Latest news with #EMSB
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Niche Capital Emas unit signs JV with EMSB for gold exploration at KK hill in Kelantan
KUALA LUMPUR: Niche Capital Emas Holdings Bhd's wholly owned subsidiary, Niche Capital Mining (Sejana) Sdn Bhd (NCMSSB), has entered into a joint venture agreement with Enrich Mining Sdn Bhd (EMSB) to develop, operate and exploit the "KK Hill" area, which spans 97.12 hectares in Jeli, Kelantan. This follows the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with EMSB, which grants exclusive rights to undertake gold exploration works over a 3,255 hectare area in Kelantan known as Sejana Project. "EMSB agrees to grant NCMSSB the exclusive rights for five years upon fulfilment of the conditions precedent, or for any other period mutually agreed by both parties, whichever is later. "NCMSSB shall pay to EMSB a tribute of eight per cent of the gold produced, within 30 days from the payment of royalty to the State Authority under the Mineral Enactment," it said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia today. The group stated that, according to RSC Consulting Ltd's report dated July 19, 2024, and prepared in accordance with the JORC Code (2012), the estimated in-situ mineral resources amount to approximately 7.64 million tonnes of ore, with an average gold grade of 0.69 grams per tonne, containing about 169,300 ounces of gold. "This JORC-compliant mineral resources will significantly enhance the group's mining business prospects," it said. – BERNAMA
CTV News
5 days ago
- CTV News
STM strike: What you need to know to get around Montreal
Société de transport de Montréal (STM) maintenance workers are expected to strike from June 9 to 17, potentially affecting traffic across the island. The STM said school routes and shuttle buses for planned outings should operate as usual. Between June 9 and 11, buses will only run during peak hours: from 6:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and from 11:15 p.m. to 1:15 a.m. There will be no bus service outside these hours. The Metro will only run from 6:30 a.m. to 9:38 a.m., between 2:45 p.m. and 5:48 p.m., and from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. on those days. On June 12, 16 and July 1, the STM says it will operate at 50 per cent capacity. Metro service will run at half the usual frequency, and roughly half of all bus trips will be cancelled. There should be regular service between June 13 and 15 to serve the public during the Grand Prix weekend, before strike hours come back into effect June 16 and 17. Student attendance 'essential' School boards and centres have stated that they will not make exceptions for exams on strike days. The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) sent a note to parents with the STM schedule, saying students must be there for all exams, and it is their responsibility to arrive on time. The Centre de services scolaire de Montréal said the same. 'Parents will be reminded of this important time of the school year for student success,' it said in a statement. 'This strike coincides with the exam period. Student attendance and adherence to the scheduled timetable remain essential. It will therefore be important to plan for alternative transport and allow more time than usual for the journey.' The president of the English Parents' Committee Association of Quebec, Katherine Korakakis, said parents are worried. She said that when it comes to exams, some of which are worth 50 per cent of final grades, students cannot show up late or retake their tests. Korakakis said parents are being left to mitigate the effects of the strike. 'Not everybody has a car, not everybody can leave work early or arrive late at work ... there's a lot at stake,' said Korakakis. She said she hopes the STM and its workers come to an agreement soon and put an end to the strike. Westmount High In a statement sent to parents and students, and reviewed by CTV News, Westmount High School stated that it aims to accommodate the strike schedule, adding that it will hold all final exams in the morning next week to ensure that students who rely on public transit can attend. The change will not apply to pre-scheduled science labs and French oral exams, which were scheduled by appointment. The school is encouraging students to arrive early to avoid missing assignments and to make alternative transportation arrangements with their parents if necessary. The library will remain open in the afternoon, as well as the gym. Teachers will be advising students on afternoon tutorials. 'We recognize that this situation may cause inconvenience and appreciate your continued support and cooperation in helping our students successfully complete their exams,' the school notes. With files from CTV News' Anastasia Dextrene.
Montreal Gazette
01-05-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Opinion: FACE is a Montreal success. Quebec must not mess with it
This month, Quebecers learned that the cost of renovating the Gérard-D.-Lévesque building — home to the Finance Department in Quebec City — has ballooned from $188 million to $340 million. The project has been hit by delays and is now expected to be completed in April 2027, some 18 months later than the last revised target date. Apparently, the Quebec government can find hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade offices for bureaucrats, some on hybrid work schedules that don't require them to show up every day. But when it comes to investing in FACE, a unique school that unites English and French students under one roof in a first-rate arts-based program, suddenly, the money isn't there. FACE is more than just a school. It's a rare and remarkable collaboration between the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal (CSSDM) and the English Montreal School Board (EMSB), housed in a downtown Montreal building with deep historical and cultural roots. For nearly 50 years, it has offered bilingual, bicultural and coeducational learning in music, drama and the arts. Without consultation and with little more than a Friday afternoon press release, Education Minister Bernard Drainville cancelled long-promised renovations to the FACE building, citing rising costs — from $150 million to $375 million. What began as a temporary relocation of elementary students to a building in Plateau-Mont-Royal and high school students to the old Baron Byng/Sun Youth Organization facility has morphed into a permanent dismantling of the unified FACE model. The decision was made unilaterally and the EMSB was informed just an hour before the public. It's safe to assume the CSSDM — created by the government to replace elected school boards in the French sector — was likewise sidelined. No consultation. No transparency. No respect for the communities affected. This is not just a betrayal of the FACE community — it's a broader betrayal of Quebecers who value education, co-operation and the arts. Drainville's lack of engagement in real dialogue reflects a troubling pattern of top-down governance and disregard for the rights of the English-speaking community. These rights — affirmed by the courts — include the ability to manage and control our schools. Yet here we are, learning of this decree the same way the public did: through the media. Had the minister bothered to consult, he would have heard what parents, educators and students know: FACE works. Its integrated approach builds bridges between languages and cultures, between older and younger students, and between disciplines. Its graduates thrive — not only in the arts, but in medicine, science and beyond. FACE isn't just an academic success — it's a social and cultural one. So what now? We are calling on the Quebec government to reverse course and reopen a dialogue. The CSSDM, EMSB and FACE parent communities must be part of the solution. Perhaps phased renovations can make the project more affordable. Perhaps a new site could house both programs under one roof. But the starting point must be this: the FACE model must be preserved. In tough economic times, governments have to make choices. But investing in young people, in education and in a model that fosters unity and excellence — this is not an expense; it's an investment in our collective future. Instead of building lavish offices for bureaucrats, let's prioritize the future of our students. Let's keep FACE whole. Joe Ortona is the chair of the English Montreal School Board.
CBC
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
She's an advocate of diversity in literature, encouraging aspiring Black authors to use their voice
As a teenager, Latoya Belfon fell in love with storytelling and wrote consistently over nearly two decades. But she never published anything. "It was write, write, write, then put it on the shelf for 20 years," Belfon said. But when she finally got over that hump, Belfon never looked back. She turned into a publishing machine, pumping out at least 15 books in four years, becoming a best-selling author and an advocate for diversity in literature. As a writer who oversees every aspect of her work, from illustrations to publishing, she's built businesses that enable her to share everything she knows with other aspiring authors. During this journey, Belfon has learned a lot, including these two lessons: Never underestimate the power of a story. And no matter how long a passion project is put on hold, it's never too late. 'You should write this story' Many of Belfon's books are children's books. Shortly after moving to Montreal from Grenada at the age of 16, she regularly babysat twin brothers who, as she put it, were "obsessed" with books. One night, she was laying down with them and felt too tired to get up and pick up another one to read them a story. So she made one up — one about two adventurous cousins living in the Caribbean. "And every night from then, they just kept asking me what happened to the different characters," she said. "Their mom overhears this and says: 'You should write this story.'" As much as Belfon wrote, she couldn't quite put it all together and get published. But things finally clicked when she started a family of her own. A true sense of urgency kicked in. "I really thought I was going to become an author and it's not happening. What am I going to tell my son?" she remembers thinking at the time. "When you have someone looking like you and looking back at you, it reflects so much. The reflection is so strong. It's not just in the physical features but in the life that you want them to have and the life that you had hoped that you could have." She locked in and gave herself a challenge: learn as much about publishing as she could within three days. When those three days were up, she had published her first book. Belfon, who had caught the storytelling bug at 16, was now 36 years old. "As a writer, the most rewarding thing is when you have an idea and you can see it in hard print," she said. "It's such an incredible feeling…even without anyone reading it." Diversity in literature One of her best-selling books, Grandma's Hands, focuses on themes of heritage, ancestry and belonging through stories a woman shares with her daughter about her own grandmother's journey from the Caribbean to Canada to build a better life for her family. Belfon is also a teacher with the English Montreal School Board (EMSB). Seeing students being made fun of because of their accents inspired her to write Izzy's New Life: The Way I Talk. The book's main character, Izzy, is a Caribbean child who struggles with her friend's derisive remarks before finally embracing her heritage, culture and voice. "Getting into teaching, I saw how important it was for stories like the ones that I was telling to be seen and be seen very early: kindergarten, pre-K," she said. "The earlier the better to get access to this content and to have these discussions with their parents." Belfon's experience as an immigrant from the Caribbean has shaped much of her work, but she beams with pride at how her books have resonated with children within the Black community and also beyond. During a workshop she gave at a school, she remembers seeing young children from Brazil, China and Japan, for example, express how much they related to Izzy. "There were tons of other kids that were saying that they connected with this character, a Black character," Belfon said. "It was incredibly beautiful to me that they could be told, at that age, that it was OK to sound different." Belfon is even venturing into music. Her book, Cadence Learns Self-Love, is based on a chocolate chip cookie character who learns about self-esteem after comparing herself unfavourably to cookies who looked different. There is a song in the book, which seems to be a hit with children who read it. "So there we go. Let's make this an anthem," said Belfon, who collaborated with her brother-in-law, a producer and beatmaker who goes by CJ DWIZ, to create a full-length version of the song just in time for Black History Month. "My kids, my friends' kids, they're obsessed with the song already." An unmatched work ethic, says friend and collaborator Belfon has a lot on her plate. She organizes workshops and webinars, teaching people about publishing and advocating for more diversity in the world of literature. She founded her publishing company, Labworks Publishing. She also runs Empowered Women in Lit, an online platform that holds a virtual summit every year. According to Gemma Raeburn-Baynes, the author's friend and collaborator as well as a fellow CBC Black Changemaker, Belfon's work ethic and determination are what make her stand out. Nothing slows her down — not even a pregnancy. CBC interviewed Belfon for this story just days before she was scheduled to give birth. The same day she welcomed her third child into the world, she contacted Raeburn-Baynes to follow up about a project they were working on. "A baby just came out of you, I said, 'what are you doing?'" Raeburn-Baynes recalled, laughing incredulously. "Latoya, go on your maternity leave please and leave me alone!" she said. "But no, that has not stopped her. The work continues." Belfon credits her time management skills for her ability to juggle multiple roles and tasks. "I have goals for each thing and once I complete that goal, I rest that to the side and I move on to the next," said the author, who has also published goal-setting journals. "I really had to put my goals down, prioritize and execute." Trusting your voice For Belfon, the more diversity there is among authors, the more readers — especially children — can be exposed to different ideas. Diversity doesn't have to mean Black authors writing about the Black experience, Belfon points out. It can be Black authors using their experiences to inject a unique texture into a story, without race or racism being its focal point. One of her upcoming projects, which is part of a collaboration with another author expected to be released in May, will be a Caribbean-based sci-fi story. "A Black kid will be in class and be like 'I know that country…I know what she's talking about!" she said laughing. "They'd feel seen through that literature." Her message to aspiring authors is to value what their ideas and stories can bring to the world of literature. Their voices, she says, are sorely needed. "It's really about understanding the impact that you can have … and putting time to it," she said. "A lot of times, my content is to push people to understand the importance of their voice in literature and how much it's needed." The Black Changemakers is a special series recognizing individuals who, regardless of background or industry, are driven to create a positive impact in their community. From tackling problems to showing small gestures of kindness on a daily basis, these Changemakers are making a difference and inspiring others. Meet all the Changemakers here.
