1 INDO CARIBBEAN CULTURAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA KEEPS THE HERITAGE ALIVE IN THE WEST

 2. Metro All Fours League flourishing in Toronto

3. Brampton Masters Cricket Club reaching for the sky this year 

4. Indo-Caribbean groups and organizations in Canada, USA, the Caribbean and elsewhere

 INDO CARIBBEAN CULTURAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA KEEPS THE HERITAGE ALIVE IN THE WEST

   The Indo Caribbean Cultural Society of  British Columbia has over 75 paid up members  today, just six years after the group was formed in 2001. That is just amazing when you consider that by most accounts there are just a few hundred Indo-Caribbeans in all of British Columbia. ICCSBC members and their families could be as much as half of the Indo-Caribbean population in the province.
   When a group of nine Indo-Guyanese and Indo-Trinidadians got together in Richmond to form a group six years ago, all they wanted was to have a Divali celebration.  The Trinidad and Tobago Association  that most of them belonged to refused to have a Divali event, so they walked away and formed their own group.
   Former president Naraine Mohabir related that he, his wife Joyce, Ena and Arnold Bridgelalsingh, Ram Ramsaroop, Harnan Singh, Hollis Kelly, Ruben Paul and Sheila Omaid just got together and started the group with a bang.  With strong support from Indo-Caribbeans not only in Richmond, but also in Victoria, Vancouver, Surrey and Burnaby, their Divali celebration was a huge success. Over 400 people turned up, among them the mayor of  Richmond, and then BC Attorney General Ujjal Dosanjh  (who later became the first Indo-Canadian Premier of BC).
   Starting as a   Diwali Committee 2000, the group registered as the ICCSBC in 2002. It filled a need for East Indians, whose ancestors had left India in the mid nineteen century and whose interpretation of Indian Culture is based on a homeland from another time and largely based in Uttar Pradesh and Bengal .
Diaspora Indians from Trinidad , Guyana , Mauritius and Fiji , have enjoyed a common camaraderie and even their names are similar.
   From then on  it was full  speed forward. Next year the group added Holi celebrations, Indian Arrival Day and a summer picnic in August to their annual agenda.  It has pulled the Indo-Caribbean community together in ways they never expected.  Members are very generous in supporting any projects. They socialize and support each other, and operate almost like a village community that just happens to be spread out over hundreds of kilometers.
   Many of the members are Hindus, who have yagnas and pujas in their homes. As yet, they don’t have their own Hindu mandir, but visit the  Vedic Cultural Society/Ram Krishna Mandir run by Fijian Hindus.
   Naraine said the Hindi speaking Fijians in the beginning didn’t have a high impression of Caribbean Hindus, who speak mostly English and appear somewhat westernized. That ended when the noted Guyanese Pundit Prakash Gossai held  his first yagna at the Fijian mandir in 2004.
   The Fijians were  surprised and greatly impressed at Gossai’s ability to read in Hindi and Sanskrit, and to explain so well in English. His bhajan singing  was a revelation to the Fijians, who also learned that  Caribbean Hindus  practiced very acceptable Hinduism. Gossai will be doing a yagna again at the beginning of  June, and Naraine has graciously invited Caribbean Hindus from all over Canada to come as their guests.
   Today the ICCSBC is moving to strengthen itself and prepare for the coming years. Several young people have been brought in at the board level to make sure there is another generation of leaders to carry on.  There is an active 20 member youth group  that handles the dances and performances  in their programs.  They have Indian dance classes and Hindi classesThey have set up a web site, and are busy making contacts in Canada and back in the Caribbean. A magazine could be on the horizon. Some of the Hindu members have published their own Lakshmi Handbook this year.
   There are challenges, which should be expected for a tiny community far away from large Indo-Caribbean communities in places like Toronto and from their home countries.
   Naraine says one challenge comes from the older Trinidadians, who came to B.C. as early as the 1950’s. “At the time there were few Trinidadian women here, so they married white Canadians. Now many years later, they are searching for their roots and we are trying to accommodate them.”
   An equally tough challenge comes from the young people, who are an ultra tiny minority  in B.C. “While they are young and in school it’s okay, but later they seem to have problems with their identity as Indo-Caribbeans. Some are marrying outside of the group and find their partners not too ready to relate to our culture and community,” he says.
   But these challenges are the same for larger Indo-Caribbean communities in Ontario, Quebec and elsewhere.  B.C. with its five hundred odd Indo-Caribbeans is not even 1 percent of the 200,000 Indo-Caribbeans in Canada, but its ICCSBC group may have some lessons for us as a whole on how to  make  an  Indo-Caribbean community in Canada.

Marker! All Fours by 100 in Scarborough! 

 OPEN the door of the Sugar Lounge any Sunday after 1.00 pm and you are suddenly no longer in cold Scarborough, Ontario. You could be in Scarborough, Tobago,  or  in any club in Chaguanas, Trinidad watching a hot All Fours tournament. 

  A hundred familiar looking card players (including up to 20 women) from the Metro All Fours League are plunked down in dead earnest around 25 tables . Most are from Trinidad and Tobago but a few Guyanese, Grenadians and St Lucians are in the crowd. All Fours Caribbean style is alive and well and kicking up its heels in Toronto.
  League president Mahadeo Sankar, known as “Duce”to one and all, explains that All Fours is an ideal game for Canada, where it is played during the fall,winter and spring each year. It’s full of competitive excitement, requiring skill and intelligence rather than just plain luck, and provides plenty of socializing with friends from the Caribbean. There’s no better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than this, not even Superbowl Sunday when the League plays its championship tournament with another All Fours league from western Toronto.
  The Metro All Fours League has come through overwhelming odds and problems to experience dramatic growth over the last seven years. Sankar believes this is because of their zero tolerance policy, high level of discipline, working effectively together, implementing the rules and their suspension policy. The games are highly organized, with strict rules, and no tolerance for swearing and unsporstmanlike behaviour.
  "We have done the foundation work to make sure our league is a destination for our members to play All Fours in a congenial and safe environment, and a destination for competing in elite championship games. The best is yet to come."  
  Starting with four clubs, the Metro League has expanded to the present 12 clubs, each with around 15 players. It competes with the slightly smaller Toronto All Fours Association (with eight clubs mostly in the west of the city) in  the Greater Toronto Area for the Pride All Fours championship of Toronto.
  The League entered into that competition starting in 2002 and held the title GTA All Fours Champions for three years. Sankar says one of its main tasks today is the development of young players wishing to promote this Caribbean game in North America.
  There are All Fours players in Manitoba and Alberta, and some years ago there was talk of a western tour but it never materialized. For now, The Toronto leagues are considering fielding a team to tackle the best of the Trinidad players. Guyanese do not play much competitive All Fours, though there is a similar game called “turupcharle”     
  For the future they are looking at owning their own  Club House,  expanding their web site  www.metroallfours.com   to become an electronic communications centre, and acquiring  IT equipment to provide effective and efficient administrative work. Metro also hosts an Annual Children's Christmas Party, banquets,  All-star Game,  and an  Awards Presentation and Dance. They usually take part in a tournemnt at the annual Trinifest
  The seven member executive headed by Sankar is busy scouting out sponsors to help expand the game to more Torontonians who are interested. The possibilities are great, since more than three quarters of the estimated 100,000 Trinis in Canada live in or around the GTA.
  To reach them contact Mahadeo Sankar at  647-299-3823 (cell) 416-298-9444 (work), or Secretary Ramesh Chand at  416-473-8730, by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

(Indo-Caribbean Times March 2007) 

Brampton Masters Cricket Club reaching for the sky this year 

    BRAMPTON Masters Cricket Club won their first game in the Premier Division of the Toronto and District Cricket Association last Saturday, beating the Grace Church Cricket Club by five wickets.  The other 11 clubs in the Premier division are taking the “new kid” very, very seriously, and for
good reason.
   Recently, the Brampton Masters club have rewritten the record book  by being the only club in the 80 year history of the Cricket Association to rise through the three lower divisions  and advance to the Premier Division. That meant beating all the other teams in each division, getting promoted and doing the same thing in the next division, three years straight.
   It's no accident that the rise in the fortunes of the Brampton Masters coincides with the move by Kevin Seepersad to take on the position of president four years ago. The club is ten years old and was doing moderately well in the  Commonwealth cricket association with a team heavily loaded with Trinidadian and other Caribbean players.
  Four years ago, the club approached Kevin, who had been a decent first class cricketer in Trinidad, to help them out of  a slump. He had come to the University of  Toronto as a 20 year old, but had not played much cricket in Canada. They wanted him as an administrator.
   Kevin took up the challenge and went full blast into re-organizing and expanding the club. Job number one was to bring some more discipline into the Brampton Masters players. Next came the development of a solid core of  supporters, and a range of non cricket activities to keep the group together. “To keep the culture alive, we have to work together,” says Kevin.
  Next he moved the club into the more prestigious and more competitive Toronto and District Cricket Association, even though that meant starting at the bottom  in the third division.  Their first season in the third division was also their last season, as they won the division title and gained a promotion to the second division.
  The next year they went through the second division like a hot knife, taking the title again by beating all the other teams. They were promoted to the first division, and to the astonishment of the Association, took the division title  again. No club in the Association's history  had ever done anything like that before. Their reward was a promotion to the top rung of the cricket competition, the Premier Division with the 12 top ranking teams in the Association.  
  There is no hiding it. Brampton Masters is the hot ticket in the Association. Other cricketers want to get on board and get a taste of the action. Today the club  has over 100 players and supporters, a strong executive working with Kevin, a well rounded training program, a funded junior division and social activities like a boat cruise and picnics. They are benefiting from what Kevin sees as a boom in cricket in the GTA.
   “Cricket is the fastest growing sport in Toronto. It's much cheaper than hockey, and our players have to contribute only $260 a year, and that includes uniforms. Seven new pitches have just been laid down in Toronto. Cricket has a huge following among the Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Caribbeans,” he says.
   It's called the Brampton Masters Club, but players and supporters come from all over the GTA, even as far away as Scarborough. The club still has hills to climb in the ultra tough Premier Division, but they have all the people and the spirit needed to excel at the very top.
   So far this year the Brampton Masters had their first game rained out, and won their second match quite convincingly against a senior team in the Association. It will be quite a feat to do well in the standings when the season is over. This is, after all, their first year in the Premier Division. Just to survive would be an accomplishment. Kevin and the gang are not looking merely to survive. There are still records to break.

TORONTO ARYA SAMAJ

4345 - 14th Avenue. Markham, Ontario. L3R 0J2. Canada
(905) 475-5778

This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Weekly Havan (English) : 10.00 AM to 12.30 PM Sunday

Yogic Sadhana Sessions and Meditation

Satya Jyoti Cultural Sabha

http://satyajyoti.com/index.php

Hindu mandir in Mississauga, Canada, with a majority of  Indo-Trinidadian members.

6731 Columbus Road,
Units 7 & 8,
Mississauga, Ontario
Phone: 905-564-6723

MISSISSAUGA'S RAM MANDIR

270 Export Blvd., Mississauga, Ontario L5S 1Y9

Tel : (905) 696-8886  Fax: (905) 696-038

Hindu mandir with many Indo-Caribbean members

General Information  

Pt. Roopnauth Sharma

(905) 785-9918 (Residence)

President

(905) 696 - 8886 (Mandir)  

E-mail : This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

SERVICES

Siva pooja Monday 7.00 pm

Hanuman pooja Tuesday 7 pm

Ram pooja Wednesday 6.30 pm

Krishna pooja Thursday 7 pm

Devi pooja Friday 7 pm

Hanuman chaleesa Saturday 7.15 pm

Service Sunday 11.30 pm

Navgraha pooja last Saturday of each month at 8 am

Jalarama Bapa Satsangh  third Thursday of each month 7-9 pm

 Classes:

o Tabla
o Harmonium & Vocal
o Hindi
o Indian Folk Dancing
o Balvika
o Yoga and Meditation

Voice of the Vedas (Vishnu Mandir),

http://www.vishnumandir.com/

a  Hindu mandir in Richmond Hill, Ontario, led by Indo-Guyanese Dr Dubay, and with significant numbers of  Indo-Caribbean members

Voice Of the Vedas Cultural Sabha (Vishnu Mandir)

8640 Yonge St.
Richmond Hill (N. of Toronto), ON Canada L4C 6Z4.

Toll Free: 1-888-222-2375
Tel: (905) 886-1724  Fax: (905) 764-0442

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Services:

Sunday Morning: 
8.30 a.m. to noon

• Balaji Puja - 8.30 a.m. to 9.00 a.m.
• Pravachan By Dr. Budhendra Doobay
• Bhajan, Kirtan By Vishnu Mandir Kirtan-Mandali
• Vishnu Abhishek
• Aarti
• Preeti-Bhoj
• Satsang at 5:30 p.m to 7:00 p.m

Monday Evening: Shiv Puja
   6:30pm to 8:30pm.

 Tuesday Evening: Hanuman Puja
6:45pm to 7:30pm.

Wednesday Evening: Aarti
  7:00pm to 7:30pm

<!--[if !supportLists]--> <!--[endif]-->Aarti to all Dieties

Friday Evening: Devi Puja
6:30pm to 8:00pm

Saturday Morning: Navgraha Puja
& Lord Ayyappa Puja
10:00 am to 1:00 pm

Devi Mandir

http://www.devimandir.com/

(Satya Sanatan Dharma Cultural Sabha), Hindu temple in Pickering, Ontario (just outside Toronto), with a majority of Indo-Caribbean Hindus

2590 Brock Road, 
Pickering, ON L1V 2P8
Phone: 905-686-8534
Email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Sunday Morning Service
9:30 AM - 12 Noon

Shiva Pooja
Mondays: 7 PM - 9 PM

Shiva Pooja
Mondays: 7 PM - 9 PM

Durga Pooja
Fridays: 7 PM - 9 PM

Navagraha Pooja
Saturdays: 9 M - 10 AM

Tabla classes

Instructor: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Time: Sunday after Service
Class #1 - 12:30 Noon- 1:15 PM
Class #2 - 1:15 PM - 2 PM

Vocal & Harmonium Classes

Instructor: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Time: Sunday after Service
1:00 PM

Kirtan Classes

Time: Sunday evenings @ 6 pm
Venue: Devi Mandir Prayer Hall

Toronto Hindu Dharmic Sabha Inc
130 Westmore Drive,
Etobicoke, ON M9V 5E2
Phone: 416-674-0415

Federation of Hindu Temples of Canada,

 http://www.federationofhindutemples.ca/mandirs/

with several Indo-Caribbean temples as members

CHRISTIAN

EMMANUEL CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE

1875 Sheppard Avenue West (at Jane), Toronto Ontario

Pastor Jerold Boodhoo

416-743-5895

Sunday services at 1.00 p.m.

Knox United Church
2569 Midland Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M1S 1R3

Phone: (416) 293-4424 
Fax: (416) 293-6128

This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

The Rev. Bruce Ervin: Minister of Word, Sacrament and Pastoral Care

Paul Neary: Pastor Emeritus

Ms. Roni Beharry: Minister, Children and Young Families

Traditional worship services every Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m.

Groups:  

Book Club  

Fellowship and lively conversation (over dessert and coffee) about a book dealing with some  aspect of faith.

 Prayer Fellowship

A group of people who pray together for individuals, the church and the world.  Experience the deep joy which praying together can bring.

Monday Evening Study Group

Fruitful study, caring fellowship and good food.

 Study Group: Video Series

Study and fellowship centered on "Building Blocks: An Introduction to Christian Faith."

Women of Faith

A daytime group which meets for study and discussion.

 Men's Group

Men meeting together for fellowship and Christian nurture.

 The World's Religions

A group which meets to study together and care for each other as we seek to deepen our understanding of the religions of the world.

 Sunshine Group

A group of seniors who meet to care for and support each other in Christian study.

 Photography Group

Camera enthusiasts who meet to teach each other how to take better pictures and to grow together as a group of God's people who share and care for each other. 

 Lunch Bunch

Good company, good food and Christian fellowship are on the menu for this group which meets for lunch after church.

 Alpha

Beginners and advanced Bible study for people who want to deepen their faith through exploring God's Word.

 Amnesty Group

Discussion and action around issues of justice            

Guyanese Association of Manitoba,

http://www.guyanamb.com/

 a Winnipeg based Indo-Caribbean community group.

Indo Caribbean Canadian Cultural Society of British Columbia

http://icccsbc.tripod.com/