Registration on for Steve Nash Youth Basketball summer camp

Camp starts in June

by GEORGE KAGAME

The 2009 Steve Nash Youth Basketball (SNYB) Camp will give teenagers and pre-teens a chance to sharpen their sport and life skills, according to Herod Excellent thew organizer of the annual summer event.

The camp organized by Mr. Excellent Sports in conjunction with the Steve Nash Foundation, Canada Basketball and Ontario Basketball will be held at Northlea, Banting Best and Crestview Public Schools all located in the vicinity of Scarborough, and at Windfields, Wind, and Don Valley Junior schools from 29th June to August 21.

Excellent the director of Mr. Excellent Sports said in a telephone interview that the camp which is running for the second year is meant to train young people to be better athletes and good citizens by learning from the examples set by Steve Nash who is a two time NBA winner of the Most Valuable Player accolade.

“We are using sports to teach positive life skills as well”. He also added that his team has acquired many coaches to train the students; “we have 1 to 10 ratio for our coaches and students. Registration is currently ongoing and we still have many places for students”.

Excellent said that he has improved the curricula this time round and students can expect a lot of improvement by form of new techniques as a result of his partnership with the Steve Nash Program, “we will work particularly to improve the shooting, speed and organize games like three on three tournaments, skill challenge competition and more”, said Excellent.

For those interested to participate in the summer camp registration is ongoing electronically at www.mrexcellent.com or by phone on 416 222 0211

Centennial Community to celebrate 60 years of conservation

Guests to have ballroom dancing lessons from experts

by George Kagame

Founded by William Alexander Dempsey in 1949, the Centennial Community and Recreation Association (CCRA) is set to celebrate its 60th anniversary in a grand ceremony at West Rouge Community Centre on Saturday 28th beginning at 7.30 pm.
The ceremonies will include a complimentary cocktail, ballroom dancing and will cost only $60 for all members.

ers living in and beyond the vicinity of the 3500 home community. The community organization is celebrating the achievement of various goals and still working within the vision that Dempsey, who passed away last year left behind for the conservation of South East Scarborough, “its creeks, waterfront and character.”

The CCRA has been able to keep the communal spirit in the area alive by organizing and participating in events like Winterfest in January, Earthday and Birdhouse building in April, Heritage day in June and free summer concerts in July. The association has also contributed in ensuring a healthy environment for its residents by making use of land earlier set aside for industrial and now being used for home development, improving green spaces and development of parks. Currently, the CCRA is advocating for the port Union Waterfront extension.

On top of culinary attractions for the Saturday March 28 event, there will be dance lesson for the guests conducted by renown Canadian ballroom championship dance experts Lynda and John Trommelen. First time dancers will receive free lessons while seasoned ones can learn some new moves to “brush up on their style,” a communique from CCRA reads in part.

The CCRA represents 3500 homes in the area between Highland Creek, the lake, Port Union Road and Highway 2A, according to CCRA members, its the city’s oldest continouis association of its kind. Members intersted in attending the party to be held at West Rouge Community Centre can contact Heather Lemieux on phone lines 416 282 4751 or 416 282 0125 or email: HeatherLemieux@RoyalLepage.ca

NFB chronicles Orbanski’s challenges in conflict zones in Africa

Nobel Prize winner tales of genocide in Rwanda and famine and war in Somalia

by GEORGE KAGAME


A documentary movie “Triage: Dr. James Orbinski’s Humanitarian Dilemma” about the experiences of a Canadian medical specialist in war torn, famine stricken Somalia and a genocide in Rwanda in the early 1990s.

The documentary was screened on Saturday 7th March at the National Film Board of Canada’s Mediatheque in downtown Toronto.

The documentary is inspired by the book written by Orbanski with the same title and chronicles the physician’s heroic survival and efforts to help others survive a war and famine in Somalia first and later a genocide in Rwanda.

Orbanski a Canadian physician, writer and humanitarian activist is a widely known and respected figure in international humanitarian circles and was President of the International Council of Médecins Sans Frontières at the time the organization received the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize.
He is currently a senior physician at the University of Toronto and is also the co-founder and Chair of the Board of Directors of Dignitas International, a medical humanitarian organization working with communities to dramatically access to life-saving treatment and prevention in areas overwhelmed by HIV/AIDS.

The 2007 documentary follows Orbinski’s return to Somalia, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo years ion the mid 2000s after he had left the countries while he was working on the field for Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF) in the early to mid 1990s.

Patrick Reed who produced the movie said the documentary was not just about the life of Orbanski but focused as well on telling the stories of the locals in conflict zones and how noble humanitarian workers also faced the wrath of political conflicts as the victims they were trying to help. He added that movies such as these about issues in other parts of the world are crucial and it is easy to make them from Toronto; “there’s a large presence of people from such areas as Rwanda and Somalia here, many of the people who suffered in such conflicts have moved here.”

But he also added that it was very hard to get any revenue from such movies especially about Africa because nobody was willing to finance their production; “making a story about a topic from Africa is particularly difficult in Canada as the reception of such programs is very low.”

While referring to role of a Canada led United Nations’ peace keeping force that tried and failed to stop the genocide in Rwanda, Reed said Orbinski’s documentary meant to portray a different preceptive from the one internationally held. One which depicts General Romeo Dallaiere as the only “white” face trying to save the people of Rwanda. He also said that the movie was intended to honour other people apart from General Dallaire.

“In fact there are other people that in their different roles contributed largely to trying to find solutions to the genocide in Rwanda.”
Reed also produced the movie from General Dallaire’s book “Shake Hands with the Devil.”

ENDS

East York College hopes to dominate Premier’s teaching awards

School nominates record numbers for Premier’s excellence in teaching awards due in spring

by GEORGE KAGAME

If luck is on their side, East York Collegiate Institute is set to reap big in the 2008-09 Premier’s Award for Excellence in Teaching to be announced before the end of spring.

The college according to Susan Gucci Co Chair of the parent School Council has this year nominated the record number of nominations for the highly coveted teaching awards that recognize the effort of teachers in shaping the careers of students. This year Gucci says East York Collegiate has nominated four members of the teaching staff for the prestigious Teacher of the Year in Tom Northey, Joseph Wilson, Catherine Mattar-Hurlbut and Dale Vibert.

Should the competition for the teaching slot be too hot the school has also nominated other staff members in various fields where awards are up for grabs, these include Guidance and Team of the Year as well as entries in the race for sports activities.

Furthermore, the college has one of the best sports programs in Toronto with their senior Goliaths capturing the Toronto South Region Championship in football for the last two seasons, the school also boasts of achievements in the golf sport, hosting a charity golf tournament organized by the Friends of the Athletics Committee for the past five years. This year’s version will be held at the Summit Golf and Country Club in Richmond Hill.

Gucci said the teachers at the college are committed and passionate about the role they play in the lives of their students and the big entry of teachers in the prize nominations is testimony of the faith that parents in the community have in them (teachers). “The majority of the nominations were from parents at the school.....it speaks to the quality of the staff we are fortunate to have.”

East York Collegiate is a community school built on the strength and diversity of its members in 1927, Gucci said the school focuses on developing academic excellence, social responsibility, and the highest education and career goals foe each student.

The Premier’s Awards for Teaching Excellence recognizes outstanding educators who make exceptional contributions to improve student achievement and benefit their schools. Presented annually to teachers working within the public, independent or band school system, these awards provide students, parents, members of the community and other educators as well with an opportunity to celebrate those teachers who make a difference in the development of students to their careers.

An independent selection panel reviews the nominations and award recipients for this year will be announced in the spring. They will be honoured at a special event before the end of the school year.