Desirée Zagbai

Lydie Dubuisson’s directorial debut at Black Theatre Workshop

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Desirée Zagbai

Lydie Dubuisson lived next to Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) for three years without knowing it existed. After meeting an artist from BTW she worked her way into success and will make her directorial debut at the theatre with the play Taking Care of Maman.

Taking Care of Maman is about Eli (played by Seeara Lindsay) and her neighbour (played by Alexandra Laferrière), who helps Eli deal with her mother’s struggle with depression during COVID-19. The play evokes the influence of intergenerational relationships and offers the audience a message of hope and healing during difficult times.

Dubuisson began taking theatre seriously in 2018. When she first walked through the doors at BTW, she realized that she could use her playwright skills to achieve her theatre goals.

“It was my first time seeing Black folks doing Shakespeare, doing theatre, not even entertainment, not even back up. It was a whole production of Black people doing Shakespeare, which broke a little of my brain. I thought I needed to get in there, and that was it,” Dubuisson said to the CONTACT.

Dubuisson explained that she faced some challenges throughout her career, such as learning how to enter the theatre industry, working in an office during the day, and then switching to working in a musical theatre with kids and professionals afterward.

Looking back at the hardships, she now sees her progress as a good lesson.

“It was a beautiful journey to learn to respect the people carrying the work and then understand how I could get to the other side and be a part of that industry. Not just a player and always auditioning, but becoming a creator,” Dubuisson emphasized.

Dubuisson said that she hopes children watching the play will understand how to find help during hard times. She wants them to realize they can choose the community with whom they wish to share their personal stories, whether a teacher or someone they trust to help.

She expressed that part of why she loves plays is that people can absorb and observe their message. Some people might connect with a scene that, for example, clarifies why they are in a state of panic.

Dubuisson added that she wants the audience to remember their role while watching plays, which becomes crucial to their experience.

“Remember that as a part of the audience, you’re also a part of the story. Walking into a theatre, you’re part of the story. You’re part of the reactions. You’re part of who’s holding the characters, the people on the stage. So, remember you’re a player in this play and anything else you see. Once you enter and you sit, you’re in the space,” Dubuisson said.

Taking Care of Maman will be performed from Oct.11 to Oct.12. The show on Oct. 11 is sold out, but tickets are available for the Oct. 12 show, which starts at 2 p.m. It will be at the Teesri Duniya Theatre; for more information and tickets: https://blacktheatreworkshop.ca/Taking-Care-of-Maman

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Unpacking Eating Disorders among Montreal’s Black Community

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Desirée Zagbai

Eating disorders within the Black community in Canada have been bubbling under for decades. Spoken about in hushed tones, it has been found that factors such as trauma, mistrust in health care, and stereotypes have contributed to the ongoing cycle.

According to the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC), the lack of representation and research has left many Black people uncertain about how to get help or unsafe on how to acknowledge their eating difficulties.

Montrealer, Catherine Ndiaye, 21, a law student at McGill University, battled with anorexia for two years. Her healing journey was difficult, and she had no support from the Canadian healthcare system.

Ndiaye was hospitalized and was diagnosed with anemia, however, the medics didn’t bother investigating what caused the anemia. For her, this lack of thoroughness served as a wakeup call.

“Doctors couldn’t even identify the cause. If I continued down that path, I could’ve died, and nobody would’ve understood,” Ndiaye said.

Ndiaye had to do her research and found out that she had anorexia. She started working on her relationship with food, went to the gym and found immense support from her parents through it.

She expressed that the current cultural beauty standards also impacted how people viewed her drastic weight loss. She would get compliments instead of concerns regarding her physical change.

Today, when she looks at her pictures during that time, she realizes how dire her situation was.

After the hardship she went through, Ndiaye emphasizes the importance of taking care of one’s health.

“What you see on TV isn’t reality, and you shouldn’t stress yourself out by looking a certain way,” Ndiaye said. “It’s better to be in the shape you’re supposed to be and healthy instead of forcing yourself to conform to a certain standard while being unhappy and unwell.”

Ary Maharaj has worked at NEDIC as an outreach and education coordinator for six years. He expressed that there is no proper race-based data on how eating disorders affect communities of colour, Including Black people, Indigenous communities and other racialized communities.

Maharaj expressed that based on the data NEDIC has so far, Black people experience eating disorders at similar rates to white folks. However, the difference is that Black communities and many other people of colour are less likely to reach out for support.

He mentioned that the experiences of racism, trauma and cultural mistrust of healthcare systems are some of the problems that can hinder Black people from prioritizing getting help for their eating disorder.

“They’re having to separate themselves when they’re accessing help. So, they might not be able to feel like they can get help as a whole person. Because the help that they’re getting isn’t adaptable to their pertinent needs. Common eating disorder treatments are tailor-made for white women, which doesn’t represent other races,” Maharaj said.

Maharaj expressed that at the NEDIC, they often hear that many communities of colour, including Black people, feel the need to self-advocate. This can be hard since it takes a lot of literacy, resourcefulness, strength, and bravery to do your own research and express your grievances to healthcare providers with lots of power. It creates an additional barrier and can make their journey a bit more complicated, especially in the beginning when they try to access care.

He emphasized that the expectation should be that healthcare providers make sure that care is available for the whole person bearing in mind that race and culture are a big part of who a human is.

Maharaj mentioned that the fact that there is an underrepresentation of Black healthcare providers creates an additional barrier. The waiting lists can get long for Black therapists and healthcare workers who want to help Black communities, this creates another problem where the Black experts feel that they are the only ones who can help them.

“To be better at this, we need healthcare providers of all races and identities to feel more comfortable taking a stance of cultural humility about eating disorders,” Maharaj explained. “By changing that system, I think it will make it easier for Black people and families to feel like they can trust the healthcare provider they’re seeing to provide holistic care for their well-being.”

Maharaj expressed that seeking help is essential and members of the Black community should seek help on their terms, whether it be a family doctor in their community or using the NEDIC resource called “Let’s Talk About Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders in the Black Communities.” They can print it and show it to the healthcare provider to better understand their need for help.

In any case, where someone would rather be anonymous, NEDIC operates a national toll-free helpline and live chat that does not require personal information. Maharaj emphasized that there are different ways to get help and depending on one’s concern they can choose what works for them.

“Some help is from the hospital, but people can also find help in community or peer support,” Maharaj underscored. “I imagine that for many folks of colour and including the Black folks that we’ve talked to, it’s sometimes being the unconventional treatment approaches that have been helpful.”

Dr. Natasha Johnson has been a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist at McMaster Children’s Hospital for 18 years. From 2015 to 2022, she was the co-medical director of McMaster’s pediatric eating disorder program.

Johnson explained that the standard of care for people who have eating disorders is the same for every person once they identify it. For the most part, the recommendation is the family-based treatment. It is a highly effective method to help young people recover from eating disorders.

She added that ultimately, in Canada, about five per cent of teenagers can have eating disorders. However, eating disorders often go unrecognized or have a delayed diagnosis, especially if someone is racialized, gender diverse, of a higher weight, or a boy.

“So it’s not a difference that’s written into policy, but it’s a difference in the way that doctors, clinicians, other healthcare providers, even community members, may appreciate or not appreciate an eating disorder based on what kind of biases they have in their heads about what an eating disorder should look like,” Johnson highlighted.

Johnson mentioned that throughout her 18 years at McMaster, she was usually the only Black doctor. In the past two to three years, she has seen one or two Black nurses in their inpatient eating disorder unit.

“In my EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) work, it is known that outcomes for Black communities for a lot of different health conditions are worse than they are in others in the white community, for example, and that’s where data is collected,” Johnson said. “So, for example, the mortality of Black infants is higher than the mortality of white infants.”

Johnson expressed that one thing that can be an antidote to that mortality rate is having concordance between the health care provider and the patient. If the provider and baby are Black, then the mortality rate is different.

She said that if there were more representation in health care in general, outcomes would be better, not only for eating disorders.

Johnson believes things are improving. The death of George Floyd in 2020 was a catalyst for many organizations, including healthcare organizations, to recognize the existence of anti-Black racism and the need to address it as a priority. It is because where there is data, the outcomes of Indigenous and Black people across several sectors, including healthcare, were significantly worse than many other communities.

She said that proper attention and effort have been made, in some cases, to try to communicate the correct cultural information to communities in their language and have healthcare providers who look like those community members to share that information.

“So, I am blessed to be part of a group called Our Kids Health, and specifically, there’s a chapter of Our Kids Health called Black Kids Health. That chapter has a number of Black healthcare providers, including me, who will make Instagram reels, TikTok reels, and Twitter posts about health-related information specifically geared towards the Black community,” Johnson emphasized.

Johnson underscored that it is important for the Black community to improve its health literacy. While health care providers and institutions work on communicating in an inclusive way, Black people could find the different names of diagnoses and take notes of that, write down the medicines they are taking so they are better prepared when they enter health care spaces, and talk about mental health with their families and children.

 These efforts would be useful in reducing the stigma within Black communities regarding mental health.

Johnson emphasized that better results will result from more representation in more sections, including health care.

“There are a number of medical schools, including McMaster, that have facilitated streams for Black students. So, I assume we will see more Black doctors on the front lines and other Black healthcare providers because of the simultaneous growth. I think of welcoming Black students to the various campuses across Canada,” Johnson said.

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Honouring Egbert Gaye

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Egbert Gaye. Courtesy Montreal Community Contact

Desirée Zagbai,
Local Journalism Initiative

Gaye’s activism for the Black community through his journalism lives on

Egbert Gaye, founder and editor of Montreal Community Contact, did not back down on challenges. He instead used those moments to evoke his passion for journalism.

Gaye was born in Grenada, grew up in Trinidad and Tobago, and came to Montreal in 1980. Twelve years later, in 1992, he founded the Montreal Community Contact, Montreal’s only Black newspaper. He had written for the Montreal Gazette as well as being a commentator for the radio station CJAD 800. He wrote about politics, discrimination of all kinds, and education, highlighting Black people’s achievements throughout the years.

Throughout his career, Gaye wrote a number of opinion pieces that lifted up Black voices, while pointing out the systemic racism the community goes through. Opinions such as “Premier Francois Legault has mastered the politics of division”, “The Black man’s burden”, “About Haiti and Haitians and US presidents” and “The thing about the Black Entrepreneurship Loans Program” show the injustice and struggles that Black people are facing daily, not only in Canada but globally as well. 

These articles go deep into the issues Black people endure and look at the history behind them. They show how politicians’ promises do not always go through and how that could affect a Black person’s opportunities, such as having difficulties getting a loan for one’s upcoming business.

Rosie Awori, managing editor and columnist of the Montreal Community Contact worked with Gaye for five years, and there are only good memories that she remembers of him.

“Egbert had one of the most amazing work ethics and passion that I have ever experienced or had the privilege of witnessing,” said Awori. ”He was driven by the passion for the community and to tell the stories that would otherwise have fallen through the cracks.”

Gaye used his voice to inform people of the history behind the discrimination against Black communities and emphasized why it was important to be aware of the ongoing problems in today’s society.

He elaborated on the fact that Black people should be equal to everyone else and how they do not have the same possibilities as others. Despite their talents, experience, and education, members of the Black community still need to stand up against social injustices. The seismic marginalization that Black people have faced universally has led to an increase in high school dropouts, immense unemployment, a lack of representation at higher education institutions and Black people being an “over-representation in the criminal justice system” as Gaye wrote.

According to Awori, Gaye always made sure people felt welcome. He helped aspiring journalists become great writers by giving them feedback, and always sought to find solutions to problems.

Awori explained how Gaye could have continued writing for major publications such as the Gazette since he had the qualifications, but he decided to create a newspaper that would focus on his community. The Caribbean and Black communities became the center of the publication to ensure inclusivity. 

In 2023, Gaye’s goal was to create a digital archive for written work on the newspaper’s website.  

However, Montreal Community Contact stumbled upon some challenges. In June 2023, Bill C-18 was introduced, which restricted all media accounts on META platforms. Before the bill, the newspaper had a Facebook and Instagram account where they would share updates on different news productions. Additionally, before he passed away in June 2023, Gaye wanted to create an app for the newspaper where people could log in and get all the information they needed.

“He pushed me to be the best that I could be, so he didn’t settle for mediocrity, and one of the words that he kept on was that writing is hard enough, so you have to fight for this article. Fight until you’ve given it your everything,” Awori said.

For some journalists, Gaye was a mentor and someone to look up to. Melissa Murphy, a contributing journalist for Montreal Community Contact, saw him as a father figure.

“I think that his superpower is being able to speak to you […] directly to you, no matter how many people were in the room. He made his interactions with you feel personal,” Murphy said.

 Murphy explained how Gaye fostered a room for her to grow, no matter what her interests were. After graduating from Concordia University in English literature with a minor in professional writing, Murphy was not sure about being a writer. Gaye, however, saw her potential.

“But he always said that to be a good editor, you have to be a good writer. So I need you here tomorrow morning, you know? So that’s why around 2017-2018, there’s an uptick in my contribution,” Murphy said.

Murphy expressed how Gaye emphasized that mentors who guide young journalists, writers, and those with a passion for storytelling are needed and that aspiring journalists should not shy away from those opportunities.

“That’s what he taught me—to show up. For the big guy, for the little guy, to give people power to tell their stories in their own voices,” Murphy said.

She mentioned how running a newspaper for 30 years contributed to Gaye’s resilience. Whether it was about financial hardship or any other issue, what motivated him was what kept him grounded. Murphy remains thankful that he believed in her when she was 17 years old and not confident enough to believe in her ability to become a great writer. He never gave up on her dream and always told her how good she was despite her doubts.

Murphy expressed how Gaye inspired her through his community impact and that she will apply this to her future literacy consulting firm. Now, when she works with editors and writers, she understands the impact of lifting up local and Black voices while also giving them the power to tell their own stories in their own words.

Murphy hopes that people see the beauty in what he did, the lives he touched, and the legacy he could not leave behind, which surely will keep living on.

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Atora Romain: Transforming a basement into a successful hair salon

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Desirée Zagbai

Atora Romain, owner of the hair salon Hairstyles Unrivaled, started her career as a hairstylist at eight years old. As a 14-year-old, she began braiding with a pen during lunchtime at school, and since then, she has evolved. Romain has owned her hair salon in downtown Montreal for eleven years. She became inspired to start her own business when she realized she did not want to conform to the nine-to-five lifestyle. She finds the flexibility of creating her schedule and going on vacation at any time satisfactory.


During the pandemic, the benefit of not having a commercial space got in her favour. Customers who could not go to other hair salons came to her renovated basement by appointment, still considering the restrictions and avoiding crowds.
Romain describes her clientele as loyal and does not see herself doing anything other than being a hairstylist; her passion has grown with time.

“Hair allows me to be creative,” Romain said.

Romain has a hair oil brand called “Hair Elixir,” and it is handmade. She also sells bonnets and black shampoo. She emphasizes that her goal as a hairstylist is to ensure happiness for her new and devoted clients.

“My clients are like a walking canvas. So I always make sure they leave happy. . . I make my work speak for itself,” Romain expressed.

Romain mentioned that being a business owner has its ups and downs. In 2010, she encountered some challenges. She became a single mom and could not keep visiting people’s homes and braiding their hair with her son beside her. This situation motivated her to go back to the workforce and stabilize herself.
However, her son became sick one day, and she stayed home for two days. After taking care of her son and being back at work, she got fired during half of her shift. Despite the hardship, Romain stayed persistent with her business idea.

“So then after I decided, you know what, I’m going to register my business because my child right now is my priority. So what I needed to do was to work around my child,” Romain expressed.

Romain ensures that her prices are affordable for her customers. She emphasizes that she wants everyone to get access to her services. A giveaway will begin soon; less fortunate people will receive a free hairstyle. Romain has homeless people in mind, and if anyone else could benefit from the offer, she will create a monthly slot for that person.
Romain advises anyone else who would like to have their own business that patience is vital to success.

“You can’t expect a big profit. So at the beginning, focus on building; eventually, you’ll get where you want to,” Romain emphasized.

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Labour Day: What it means for Black Canadians

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Desirée Zagbai

Black Canadians have significantly impacted the labour force in Canada. However, the increased Black unemployment rate limits their opportunities.

Layla Michel, 20, a computer science student at Concordia University, has been searching for a job since March 2024. She expressed that she has more free time now. Still, it has been stressful, and she believes that systemic racism plays a part in the Black unemployment rate in Canada.

“I think in Canada, the thing is that they like to say that it’s not as bad as the U.S. You compare a lot, and so you kind of end up ignoring our issues,” Michel said. “But I think it’s there, and just because our issues aren’t the same as the states, they are not equal in the same regard. It doesn’t mean that it’s not there,” Michel emphasized.

She mentioned how she believes that racism in Canada is more hidden, and people are more lenient with the racist remarks they make—some hiring managers will not be blatant and tell a Black individual that somebody will not hire them due to their skin color.

Michel believes that networking is a solid way of fighting the unemployment situation. Having connections may also help one get into the job market.

“People who are hiring are usually strangers, and if they already have a bias against Black people, they already have this barrier. So if you don’t have any connection with them or someone they know, it’s very hard,” Michel said.

Research by Statistics Canada shows that from 12 months to June 2024, the Black unemployment rate

rose by 4.4 percentage points to 11.9 percent.

Solange Pati, owner of the West African restaurant Maquis Yasolo, was inspired to create her own business to promote the “afro-québéqois” culture. She has been self-employed for more than 20 years and keeps experiencing the same issue—getting a stable loan as a Black business owner.

Pati explained that she gets approached by many Black individuals looking for jobs. To help some of them, she tries to schedule them for her restaurant’s events. However, since she cannot take out a loan to help her business, it becomes difficult to help more Black job searchers.

She expressed that the most significant issue Black business owners face is the ability to get a loan for their business.

Despite the financial challenges she is still facing, she remains favourable to the people around her.

“I always say to my employees and the family, one thing that we have: we have this space in our food, and nobody can take that,” Pati emphasized.

Pati mentioned the slave labour Black people have gone through in Canadian history; the Black community has felt the impact of kidnappings, rape and abuse.

She believes Labour Day in Canada is more than a symbol. It represents the path of Black Canadians in Western society.

“We worked hard to build what the Canadian society is today,” Pati emphasized.

Suzanne Spiteri has been the research lead at the Labour Market Information Council (LMIC) for two years. She has conducted multiple projects and research on the labour market and Black Canadians.

She believes the main reasons for the increased Black unemployment rate are due to systemic racism, biases, and the legacy of colonialism.

“If we don’t make real efforts to change the systems, then everything is going to stay exact,” Spiteri said.

Spiteri is working on a project about unemployment among Black youth in Canada. She believes that there will be a large population of Black youth who are not in formal education, employment, or training. It can affect their future employment prospects without proper education, causing them to decline when they are not involved in the labour market as a youth.

Spiteri explained that there is the racism of “low expectations.” Some teachers have low expectations about Black children, and this influences how they educate them. If adults do not believe in Black children at an early stage, they will have a hard time believing in themselves and their potential to get higher education. Which later will lead to limited opportunities. She emphasized that without a fundamental systemic change, the cycle will continue.

“We need to untangle the legacy that we have with settler colonialism. We need to ensure that people get the equal rights and freedoms provided to them,” Spiteri emphasized.

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MTL Yardie Offering Authentically Jamaican Dishes in Côte-Saint-Luc

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Desirée Zagbai 
(Local Journalism Initiative)

Glen Spence, owner of the Jamaican restaurant MTL Yardie in Côte-Saint-Luc, is finishing an order for a customer as I walk into the eatery. The customer expresses her gratitude as Spence hands over the food. After a year of running the restaurant, he has seen progress in the restaurant and remains hopeful about its future.

Spence owns MTL Yardie and MTL Bagel in Côte-Saint-Luc. He started his journey with the MTL Bagel shop eleven years ago. After its success, he wanted to start an authentic Jamaican restaurant where people could come and find the same quality of food they could get as if they were in Jamaica.

“There was a bunch of stuff I wanted to do, but the Jamaican restaurant came naturally. Not just because I am Jamaican but because I wanted to share my culture with the Canadians,” Spence says.
The menu selections at MTL Yardie include curry goat, brown stew chicken, beef patties, a variety of Jamaican hot sauces, beverages, and snacks. He emphasizes that he wants his restaurant to stand out and attract different types of people with varying palates —from meat dishes to seafood and even vegetarian food. Spence says he has received primarily positive comments throughout his time owning MTL Yardie but running a new business has ups and downs.
Spence has encountered negative comments from people, both online and in person. However, he tries to avoid that by not listening to it and working hard for the change he wants to achieve.

He expressed that in Côte-Saint-Luc, customers are delighted to see a Jamaican restaurant with good-quality food that they can enjoy. He hopes that the Black community can maintain the support to help the restaurant grow.

“I just continue doing what I’m doing, trying to create something special and unique. I stay positive and try my best. I ensure that whatever comes out of the kitchen is good,” he expresses.

Spence is thrilled when customers come back to order their favorite dish and when new customers come and are curious to try Jamaican food. He receives new people from Laval, Ottawa, and Côte-Saint-Luc. He aims to expand his clientele by advertising, having enough stock, and keeping an enthusiastic mindset in good and hard times.

Starting from the ground up and building a brand-new restaurant takes time. Spence believes that having a firm support system is one of the main ways to succeed. He expressed that having a good location, correcting mistakes, and doing solid research about what one needs is crucial.

“It’s very hard to get funding, but it’s possible if you do your research, have all the information you need, and be patient. Just be patient,” Spence emphasizes.

Spence said that the loyal customers from his bagel shop, have also been patronizing his Jamaican restaurant. He mentioned that many customers often come back to try their jerk chicken or try something they have never eaten before, such as oxtail.

“They (customers) give you a warm feeling inside,” Spence said excitedly.

Spence gladly offered me the jerk chicken meal which consists of jerk chicken with rice, macaroni pie, and vegetables. The dish’s uniqueness explains why people return to his restaurant, not only because of the food quality but also because of his enthusiasm.

The future for MTL Yardie is promising, given the effort Spence puts into his business. Spence mentioned how he tries to rise above negativity and remind his team that better times are coming.

“Everything takes a little time to change, but I see some progress. . . when we realize that if we support our community, then our community can give back to us, and they will make us a better society,” he underscores.


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