We stand alone, but together, we stand proud.

REFLECTIONS

THROUGH OUR STORIES AND PAINTINGS

Bring stories from the islands to life in your
classroom or organizational
celebration activities.
Bulk order discounts are available.

More about the book

At TAIBU Community Health Centre, we know to survive or thrive especially during this time of uncertainty will require a shift in the way we approach our daily routines, our work and the way we connect with our community.

By taking personal responsibility to follow every precaution possible, as well as by coming and working together we can stay safe, slow the spread and strengthen our neighbours.

Here are 6 things
we can do to empower our community

The universal bond
that connects us, as equals, always.

For more than five years, members of the UBUNTU Writing Group met weekly to reminisce and collaboratively create, using paint and words. The work celebrates moments from the collective pasts of the group’s contributors, and is intended to inspire future generations.

In September 2020, these creations were captured, compiled and published in a collection, called REFLECTIONS – Through Our Stories and Paintings. The Ubuntu Writing Group, supported by a grant from The Ontario Trillium Foundation, continues its work to share reflections and perspectives with the community.

Stories from the book

My Journey

A Reflection Then And Now,
Fifty Years Beyond And Counting

by Joy Smith

I came to Canada over fifty years ago, as a very mature, smart and feisty teenager wearing a mini dress, in the middle of winter, back when ladies were not yet allowed to wear pants. I had to wear a name tag, and my bottle of rum was taken from me at customs because I was under the legal drinking age of twenty-one.

I quickly learned that the The Gleaner (synonymous with the newspaper in my birth country) should be referred to as simply ‘the newspaper,’ since there were multiple newspapers circulating in my new environment. I learned that Cutex was a brand name and not the only nail polish. Up the street, down the street, and around the corner would now be referred to as north, south, east or west.

The TTC subway was a good landmark for determining directions at that time, as it consisted of only two lines. The north-south line ran along Yonge Street, from Union in the south to Finch station in the north end of the city. The east-west trains traveled along Bloor Street from Islington in the west to Warden station, the final stop, in the east. From these points we had to take long bus rides to get to other destinations.

I am because you are.

Author & Artist Biographies

Agnes Gibson-Browne

Agnes was born in the beautiful islands
of St Vincent and the Grenadines. She emigrated to Montreal in the Spring of 1972 before relocating to Toronto in 1984 where she worked in accounting and retail banking. When she retired, she joined
an exercise program and Laughter Yoga
at TAIBU Community Health Center,
and became a member of the Women’s Group, the Ubuntu Writing Group and
the Book Club. She is currently Chair of
the Ubuntu Elder Council at TAIBU. She
is an elder at the Malvern Presbyterian Church, a member of the ANC (Action for Neighbourhood Change) Food Security Group and the Neilson Community
Garden. Agnes sincerely enjoys her volunteer activities and loves cooking for her family.

Aliceson McLetchie

When you think of the island of steelpans, hummingbirds, calypso and sunshine – that’s the country of Aliceson’s birth
– Trinidad & Tobago. She was born in Trinidad as the youngest of four siblings. When she migrated to this beautiful, opportunistic country of Canada, she worked with children, who taught her so much, like don’t sweat the small stuff; be who you are; be loving and kind. They taught her life is simpler than we think. We make it complicated as adults. TAIBU ave her the opportunity to be who she is as she journeys through this chapter of her life. Expression is endless, which is why she enjoys writing so much. “Life is like a flower – beautiful.”

Anita Rajroop

Anita was born the sixth of ten siblings in a small village called Paradise on the east coast of Demerara, in Guyana, South America. She excelled in school, and dreamed of working as a secretary. When she graduated from secretarial school, she started her career with the Government of Guyana. In 1974, she was selected for a three-year contract working in Zambia, Eastern Africa where she worked in several government ministries. While there, she had the privilege of traveling to the neighbouring African countries of Malawi, Tanzania, and Kenya. A year later, she migrated to Canada’s capital, where she worked for eleven years before relocating to Toronto in 1989 to work in the banking industry. Since her retirement, Anita has enjoyed volunteering at TAIBU Community Health Centre.

Annette Yearwood-Reid

Annette was born in Santa Cruz Lapastora Settlement in Trinidad and Tobago, where she enjoyed an idyllic childhood, living in the countryside. She was surrounded by grandparents and uncles, but she had a special bond with her great-grandmother, Ma, who was her foundation and greatly influenced her life. At eight years of age, Annette was tricked into coming to Canada, to be with her mother, step-father and half-sister. Life was never to be the same in a strange country. Her childhood was over! She did what was expected of her, but eventually left home to become a registered nurse. Her greatest accomplishment is having control over her life.

Bobbi Ravindran

in Sri Lanka before moving to the United Kingdom for 15 years, where she started her career in nursing. She spent another 16 years in Australia, and has lived in Canada for twenty years. This is Bobbi’s first attempt at writing a short story. She proudly shares precious family photos and artwork, capturing her childhood memories.

David Davina

Minerva Charles Barnett writes under the pseudonym, David Davina. She has been writing short stories and poems since childhood and has been a member of the Ubuntu Writer’s Group since 2014. She is thrilled to be a part of this passionate group and pleased to include her work in this collection.

Faith Miller-White

Faith was born in St. Andrew, Jamaica. She has two adult children and four grandchildren. After arriving in Canada in July 1970, she worked with the Canadian Government until her retirement in 2006. This is her second writing project. Her earlier works include Poetry Recipes in 2017 and My History, My Story in 2018.

Joan Gardiner

Joan was born in Trinidad & Tobago. She migrated to Europe in 1970, where she lived in England and Italy before moving to Canada in 1974. She is the mother of four beautiful children. Joan held various jobs in the financial industry before starting her career as an advertising business analyst with St Joseph Media, where she worked for twenty-seven years. Joan is an original member of the Ubuntu Writing Group. She enjoys listening to remarkable stories from her own parents and grandparents about the lives they lived. Her hope is to share her memories here so that her children and grandchildren will learn from her stories.

Joy Smith

Joy migrated to Canada, from Jamaica, in her late teens. Today, she is a Natural and Holistic Nutritionist. She is passionate about food, health and wellness, and also enjoys writing and reading. She is eager to share stories about the changes she has seen and experienced in Canada. TAIBU’s Ubuntu Writer’s Group allows her to socialize with others and to share stories through the written word. Joy is grateful to TAIBU for offering a forum for this expression where she remembers the past, lives in the present and writes about both.

Lenora Cayenne

Lenora was born in Trinidad, West Indies. After migrating to Canada in 1969, she worked in the real estate and finance sectors until she retired. She enjoys writing and joined the Ubuntu Writing Group
in 2014. In addition to her previously published work in tri-annual magazines, Lenora contributed to a Caribbean Poetry Recipe Book in 2017 and My Story, Our History in 2018. This is Lenora’s fourth publication.

Hyacinth Parris

Lurenta Mitregis

Lurenta lives in Scarborough. She enjoys baking, swimming, and taking long walks. She also enjoys writing short, hilarious stories with the Ubuntu Writing Group.

Maki Jahana

Born in Jamaica, Maki is a direct descendent of the Maroons. At 11 years of age, she emigrated to Canada with her mother where she joined the Cadets and marched in the Montreal Military Parade. She was actively involved in sports and at 14, she started her first job, working as an assistant for a beauty consultant. Relentless in all her pursuits, she became a Canadian Citizen when she was only 16. Maki nurtured a love of reading and writing at her Montreal high school and throughout college in Toronto. She considers reading and writing to be the most amazing gifts a person can give themselves because these practices improve our thoughts, wisdom and intellect, making us better human beings. She is a published author and loves working with others.

Mavis Shuriah

Mavis was born in St. Mary, Jamaica
of the West Indies. Mavis migrated to Canada in the nineties. She is a devoted Christian, who enjoys reading and writing. As a member of TAIBU’s Ubuntu Writing Group, she cherishes the time she spends with group members. She is thankful for this wonderful opportunity and is grateful to TAIBU for the opportunity to contribute to this collection.

Theresa Pierre

Theresa was born in Grenada, West Indies. She emigrated to Toronto in 1967 and graduated from York University. Theresa has loved writing and reading literature since she was a child. She is the mother of four wonderful children and six grandchildren.

Yvonne Browne-Joyette

I’ve always enjoyed writing. The art of storytelling gave me a voice, and since writing came easily to me, it made me feel heard.

When I was a schoolgirl on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where I was born, my literature teacher liked my writing and once wrote a comment on my test – “Did you get this from a book, or did you compose it yourself?”

It hadn’t occurred to me until that moment that I had writing ability. Over the years, however, writing and sharing stories has become an enjoyable hobby here in Canada.