Quarterly Newsletter April 2009 THE ST. VINCENT AND GRENADINES ASSOCIATION OF TORONTO (SVGAT): KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY INFORMED THROUGH COMMUNICATION 555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 From the President’s Desk Contribution and Service Conference on May 16thwhere, as a SVG Canadians you will To everyone I extend much gratitude for the trust and have the opportunity to submit recommendations and confidence you have exhibited by the various modes of opinions that are essential to the development of SVG. communication sent to me in the past few months. I am In conclusion, please do not hesitate to contact any of your humbled and can assure you that contributing to our Country 2009 SVGAT executive members. In acceptance of your is a reflection of who I am. Like you, it runs within my nominations, we are committed to community service and blood stream as the spirit of Chatoyer stands tall, a gallant therefore, have made our lines of communication open to symbol for our SVG and its people. each and every one of you. Volunteering is about putting With your undivided support, we will over time, accomplish aside that which may seem a hindrance, extracting the those goals and objectives set for us over the past 40 years positive from what may appear negative, and moving by our initiators then and now, and those willing to carry the forward in optimism. By supporting us in living up to your baton; the challenges of today’s objectives such as: expectations, we urge you to become members of our Acquiring our own building; Standardizing our constitution; committee; remembering that our community is a “body” of Strengthening, combining and securing our SVG Canadian many parts that by working together can only achieve historical, social and cultural similarities among our people; “much”. Developing common political values and ethics; Focusing on Let’s as one people heighten our contributions to service. effective leadership that can only lend to positive development to SVG. Have a great and safe summer 2009. In addition to ensuring the publication of our Insight quarterly news letter, we are committed to sharing Sincerely information on a more regular basis via our Elma Gabriel www.vinvytoronto.com website and SVGAT e-mail President, SVGAT [email protected] distribution list. Many of you would have received the February and March monthly general meeting review and have sent feedback of its usefulness in keeping you informed of your Greater Toronto Organization. Although we anticipate larger attendance at our monthly meetings, we do Index consider those unable to attend due to unforeseen • The President’s Message Page 1 circumstances. We however, know that you will be amongst • The Executive & Committee Chairs Page 2 our patrons at our events. • Hassle Free Travel Page 3 We are currently updating our Canada Post mail contact list, and do hope that with your ongoing financial support, • Caribbean Court of Justice Pages 3-4 whether by subscribing, by special donations, attending our • Reparations Page 6 events or otherwise, we will in the not too distant future be • Wild Horses, Intl. Development Page 9 in a position to justify the cost of mailing the monthly • Immigration Matters Page 10 review to all members and friends of our community. We • Skeletons found at Argyle Page 11 welcome any recommendation, and or funding that would • Vincy Genealogy Page 12 aid this initiative. • Vincentian wins Miss UVI title Page 12 Our Mothers Day and Unity Picnic tickets are out and can be • Calendar of Events Page 14 obtained by contacting any member of the Executive and the • Map of SVG Page 15 Agents as shown in the event flyers within this issue of • Membership Registration Form Page 16 Insight. Please also check out our “Coming Events” section. Please support the Homecoming Canada Diaspora 2 THE ST. VINCENT AND GRENADINES ASSOCIATION OF TORONTO GENERAL MEETING Please view our events calendar on page 15 and join us at our General Meetings on the last Sunday of each month from 4:00 p.m. at Northwood Community Centre, 15 Clubhouse Court, North York (Keele & Sheppard). Please bring along a friend with you. EXECUTIVE Committee 2009 President Elma Gabriel: [email protected] Vice President Audrey Lewis: [email protected] Executive Secretary Donet Trumpet: [email protected] General Secretary Diane Nichols-Mills: [email protected] Treasurer Kenneth Farrell: [email protected] Assistant Treasurer Wendell Cole: [email protected] Public Relations Officer Marcia Farrell: [email protected] Immediate Past President Francelia George: [email protected] Nominated members: Alfred Compton: [email protected] Anslem Keizer: [email protected] Japheth Trumpet: [email protected] Kwuassi Hutchinson: [email protected] General Email address: [email protected] COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND COORDINATORS Fundraising & Entertainment – Alfred Compton Education, Culture & Relief – Japheth Trumpet Building – Kuwassi Hutchinson Finance – Kenneth Farrell Public Relations – Marcia Farrell Sports, Recreation & Youth – Anslem Keizer Past Presidents Committee – Rosie Mc Intosh For more information contact: SVG Unity Picnic: Coordinator – Kenneth Farrell Ronald Crichton Representative – Cordel Telfer VEGETRON INC. 12-3400 14th Ave, Markham, ON , L3R 0H7 Mothers Day Dinner: Coordinator – Edna Hunte Phone: 905-479-3548, FAX: 905-479-3414 Independence Dinner: Coordinator – Audrey Lewis 2 3 On the cover it will have the logo of CARICOM and the words "Caribbean Community". The Coat of Arms and the name of the Member State are also featured on the cover. Hassle Free Travel The CARICOM passport also creates awareness that CARICOM Nationals are Nationals of the Community, as In the Grand Anse Declaration, Heads of Government well as a specific country. agreed that from December 1990 all CARICOM nationals should be free to travel within the Community without the In 2005, Suriname was the first Member State to have issued need for passports. the CARICOM Passport (7 January 2005), followed by St Vincent and the Grenadines (20 June 2005), St Kitts and The overwhelmingly popular support for this decision was Nevis (25 October 2005) and Dominica (14 December conveyed to the West Indian Commission time and time 2005). Antigua and Barbuda, issued the new Passport on 16 again throughout its consultations and as a result, the issue January 2006. of hassle-free travel was identified by the Commission in its 1991 Progress Report, as one of the six areas for immediate On 16 January 2007, Saint Lucia became the sixth Member action. State to have introduced the Passport, followed by the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on 24 January 2007. Hassle Free Travel refers to the freedom of CARICOM Grenada introduced the CARICOM Passport on 29th nationals to travel "into and within the jurisdiction of any January 2007. Member State without harassment or the imposition of impediment". This is intended to foster a greater sense of community. It is also designed to encourage greater intra- Guyana introduced the CARICOM Passport on 13 July 2007 CARICOM tourism. and Barbados on 1 October 2007. Jamaica and Belize introduced the CARICOM Passport on 2 January Implementing hassle free travel has not proven as easy as 2009 and 16 March 2009 respectively. might be expected, however, given the need to reconcile the differing requirements within Member States (between the As a result, all twelve Member States participating in the immigration and tourism departments, for example) and CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) are now among Member States. The forms of identification that are issuing the CARICOM passport. acceptable to some Member States include: travel permits; ID cards with photographs; birth certificates; and, drivers’ (19 March 2009) 2009 Caribbean Community licences. However, among the countries which accept these (CARICOM) Secretariat forms of identification, limits are still imposed with respect to the specific countries whose nationals will be allowed to use the facility. Commentary: Is there a future for Two accompanying elements of hassle free travel are the use the Caribbean Court of Justice? of common embarkation and disembarkation cards (E/D By Oscar Ramjeet Cards), i.e. the forms which all persons entering Member States are required to complete (commonly referred to as It is more than three and a half years since the Caribbean immigration forms/cards), and the establishment of common Court of Justice (CCJ) was inaugurated with two countries, lines at ports of entry for citizens, residents and CARICOM Guyana and Barbados accepting the CCJ as the final court of nationals. These lines are in place in all Member States apart appeal and although seven governments have changed in the from The Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago. In The region within this period, the number still stands at two, with Bahamas, people entering the country are free to use any line no other country joining. while in Trinidad and Tobago, there are specific lines for CARICOM nationals. We see a change of government in St Lucia, Jamaica, Bahamas, Grenada, Belize, British Virgin Islands and CARICOM Passport Barbados since the establishment of the regional Court on Heads of Government agreed to the issuance of a April 16, 2005, but the new governments have not initiated CARICOM passport by Member States as a defining symbol steps to join the Court. The BVI is a dependent country and of regionalism. The introduction of the CARICOM passport is not a signatory to the agreement setting up the CCJ, and is also part of the measures to promote hassle-free travel for Barbados is already a member. CARICOM nationals. A CARICOM passport is a National passport which is being issued in accordance with an agreed format for intra-regional and extra-regional travel. 3 4 This is very disturbing and A lot of money is being spent on the regional court, which is what is more troubling is grossly under-utilised, since only two of the twelve countries that there is no indication are making full use of the court and only a handful of cases, that any other country has mainly from Guyana, were dealt with.