www.aclc.net
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15. Congratulations Janice Gairey!
Please join the Chapter executive in congratulating our very own Chapter President Emeritus Janice
Gairey, who was appointed just last night to the Ontario Black History Society Executive Board. Of the
appointment, CBTU Chapter President Yolanda McClean said “It was a pleasure to nominate her but
even better to see another one of ‘ours’ taking on these great leadership positions. Congratulations
again. We are proud of the work you have done and are doing for our chapter and our community.”
Please stay tuned for the next installment of the CBTU Ontario Canada Chapter Newsletter due for
December 2014. Have an interesting article to share with the Chapter? Send us information at
cbtuontario@gmail.com and it may very well find its way into our newsletter!