A special Happy Birthday goes out to Calypsonian McCartha Linda Sandy-Lewis also known as "Calypso Rose "  who celebrated her birthday on Tuesday.  Calypso Rose was born on April 27th 1940.
She is an iconic cultural figure and is revered as one of the greatest Calypsonian in the world. Calypso Rose began writing songs at the age of 15, turned professional in 1964 and has composed over 800 songs and recorded over 20 albums.
In 1978, the "Calypso King" competition was renamed "Calypso Monarch" in honour of Calypso Rose, who won the competition with “I Thank Thee”. She is also recognised for taking Caribbean music, particularly Calypso, to the wider world. @calypsorosediva
Source:  TTT Live on Line.

​If you were a child of the 80s and stumbled into adulthood in the 90s, you will recall the lone television station TTT, the Panorama newscast, and its weatherman for our two seasons – Robin Maharaj.
Maharaj was the one who educated us about the evil Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (the ITCZ), the approaching storms, and that the waves were probably going to be two metres high in open waters, and one in sheltered areas.
Even the worst weather news, Maharaj, dapper in shirt jack or suit, delivered with an engaging smile and perfectly groomed sideburns and pompadour.
His most memorable moment on TV for us, of course, would be his 'Rain in dey muda$$ tonight!', comment that accidentally went live, a line so perfect in its Trinidadianess that it lived on…long after TTT died.
Around the time State-owned TTT went out of business, Maharaj vanished from public view.
And when CNMG went on air, there were new weathermen and women to tell us about how hot or rainy it was going to be tomorrow. And we would hear nothing much of Maharaj, until earlier this month, when the rains of biblical proportions began the night before Divali and lasted for six days.
Maharaj became a meme, and middle-aged Trinis demanded his return, with long discussions about his forecasting ability and the need for people with expertise to share reliable information before we were all washed into the sea with the fridges and car parts. We found Robin Maharaj. He lives thousands of miles away. But he has been following local events for decades. And his life has been epic. This is his story:

Dades Trace is tiny agricultural-based village near Rio Claro that was once connected to Port of Spain by the railway lines of the Trinidad Government Railway. When the railway system closed in 1968, the village suddenly became a distant place. (You can read about this place in the Express story titled “Defending the Bridges”).
This is the birthplace of Maharaj, born October 1942, educated in Rio Claro and academically gifted enough to make it into the Naparima College in San Fernando. Maharaj would go on to get his credentials at the Caribbean Meteorological Institute in Barbados and Pennsylvania State University in the United States.
He told us: “I joined The TT Met service in 1964 as a Meteorological Assistant; then trained at the US Naval Base in Chaguaramas to man and operate the US upper air weather station when the US Navy left in 1966. Became a meteorologist in 1972 following a two year training course in Barbados, at the Caribbean Meteorological Institute.
My job in the TT Met Office was mainly weather forecasting for aviation and maritime services, as well as making local public weather forecasts. Importantly, I first did the TV weathercast on TTT on Sept 5, 1972. My last was on December 17, 1999. In between,
I completed around 4,000 on-air forecasts, comprised of individual local, international and special occasion forecasts and interviews. In 1999, I left the TnT Met Service where I was Chief Meteorologist, and also the TTT Chief Meteorologist, to take up a job as a Senior Meteorological Scientific Professional at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), at its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. WMO is a UN Agency.
This posting was feather in the cap of Trinidad and Tobago, as the job was advertised globally. The government of the day showed appreciation by awarding me the Medal of Merit for my local career in meteorology, at the 2000 Independence Day Ceremony. At the WMO, my experience, research and expertise in both meteorology and weather broadcasting were utilized in coordinating and organizing global activities and training in weather forecasting, weather broadcasting, and devising/designing and packaging weather office products for a wide spectrum of public users.
And most importantly, I was tasked with assisting Met Services in the developing countries to boost their capabilities in severe weather forecasting and warning, with a view to promoting the safety and security of populations and property. This entailed direct training, preparation of training manuals and use of whatever scientific, professional experts/expertise we could garner from member countries, on projects. It was a great experience and my wife Grace and I enjoyed our stay in Switzerland. The job entailed lots of travel and that was a bonus.
I retired in 2005 and we migrated to Minnesota, USA, since our only two children, (two boys, the older - Gary - being a highly respected, veteran CEO of biomedical engineering device companies; and the second - Glenn - is a biomedical engineering expert working in research and development), and grandchildren, reside there. Our grandson is a cardiologist and one granddaughter, also a physician.
Residing near the core family in the USA was merely a decision to be with our family and see our grandchildren grow, not just to not return to Trinidad. In retirement, I continued by being very active in the meteorological and environmental sciences, and did produce work and advice in these areas. In addition, over the years I have also written articles and letters to media in different countries, including TT, on pertinent topics and issues, not only weather-related. I am a strong defender of things meteorological, and that includes the Trinidad and Tobago Met Service.
My advice has been sought by a few meteorological services in consultative capacity. You may recall the energy accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima, initiated primarily by the tsunami following the Tōhoku earthquake on 11 March 2011.
After the nuclear event, my opinion was sought on Fox News TV here in the USA about the prospects of the spread of radiation in the USA. Excerpts of the interview were played for two days following.
While my interest in meteorology remains high, I have pursued another interest that is more in line with health and lifestyle plans. When I did my first weathercast on TTT in 1972 I weighed 135 lb. When I completed my last weather report 27 years after, I was 165 lb.
The TV screen was challenged for space and by age 61 in 2003, I was hitting the scale at over 185 lb. The UN Medical Staff in Geneva, Switzerland, began predicting a range of possible health issues if I did not lose the excess avoir du pois. My wife, Grace, who kept active and controlled her weight since we met in High School, began insisting I allow her to take control, which she did. She designed a rigid regime of exercise and diet to preempt the dismal forecasts of the UN Doctors and carve a path to my good health. My exercise was primarily walking fast, and long distances on outdoor trails. Under her guidance,
I lost 30lb before I retired in 2005. When we migrated to live in Minnesota, USA in 2005, I took personal charge of my exercise regime and walked through all seasons, up to 340 days yearly, completing up to 2,500 miles annually, and my weight dropped to 140lb by 2007. During the winters in MinneSNOWta I faced temperatures down to minus 35C, with wind chills below minus 50C. It took true grit and gumption. Then I fell on the ice a few times during the winter of 2011 and the family decided I must not walk outdoors when it is icy. So, I joined a nearby gym in my 70th year.
I changed to walking three days weekly between April and October (warmer) and doing gym on the other days. Grace is with me always at the gym, and several times on the walking trails. At the gym my weight increased a bit as I am getting a bit muscular. I weigh 145lb today and I feel strong, healthy and positive. News of my distance walking have spread to several colleagues, friends and relatives.
Some call me Mahal, after the famous Trini walker of yester years. But there was a difference over the past 5 years since I started walking between 3am and 4am, in predawn dark, giving me free reign in our safe and well-lit community, and at a rate of 4 mph. When it dawns, I hit the trails around the lakes here and I would complete between 12 and 20 miles, up to three times weekly, before breakfast. On occasion, and for special reasons, I have completed walking marathons in the past few years.
How long can I keep this up I have no way of predicting but I see no way that I will give up my current lifestyle. We no longer diet – we eat sensibly. Just say we eat with moderation in moderation. Over the years I used to cook occasionally for the family. In retirement, I do all the cooking. Grace cleans, does laundry and instructs me. We limit oil, fat and carbohydrates. We burn lots of calories daily through exercise and maintaining a high metabolism. We do not eat out, not at McDonalds or in restaurants.
​I do not eat it if it is in a pack. I drink only water, not even coffee. Of course, we cook versions of TRINI MEALS but we eat based on the saying, IN THE MORNING EAT LIKE A KING, FOR LUNCH EAT LIKE A PRINCE, BUT FOR SUPPER EAT LIKE BEGGAR. Earlier this year our gym chose Grace and me as the Valentine's Day couple.
I keep active around the house as a handyman, landscaper, fixer of anything, so call me a Jackofalltrades. I remain alert and physically strong, lifting heavy things and taking them up the stairs. I am pushing the envelope and trying to show that being 75 is not as limiting as many think. It has been a wonderful life, one that has been rewarding in many ways. The one I wish to mention is the public recognition of my work in weather; that approval helped me improve and to fine-tune my talent.
There were times when I might have invited opprobrium, but the kind people stressed my strengths, abilities and talent, and led me to believe in myself. This went on for the period 1972-1999, when I was the public face of the TT Met Service, and I definitely appreciate the public esteem and kindness over that time. To find that some people remember me on TTT, or from having met me in my public role, is most touching.
The internet is a wonderful means of communication and from time to time I am regaled with funny stories or pictures reminding me of my weathercasting days. The one that keeps recurring carries the headline RAIN IN DEY MUDDA ASS TONITE.
Did I say that?
Let me tell you what the true story is.
While standing by to get the Floor Manager's cue to go ON AIR, and waiting for a commercial to finish, I was asked by the crew leader to give a final test on the microphone.
We were always joking and kicksing during breaks so I tested the mic by speaking and summarized the forecast by saying IS RAIN IN DEY MUDDA ASS TONITE.
It was a test, not on air. But the Director had the channel ON AIR.
Blooper? Not really. This was in July 1994, if I recall well. DJs and Calypsonians made mincemeat of that and I got news from several people over the years, of the line becoming mostly famous, rather than infamous.
But I know I am not remembered for that only. I keep reading of Trinidad's excessive floods resulting for heavy and persistent rainfall, and causing havoc and suffering. Rainfall is an act of nature. I also venture to say that some floods due to heavy rain are unavoidable eventualities.
The sheer volume of water is way too much for the natural drainage systems. But the latter are modified by man, his public works, engineering, construction of buildings, roads and pavements. In the process the ground component of the water cycle is severely corrupted and even annulled in places, causing general incapability of the landscape to cope with heavy rainfall, and leaving many people quite vulnerable to property damage and loss of life.
I am certain everybody knows the cause of the problem; I am also certain that the solution is known to authorities with the appropriate responsibility. However, it takes care and understanding of the related issues, and a will and intent to solve the flooding problem.
Posturing in government, among officials and regulators prevents flood mitigation. Evidently, there is need for a comprehensive analysis of every square foot of ground to create a data system to help analyze the related hydrological issues peculiar to localities. It means measuring and documenting everything from land shape and form, geology, tree and shrub cover, drainage, human dwelling and agriculture etc.
With that in hand, and with a knowledge of the historical behavior of heavy rainfall in locations, planners can then define what public and environmental works are required to prepare the area from severe flooding. And too, what regulators must insist residents do to prevent and/or cope with dangerous flooding. I am certain that no such comprehensive endeavor has ever been made in Trinidad.
Indiscriminate and unchecked land development, along river basins and on the hill slopes have aggravated flooding. Any action leading to changing of the behavior of surface water flow needs to be regulated and controlled. There are regulations in the books but inadequate regulators to enforce the rules and laws. Even so, bribe-taking corrupts the system allowing for rampant disfiguration of the landscape and flooding.
Ordinary people need to take action to force the authorities to do their work and ensure flood attenuation and diminishment.   Source:  Daily Express, March 29, 2021

Your circumstances do not define you, nor do they determine your future.
This sentiment rang true for Reea Dara Rodney, a Trinidad and Tobago national who became an Amazon best-seller for her children's book series Juniper and Rose. 
Ranking #1 and #2 in various categories were:

• Juniper and Rose Children - Sisters First and Best Friends Forever 
• Juniper and Rose Children - One More Bite Please
• Juniper and Rose Children - We Will Always Come Back

The soon to be 42-year-old proudly denoted her experience as an author, publisher, and motivational speaker during an interview with Loop News on Tuesday.
In fact, she noted that she wasn't always interested in becoming a writer. Rodney, who migrated to the United States in 2006, said she initially dreamt of being a pediatric nurse, prompting her to enrol in college. However, two months in, she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
According to the US-based Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fibromyalgia is a condition that causes pain all over the body often causing emotional and mental distress.
Rodney said: "I went through a period in my life feeling lost and uninspired. Then one day, I heard a soft voice who [I] identified as God… whispered 'write for your healing'."
Despite feeling unsure, she combined her love for children with what would become her love for writing and in 2016, published her first book 'Juniper and Rose - Sisters First and Best Friends Forever'. 
Since then, Rodney has published 20 books, 15 of which are tailored for children.

Still, things did not come easy as she endured many challenges, her biggest one being a speech impediment.
She said: "I stuttered terribly which had me crippled with fear of failure, fear of the unknown and self-doubt causing me to have low self-esteem and a lack of confidence."
"As I embarked on the path of becoming an author, certified life coach and speaker, I had to diligently work on my mindset and also see my stuttering as my unique marker and own it 100%. Once I was able to do that I learned from my challenges and misfortune and use[d] the knowledge acquired to help me discover more about myself and what I am destined to do here on earth."
The latest trial Rodney encountered was her battle with COVID-19, becoming one of the first to be diagnosed with the contagion in the United States in March 2020. Her health deteriorated rapidly; she was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, was told that she might have lung cancer, her lungs started failing, she had pneumonia, was in heart failure and her liver and kidneys started failing.
Speaking positively despite that scare, Rodney praised God - and thanked her social media prayer warriors - for pulling her through.
She stated: “Over the past year, from childhood to now, I have been going through things and I realised now more than ever, over the past few years, that I was called [by God]. God pulled me through.”
She said to date, she has been healed from every illness.
Turning her attention to her fellow countrymen, Rodney noted that many persons hope to achieve success but pointed out that this may look differently depending on the individual.
She said: “It’s personal; it’s not one size [fits] all. You have the opportunity to make a difference in the world and in yourself don’t allow fear of failure, fear of the unknown and self-doubt to deter you from accomplishing your goals. Write your vision down and make it clear then go for it. Each day is filled with endless opportunities to do better. Choose to be optimistic, see your glass as half full and remember that the darkest part of [the] night is at dawn. Whenever times get rough or you feel discouraged, know that the sun is about to rise very soon and affirm yourself by saying ‘everything always works out for me’.”
Persons wishing to connect with Rodney can reach her at www.coachreea.com or www.darapublishing.co.
She can be emailed at coachreea@gmail.com and darapublsihing@gmail.com.
Her social media handles are reearodney1 and darapublishing on Facebook as well as darawisdomandempowerment and @dara_publishing on Instagram.
Meanwhile, the literary pieces composed and published by Rodney are as follows:
Children’s storybooks

• Juniper and Rose: Sisters First and Best Friends Forever (English and Spanish)
• Juniper and Rose: One More Bite Please (English and Spanish) 
• Juniper and Rose Children - We Will Always Come Back
• Juniper and Rose Coloring and Activity Book (Volumes 1 ) 
• Juniper and Rose Coloring and Activity Book (Volumes 2) 
• A Boy Name Tuck: Tuck and His Magical Stick

Dara Wisdom and Empowerment Coaching Personal Development Workbooks for Kids

• I Am Uniquely Made and Exceptionally Beautiful Self-Esteem Workbook
• I Am Fearless, Selfless and Destined for Greatness Self- Confidence Workbook
• I Am Who I Say I Am Self-Talk Workbook 
• Standing in Our Greatness Self-Love Workbook
• If You Are Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands Self- Celebration Workbook
• Bully Here, Bully There, Do You Care Anti-Bullying Workbook

Children and Women Empowerment Journals

• I Am Getting to Know Me Reflection Journal for Kids 
• Learning How to Empower Myself: A 12 Week Guide Toward Self-Empowerment for Women

Self-Help Books

• I Empower Me - Mindfulness and Empowerment: A Guide For Parents and Educators
• 14 Steps To Writing to Self-Publishing Your First Book Without Hassle 
• 14 Steps To Writing to Self-Publishing Goal-Setting Guide
• 7 - Step Writing Process
  

Source: T&T News March 2021

“Growing up my grandmother – God rest her soul – used to say that ‘You feel you’s an actor or wah?’ So I like to think she always knew. Now as she looks down, she sees where I am and is smiling,” Chad said.
The Trinidad-born New Yorker has appeared in several US television series and may be on his way to becoming the small screen’s next leading man.
Usually, he plays colourful villains and supporting characters, but while the main protagonists get more screen time, his edgy bravado keeps the audience engaged and wanting more.
Chad has had roles in some of the most popular shows in modern television including Power, The Get Down, Orange is the New Black and The Punisher, and insisted he’s just getting started.
In an online interview with Sunday Newsday, Chad, born Quincy Chad Francis, spoke about his Trinidadian roots, acting career and goals for the future.
His parents were Morvant natives but migrated to Canada before landing in Brooklyn, New York.
“The area in Brooklyn, Flatbush, where we lived is like a mini-West Indies. The neighbourhood was full of Caribbean people so the culture was quite present. Backyard cookouts and fetes were quite prevalent growing up. The Caribbean culture travelled pretty well, besides the weather of course.”
Despite the biting cold of the US east coast, Chad said the weather made him appreciate visits to Trinidad for Carnival with his mother, something he enjoyed growing up.
Eventually the family would move again from their multi-cultural neighbourhood in New York to Connecticut where Chad would have his first encounter with racism.
“The schools I attended were predominantly white.
“I was one of maybe two students of colour in my classes. None of the other students ever heard of Trinidad. ‘Is that the same as Jamaica?’, ‘So you’re like Jamaican?’ Those kinds of silly questions were common.
“Unfortunately, in high school there were other instances of ignorance to my culture and racism, but my brother and I were able to adapt and excel in both academics and athletics, as the great equalisers.” 
As a multi-sport athlete in high school, he competed in basketball, (American) football and track and field taking his athletic prowess to Wesleyan University, Connecticut, where he served as captain for the school’s football team.
His skill made him look towards a professional career in the National Football League (NFL) until an injury derailed his plans.
This twist of fate while disappointing was a watershed moment in Chad’s life as it introduced him to acting when he met a visiting professor from the Yale School of Drama who nurtured his talents.
In 2019, Chad played iconic American football player and civil rights activist-turned actor Jim Brown for the theatrical production of One Night in Miami by Kemp Powers. (The play is now an award-winning movie directed by Oscar winner Regina King with Aldis Hodge as Jim Brown.)
His life took a different direction when he met a visiting professor from the Yale School of Drama who took an interest in him and nurtured his acting talents. In 2019, Chad played iconic American football player and civil rights activist-turned actor Jim Brown for the theatrical production of One Night in Miami by Kemp Powers. (The play is now an award-winning movie directed by Oscar winner Regina King with Aldis Hodge as Jim Brown.)
Chad played the part well, garnering praise from Pittsburgh theatre critics who commented on his convincing portrayal.
“Jim Brown was an activist, a football Hall of Famer, who also was an artist at heart and he later became an actor. The parallels were truly art imitating life in a sense,” he said.
Standing at six-foot-two and weighing 220 pounds, Chad’s imposing figure has led him to be cast as crime lords, construction workers and soldiers.
He appeared in a 2016 episode of the Punisher where he played ruthless mercenary Spencer Geiger.


In his most recent role Chad plays Big Deon, an intimidating Crips gang-member on FX’s crime-drama Snowfall, a critically acclaimed series currently in its fourth season detailing the spread of crack cocaine in Los Angeles in the 1980s.
Even with a number of acting notches on his belt, Chad, while grateful for the opportunities, said he still has a lot of work ahead of him before he can feel as if he has “made it” as an actor.
“Being recognised for my work is something I am extremely grateful for. I liken it to building a house, the foundation is being set right now. Let’s see how it ends up.”
Despite his impressive physique, Chad is more than just muscle as he holds an undergraduate degree in sociology and intends to continue his studies even as he pursues his acting career.
The road to fame has not been an easy one, as Chad recalls times where he had to juggle the responsibilities of having a nine-to-five job while trying to get roles in plays to build his catalogue and reputation.
He also admits while most Caribbean parents tend to encourage their children to pursue more traditional professions, his family eventually warmed up to his acting career.
“They are all very proud, which isn’t exactly how it started. We as a culture tend to look at more conventional careers as the path to success. Doctor, lawyer, finance, etcetera but it’s all love now.
“I think once they saw my talent and how hard I was working to make things happen the respect and support flowed abundantly.”
These days Chad lives in Los Angeles but despite being so far away from home, he highlights his Trinidadian roots any chance he gets even getting a tattoo of the TT flag on his chest.
“I think I can thank her (his mother) especially for never letting us forget our culture.
“She made sure we wear it as a badge of honour. That is why I have the flag tattooed on my chest. I couldn’t be any more proud of where we come from. I try to make it back for at least every Carnival if I can.”
If Chad represents what a Trinidadian can accomplish with hard work and perseverance then the enthusiasm he gives his characters represent what audiences around the world have to come to love about his brand of acting: athleticism, boldness and a
sense that you know him.  Source: Newsday, April 2021

Touchstone Exploration has announced that tests on its Cascadura Deep-1 well have confirmed the presence of liquids rich natural gas.
Touchstone has an 80 per cent operating working interest in the well, which is located on the Ortoire block onshore Trinidad.
The company said it perforated the top 199 feet of the 449 feet identified as potential pay in sheet four of the over thrust Herrera formation on April 8, 2021.
The average flowback rate during the extended 24-hour test period was approximately 4,262 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), including 22.9 MMcf/d of natural gas and 449 bbls/d of NGLs.
Peak flowback rate of approximately 4,567 boe/d was observed, comprised of 24.5 MMcf/d of natural gas and 477 bbls/d of NGLs.
Approximately 48.8 MMcf of natural gas (8,138 boe) and 1,081 barrels of NGLs were produced during the testing period.
Field analysis indicated liquids rich gas with no hydrogen sulphide and no produced water.
The well is currently shut-in for a minimum four-week pressure build-up test.
In a statement, Paul Baay, Touchstone’s President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: "The positive test results from Cascadura Deep-1 further expands the opportunity on the Ortoire block as we now expect to have two distinct and separate sheets producing from two wells in the Cascadura structure.”
“We will accelerate operations required to bring the two Cascadura wells onto production as the test results allow us to properly size surface facilities for reservoir management. We are also moving forward with the required applications to establish a second Cascadura surface location, designed for up to four development wells. The test results demonstrate the clear future production opportunities for the Company."
James Shipka, Chief Operating Officer, said: "The exceptional performance noted during Cascadura Deep-1 well testing reinforces the geological concept of multiple stacked, independent hydrocarbon charged horizons in the Herrera turbidite fairway.”
“We will not be conducting any up-hole testing in the well as we do not want to interrupt this interval at the risk of damaging the reservoir with water-based fluids. The data collected in this flow test indicates that sheet four is separate from sheet three, where production is expected from the Cascadura-1ST1 well. There remains an additional 558 feet of potential pay above the tested zone in sheet three which can be evaluated in future development wells."
Extension of Lease Operatorship Agreements between Touchstone and Trinidad and Tobago’s Heritage Petroleum for the Coora-1, Coora-2, WD-4 and WD-8 blocks has been extended to April 30, 2021.
The LOAs were originally set to expire on December 31, 2020 and were previously extended to March 31, 2021.  Source: Newsday April 2021

The origins of Neale’s Sweet N’ Nice ice cream date to 1940, in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago. Charles Alfred Neale biked around the city during long summer days, selling his one-of-a-kind coconut ice cream recipe — made with fresh and locally sourced ingredients, a “premium” coconut milk mix and no artificial flavours.
The extra creamy consistency and generous proportions led to an explosion of demand for his premium ice cream and it soon became a household name. More than 80 years later, his family’s commitment to honouring his legacy has landed Neale’s Sweet N’ Nice on the shelves of major supermarkets like Metro, No Frills, Sobeys, and Foodland in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, keeping Neale’s recipe alive long after his death in the late 1980s.
Neale’s is one of many businesses successfully cementing a platform for ethnic flavours in Canada for generations to come.
In 2013, cousins Andrew McBarnett and Stafford Attsz, were reminiscing about their grandfather’s glory days selling ice cream. They approached their aunt, Neale’s daughter, Rosemarie Wilson, who knew the recipe and would often serve it during family reunions. Wilson eventually became a co-founder and primary producer in Neale’s Sweet N’ Nice, which in the beginning was an entirely do-it-yourself type of endeavour based in Oshawa.
“We started by purchasing an ice cream machine, printing out labels, getting the entire family together, and just wrapping containers for a week,” recalled McBarnett.
“I think overall, we all had the same vision: to bring premium homemade Caribbean flavours that just weren’t available before in the Greater Toronto Area.”
Early on, the ice cream was sold in independent ethnic grocery stores in the GTA. In 2015, the company earned a spot on CBC’s venture capitalist show, “Dragons’ Den.” Though no deal emerged from being on the show, the publicity served as Neale’s official “coming out” in the Canadian dessert game.
Wilson was initially unsure if their ice cream business would fare well in Canada, but as the brand, which features flavours such as coconut, mango, guava and passion fruit, started hitting more shelves, she was amazed by the support that Neale’s received.
“I always knew there was a strong Jamaican community in the GTA, but I had no idea how large a Trinidadian contingent we have,” she said.
“I was getting personal calls at home from people who just wanted to talk. They’d tell me: ‘I remember you from San Fernando, yes, yes, yes. I just want to talk about the common heritage and the common bond!’ ”
She recalled a recent call from a Trinidadian gentleman who found their product in Sobeys and described his immediate sense of recognition and pride.
“That kind of connection inspires you to do more and to keep on going,” Wilson said.
Starting in 2018, Neale’s began moving into grocery chains mostly in Ontario. An expansion to stores in Montreal and Richmond, B.C., soon followed.
Last year began with plans to increase Neale’s national presence and debut in Loblaws stores, but the pandemic set the debut back and introduced new issues for the founders.
McBarnett and Wilson soon discovered “their supply chain was broken” — they could no longer source their natural ingredients on the timelines they were used to.
Wilson explained how because of halts in trade, several suppliers could not sell their ingredients at the same pace as before. To combat this, Neale’s started manufacturing according to availability of products instead of demand.
“For example, if it will take me six weeks or two months to get something, then when we actually get it, we say, ‘we might as well increase how much we manufacture,’ ” Wilson said.
Neale’s went from manufacturing 200 cases every four weeks to a 1,000, which may have worked to its advantage, as despite an ongoing lockdown, the demand for Neale’s ice cream surged. This was in part due to more consumers adopting a buy-local approach during the pandemic and in part due to increased sentiment to buy from Black-owned businesses after George Floyd’s death led to a global reckoning on anti-Black racism.
“I thought about how when I started Kingsdale, and I went to every institution in this country, and they all turned me down,” Hall said. “Eventually, I was able to get someone in a bank who looked like me, believed in me and was able to pull some strings to help me.
“I just knew I had to help.”
Wilson and McBarnett often worry about their business becoming “boxed in.”
Though the brand is rooted in offering a taste of their childhood and Caribbean heritage, the ice cream resonates with people from all over. McBarnett says they have had people from places like Portugal and South America, tell them the ice cream reminds them of home.
“This is way beyond the Caribbean,” he said. “It’s wherever these types of fruits are. Like Malaysia or wherever people are tasting our ice cream and remembering their childhood.” 
Rhythm Sachdeva is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto.
Source:  Toronto Star, April 12, 2021

​PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The Trinidad and Tobago government says it will be deploying members of the defense force to St. Vincent and the Grenadines from Tuesday, as that Caricom country continues to deal with the explosive eruptions of the La Soufriere volcano.
“We will be deploying 50 officers of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. This contingent will comprise personnel from engineers, infantry/ provost, medical, and logistics. The contingent will be stationed in St Vincent for two weeks in the first instance,” the Ministry of National Security said in a statement.
The ministry, which has been coordinating Port of Spain’s assistance to St Vincent and the Grenadines, said the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management has been coordinating efforts to collect supplies to be transported to the island on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The eruption of the volcano has resulted in several people having to be evacuated to several Caribbean islands including St Lucia and Barbados and the scientists monitoring the volcano have warned that the eruptions could continue for several weeks.
In 1902, the volcano erupted killing over 1,000 people. It last erupted in 1997, but there were no casualties. Source:  the NY Carivibes, April 13, 2020

Trinidadian-born Dr. Anthony Kalloo has become the new chair of the Department of Medicine at Brooklyn’s Maimonides Medical Center, effective April 1.
Born and raised in Woodbrook, Trinidad, Kalloo attended Woodbrook Presbyterian before moving on to Fatima College. He then entered the teaching service and taught science, physics, and chemistry for one year at St. Joseph’s Convent, Port-of-Spain.
However, his heart was in medicine and he went on to graduate from UWI with a medical degree and later completed his residency in internal medicine at Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC.
Today, Kalloo, 68, is a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University. He has also directed of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Johns Hopkins Hospital for the past nine years. In his career which spans near 35 years, Kalloo has also been the recipient of many awards and accolades for his contribution to medicine. Among them were the distinguished educator of the year award from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the Caribbean American Heritage Award (CARAH), which he received in 2009 for excellence in medicine.
He has multiple patents and ideas that are now in practice in gastroenterology and endoscopy, but to date he records his proudest accomplishment as his breakthrough discovery called Notes (Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery).
Dr. Kalloo is the Department of Medicine’s 39th chair since the founding of Maimonides Medical Center in 1911. Source:  The New York Carivibes, April 13, 2021