St. Vincent & the Grenadines Association of Toronto Inc. Quarterly Newsletter October 2006 5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK St. Vincent & the Grenadines Greetings Association of Toronto Inc. Independence Celebrations 2006 I greet you in the bond of Oneness. It gives me great pleasure to address you at this time as Interim President. “One People, One Team, One Goal” As we now enter into the fall season we can reflect on the summer that just slipped by. Independence Banquet Saturday November 4th , 2006 I am sure we all had a great summer. Our Annual Unity Cocktails @ 6:00 P.M. Renaissance Parque Banquet & Convention Centre Summer Picnic took place at Brown’s Bay Park, th 2800 Hwy 7 West, Concord, Ontario Thousand Islands, July 15 2006, where between twelve to fifteen thousand Vincentians and friends were in Guest Speaker, The Honourable Mr. Justice Adrian Saunders attendance and they are still celebrating the success of the Caribbean Court of Justice picnic. Family and friends spent over nine hours of fellowshipping with each other in such great harmony. Old friends were reacquainted and new friendships were fostered for a life time. Observing the interaction among our people at the picnic has awakened a greater passion Tickets: $60 within me to call on all to demonstrate each day of our T i c k e t O u t l e t s lives that same oneness that was on display at our Unity Picnic. Many of us have already marked off that third Ruby’s Beauty Salon Hairoun West Indian Bakery Saturday of July 2007. The day was excellent and very 416-736-7896 416-754-3854 successful. Garraway Mechanical Ross Carpet & Courier 905-619-6980 416-256-1300 In a few weeks we will be celebrating our country’s Sponsored by: twenty-seven years of Independence from Great Britain. KLC Freight Lines As Interim President, I extend a personal invitation to all to attend the Church service, Banquet and the Town Hall For more information visit: www.vincytoronto.com meeting. For more information please visit our website at www.vincytoronto.com. Let us make this year’s independence bigger than ever. CONTENTS Association Briefs, Pg 3, 4 I will like to thank everyone for their continued support to Contributed Articles the development of our Association, the St. Vincent and Justice Adrian Saunders, Pg 2 Caribbean Court of Justice, 9,10, 11 the Grenadines Association of Toronto. May God’s peace be upon us and remain. Calendar of Events, Pg 6 News from SVG, Pg 7, 8, 9 Notes from the PR Committee, Pg 14 With all Peace Profound Energy Star Changes, Municipal Elections, Pg 15 Kenneth Farrell Interim President IMPORTANT NOTICE The date for this month’s General Meeting is changed to October 22 due to the Independence Thanksgiving Church being held on October 29. The meeting is held at the usual place, Northwood Community Centre, 15 Clubhouse Court and begins at 4:00 p.m. 2 JUSTICE AUDRIAN D. SAUNDERS The Honourable Mr. Justice Adrian Saunders graduated the University of the West Indies with a Bachelor of Laws degree and was called to the Bar in 1977. He entered private practice as a barrister and solicitor from 1977 until 1996 when he was appointed as a Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC). At the time of his appointment, he was the Senior Partner in the firm of Saunders & Huggins in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. On 1st May, 2003, Mr. Justice Saunders was appointed Justice of Appeal of the ECSC and from June 2004 until March, 2005 he acted as Chief Justice of that Court. In April, 2005, Mr. Justice Saunders took up an appointment as a Judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice. Since being appointed a Judge of the ECSC, Mr. Justice Saunders has been deeply involved in judicial reform in the Eastern Caribbean. He has been a faculty member of the Halifax-based Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute since 1998, and as such has regularly participated in judicial education programmes for Judges from throughout the Commonwealth. Mr. Justice Saunders served as Chairman of the Judicial Education Institute of the ECSC from 2001 to 2004. From 2000 to 2004, he sat as Chairman of the Ethics Committee of the ECSC, presiding over the development of a code of ethics for Judges of the Eastern Caribbean. He was also Chairman of the Committee that established court connected mediation in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. Off the Bench, Mr. Justice Saunders was President of the National Youth Council of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 1978. He represented his country at table tennis on a number of strengthening its ties with organizations looking to do business occasions and for many years he was a member of the Executive in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. www.svgconsulate.org of the St. Vincent & the Grenadines Table Tennis Association. functions as an effective tool in assisting us to reach our goals. He also served as Chairman of the St. Vincent Save the Children Visit our website. and as President of the St. Vincent Guild of Graduates. In December 2004, with the concurrence of the affected parties, Mr. Justice Saunders was appointed by a Caribbean Community TORONTO CONSULATE OFFICE (CARICOM) Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Cricket to act as Judge-Advocate and deliver a binding ruling on a heated Consulate of St. Vincent and the Grenadines dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board and the West 333 Wilson Avenue, Suite 601 Indies Players' Association. Toronto, Ontario, M3H 1T2 The Honourable Mr. Justice Saunders is married to Marilyn Tel: (416) 398-4277 Fax (416) 398-4199 Angela née Joslyn and has two sons. Consul General: Mr. E. Bernard John ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ website: www.svgconsulate.org The Office of the Consulate General in Toronto is here to attend to the needs of Vincentians. It also strives at Email: [email protected] 2 3 Duncan, June Ellis, Jason Jones, Yolande Lewis, Carmen Parsons, Cordel Telfer and Veronica Timm. The Relief Committee is in need of more community RELIEF COMMITTEE REPORT minded and project oriented volunteers. Project oriented volunteers are members who are willing to roll up their The Relief Committee has been active during 2006 with sleeves and lead a project with the help of the other Relief fund raising drives such as the Walkathon and the members. If you have about 4 hours per month and would planning for the first annual Caribbean cruise to be held in like to help build a positive and supportive team, please June 2007. The Walkathon raised funds for the Diabetes contact the Chair of the Relief Committee, Veronica Association of Canada and the Cruise will raise funds for Timm. the Lewis Punnett Home for the Poor, an institution located in St. Vincent. Other Relief Committee activities Independence Anniversary Celebrations in 2006 included responding to help for students and One People, One Team, One Goal” individuals in the GTA community and from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We are currently planning for the 2006 marks the 27th year of Independence of St. Vincent 2006 Christmas Food Hamper program. A food drive and & the Grenadines. The St. Vincent & the Grenadines a call for volunteers is being organized to help with the Association of Toronto will host three events to food hamper program. commemorate this significant part of our history. A draft of the Relief Committee Mission document has Thanksgiving Service been made to clarify the Relief Committee’s mandate. In The activities surrounding Independence 2006 will the past the Relief Committee focused on fund raising for commence with a Thanksgiving Service to be held on various charities. The new mission statement, to be October 29th, 2006 at the Rosewood Church of the approved by the Executive and the membership, will Nazarene, 657 Milner Ave, in Scarborough. The service clarify the role of the Relief Committee. will begin at 4:00 p.m. with refreshments following. The Guest Speaker, Pastor Rick Bacchus, will bring the A draft of a Christmas Food Hamper Protocol is being evening’s message. made so that the Relief Committee and the SVGAT members have clear guidelines on the policies and procedures. This year we are asking for volunteers and Independence Banquet th we are being proactive by making sure that a) the policies On November 4 , the SVGAT will host the banquet at and procedures are closely followed and b) there is The Renaissance Parque Banquet & Convention Centre at transparency in all tasks and decisions from the selection 2800 Hwy 7 West, Concord, Ontario. The evening will of the food hamper recipients to the distribution of the start at 6:00 p.m. with live piano music during the cocktail food hampers. hour. Dinner will follow at 7:00 p.m. The emcee for the evening will be Mr. Ken DeLecia. Relief Committee initiatives that did not materialize include the RaptorBall program for children of the SVG The Scholarship Program continues this year with an members and the SVG umbrella drive. The RaptorBall increase in both the number of recipients and the number community program for the children was deemed not of bursaries to be awarded. This program benefits specific to Relief activities. The SVG umbrella fund students of Vincentian heritage living in Ontario. raiser was to involve the sale of extra large umbrellas with the SVG flag and colours. The cost for the umbrellas Western Union is once again a sponsor with a $1.000.00 ($40) was considered prohibitive and this activity was not bursary, and another $1,000.00 bursary from funds Relief specific so this initiative was dropped.