Making the bold move from corporate Canada to the unpredictable adventures of an entrepreneur in a foreign market was not easy, but while attending university, 35-year-old Akit met Kirk Budhram, a Trini national and they became friend and eventually co-founders of Poutinôis.

“We launched our business on January 2, 2016 at the first official Carnival fete for the season, Tribe Ice. That’s when our crazy adventure started.

Our poutine is authentic to what Canadians would consider a real poutine. It is fresh cut fries, cheddar cheese curds and topped with brown gravy.

That is an original poutine.

We try to educate people that if it doesn’t have cheese curds or fresh cut fries then it’s just cheesy fries. While this might sound like a nominal detail it makes a world of difference in the final product. The beauty is that there are many ways to customise our poutine to the diverse taste of Trinidad and Tobago. Currently we have different flavoured cheese curds, meat toppings and vegetable toppings. Our Trini twists are toppings like geera chicken and then combine it with our tropical salsa (tomatoes, chadon beni, red onions, pineapple) which is a growing favourite.

We even try to do limited toppings during various religious holidays. For instance, we had a saltfish buljol topping for Lent.” The business is currently located in Curepe, but it takes poutines throughout the country via pop ups, special events and catering. Poutinôis offers customers an assortment of poutines, catering to meat lovers, vegetarians and the health-conscious. The poutines come in two sizes; the beaver (small) and the grizzly (large) and customers can choose from a variety of toppings.

They can even create their own poutine to match their taste. And with the thousands of followers Poutinôis has gathered on social media, Akit is convinced that poutine is something that has great potential in TT and that the market has room for other things.

“Yes, we started with poutines but there are other global foods that we want Trinis to try without ever having to leave their shores. There are unique desserts, beverages and snacks we have bold visions! I think poutine has the potential and the right ingredients to make it as big as the gyros trend.

Gyro was already a popular food in Canada years before it got to Trinidad, and then it took a while to gain popularity and has since created a whole segment on its own with a gyro stand on every corner.

This is my vision for poutine but what is satisfying is that it’s something made accessible to Trinidad, being a true foodie capital.” So how did the idea for Poutinôis come about? “My grandfather immigrated to Trinidad from China then had my father who was born in Trinidad, but moved as a young adult to pursue schooling overseas and ended up staying in Montreal to have kids,” Akit said.

“On my visits to Trinidad and Tobago I noticed that Trinis love food specifically when it comes to taste and they always like something different. This is where poutine as a product made sense, since any Trini who visited Canada have already heard of poutine so that helped with awareness. My corporate experience in the food service industry helped make the transition less daunting.” Akit graduated from Concordia University with a major in economics and minor in business.

“While my educational background is in economics, I knew that I had a passion for business while connecting with consumers, so I pursued a career in brand management.” He told Newsday he and his business partner have a vision for the company that could include other ambitious entrepreneurs.

“We are also seeking to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs/investors to help continue expanding on the Poutinôis vision.” Poutinôis can be found on Facebook and Instagram by searching @poutinois Email: Edwin.Akit@poutinois.com

Justice Devendra Rampersad, presiding in the San Fernando High Court, yesterday recused himself from adjudicating in the case when it came up before him.

The case involves an injunction filed by COP member Kirt Francis against interim political leader Dr Anirudh Mahabir and general secretary Clyde Weatherhead. Attorneys appearing for them, however, told the judge that Mahabir and Weatherhead have since resigned from their posts in the party.

The election is carded for Sunday amid turmoil over the return of Dyer-Griffith who had resigned from the COP. She is among three women vying to lead the party which is seeking to revamp its membership as a third political force. The other contenders are former deputy political leader Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan and Sharon Gopaul-McNicols.

Rampersad told attorneys he once represented one of the defendants in the injunction lawsuit and if the attorneys were so minded, he would recuse himself.

In his lawsuit filed by attorney Lester Chariah, Francis cited article 16.3 of the COP’s constitution which states that except for the political leader and deputy political leader, all other national executive members of the party shall be elected for two years.

Another judge is to be assigned to the case which is expected to be heard today at the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain.

TKR completed a successful run at home on Monday with a four-wicket win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. The victory was TKR’s fourth win out of five matches between August 7 to Monday at the Oval.

“Every one wish the finals was here because at the end of the day this is where the atmosphere is,” Bravo said after Monday’s game.

“The people came out in their numbers, every game there is about 12 to 15 thousand people. To full the Oval is not easy especially on a weekday, on a Monday. I think the brand of cricket that we are playing encouraged the public to come out.

We play with heart and soul, we play with a lot of passion and this is for the fans.” Bravo said his aim was to win three of their five matches at the Oval, so to win four was a plus.”We played some good cricket so to get four out five is a bonus. At the first press conference I said I would be happy with three out of five, but to get the extra win I am happy.” The TKR skipper is hopeful his team could continue winning on the road. “We are on top of the table, now we just have to shift our focus because the road is going to be a lot more difficult. You have to play and travel, but I think my team is experienced enough and good enough to cope with any pressure outside.” Pakistani leg-spinner Shadab Khan has been one of the players of the tournament, but has been called up for national duty and will play no further part in the CPL.

Bravo said it is tough to lose such an important player but said his squad has depth.

“It is a big blow. He is a worldclass player, his presence alone is very important. He was our leading wicket-taker also, so we are going to miss him but he has national duties. We have the likes of Nikita Miller and other guys on the bench who are also very experienced.” Khan is currently the leading wicket-taker (before yesterday’s St Lucia/Jamaica match) in the tournament with 10 scalps. TKR Bangladeshi off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz will also leave the squad due to national duty.

“Definitely we are going to try to get someone to come in. We might get a local player as well, but the management team and myself have to sit down and see who is available, that is another challenge. At the same time our bench is strong also, so it is just to see what options are there.”

He said this at the Sangre Grande Volunteer Network’s launch at the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation (SGRC) car park yesterday.

He added, “What I find lacking in some corporations is, you don’t get the service that you expect to get there.” Hosein stated that it is the expectation that persons in service-oriented positions speak kindly and have manners, however he admitted that he has gotten complaints about inadequate service.

“People come into the police department, public health department and the corporations frustrated, and when they are not treated with kindly they leave feeling worse,” he said.

He encouraged all workers and volunteers to be genuine and give from their hearts. He said that Community Volunteer Network, which has been launched in four municipalities and which will be launched in the other nine, is an effort to give back to humanity.

“There is a certain joy in giving and expecting nothing in return.” Member of Parliament for Cumuto/Manzanilla Christine Newallo- Hosein supported Hosein’s call and urged all volunteers to have a commitment, desire and willingness to give of themselves freely.

She stated, “Our citizens have a natural volunteer spirit. Parents are heavily involved in activities that ask of their time, but we need parents to not leave their children at home when they do so.” Newallo-Hosein stated children are not impacting society in a meaningful way and volunteering and giving of their time will allow that wrong to be corrected.

Chairman of the SGRC, Martin Terry Rondon described the day as a day of sharing and training. He thanked the various Non-Government Organisations and businesses for being a part of the initiative and encouraged them to use the day as a step to their own volunteerism projects.

People from Sangre Grande, Toco, Matelot and environs were treated to booths from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, Civilian Conservation Corporation, Nature Seekers and community businesses.

Families received school bags, books, grocery items and were also treated to manicures, pedicures and foot massages.

At the event, a new police vehicle which was purchased by the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government was handed over by the minister, to the Sangre Grande Municipal Police, headed by Inspector Sewak Baran

While all is not well on the political, judicial, economic and social fronts, I am always happy when our sporting and cultural heroes do TT proud on the local, regional and international stages.

To cut a long story short, I congratulate all our athletes who represented the red, white and black at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, England.

We had some outstanding performances from Jereem “The Dream” Richards who awakened me from “beping” with a bronze medal in the 200 metres final.

The man was finishing like a ton of bricks. Jereem came back to strike gold with our 4×400 metres men — Jarrin Solomon, Machel Cedenio and Lalonde Gordon.

What a joy! The world has to take that in its rookung.

Several athletes have complained about funding problems which must be rectified by the authorities as we head for Tokoyo 2020.

Two of my favourite athletes, Michelle Lee Ahye and Keshorn “Toco Boy” Walcott, did not medal, so I say to them and all the others — keep the faith and forget the armchair critics.

KEITH ANDERSON via email

They have brought great pride and joy to our country. And they should be rewarded, but we should guard against overdoing it, especially in these euphoric moments.

First of all, the call for a holiday is silly. We already have too many holidays in this country; another one is unnecessary. My suggestion is that we offer monetary compensation, taking our cue from the US, a country far richer than ours.

It rewards its gold medallists with US$25,000 and it’s taxable. We can be more generous and make ours tax-free.

It is also okay to honour them symbolically, with a street or building named after them, preferably in the community in which they grew up.

Especially in these lean times, we must stop the over-indulgence and unrealistic expectations (symptomatic of our gimmegimme mentality) when our athletes win a medal. Now is a good time to start.

A CHARLES Mount Hope

The reception by Customs was not only cold and unsociable, but I find the procedure unfriendly to visitors and deliberately hostile to citizens. Everyone “with nothing to declare” was kept in line and made to place their suitcases on a conveyor.

Since Customs provides no baggage handlers, frail or elderly people could be seen struggling to lift two-three suitcases from their carts onto the conveyor. Some got assistance from kind-hearted people.

A traveller with only a briefcase or handbag is required to stand behind 20 or more others with 30 or more bags or suitcases to have their briefcase or handbag X-rayed before clearance.

Witnessing this absurdity, which I experienced twice before, I opted for the “red section” to “declare” some in-bond liquor, but no officer was on duty. I had to go into the office and clamour for service.

At most international airports — London, Miami, Toronto — nothing-to-declare travellers can walk through a “green section” where a Customs officer may randomly select a traveller for inspection.

My observation is that 95 per cent pass without query.

What is the logic in this absurd system where passengers are unduly delayed if they have nothing to declare, but can get a speedier exit in the red section — if they can find an officer on duty? Can the Comptroller of Customs or the Finance Minister explain this upside-down procedure?

MICHAEL JAY WILLIAMS via email

Residents openly objected to being fined by the wardens for placing their bagged waste (garbage) on the sidewalk outside of their homes to be removed by the waste collection vehicles of the corporation.

How can the placement of properly bagged waste at the front of your property for collection be assessed as littering? If that is littering, then we (the public) who have assiduously bagged and placed in like manner as those Woodbrook residents are all guilty of littering.

The questions to be answered by the Chief Public Health Inspector of the corporation, who is responsible for the training of the litter wardens, are: * Can each resident be provided with a guaranteed time frame of between 10 to 15 minutes when the corporation can provide the collection service to the individual household on a set schedule? * Has the corporation issued in the past year any directive to residents, either through the media, by pamphlets to the mail boxes of each household or by public loud speakers, that waste in bags outside of homes will not be collected but that all households are required to place bagged waste in containers attached to their outside wall? (Please note that litter baskets on outside walls have attracted more litter as passers-by use them as litter bins.) * Is the Chief Public Health Inspector aware that at present in Woodbrook the corporation has workers who remove bags from outside of individual residences and place them in heaps in the drain at different points on the street long before the arrival of the collection truck? * Why are bagged yard cuttings not being collected by the regular waste collection vehicle? * Why do litter wardens work only between 8 am and 4 pm when those who generate dump sites in residential areas do so after normal working hours? The corporation should commiserate with the Woodbrook residents and all other burgesses to work together for cleaner communities.

Littering is the discarding of waste in an indiscriminate manner and not waste that is bagged and placed outside of your home for an expected collection on the day.

However, where residents place bagged waste by the street corners to create dump sites, if caught they should be charged. In an effort to avoid further occurrences and conflict, the corporation must embark on a proper educational programme that would address the issues. It is hoped that the mayor, councillors, aldermen and the administration of the corporation would make all attempts to resolve this issue amicably to ensure that sense prevails.

Finally, one wonders if the litter warden would have taken the same belligerent and forthright approach to issue a ticket to a residents of some other areas of Port of Spain.

ALBAN C SCOTT Woodbrook

Wicket-keeper batsman Denesh Ramdin blazed an unbeaten 59 as TKR defeated St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by four wickets. It was the most thrilling end of the five matches played at the venue over the past eight days.

The victory was the Knight Riders fourth win in five matches played at the Oval. After the win, Ramdin said it was a great run at home and felt the defeat against Jamaica Tallawahs on August 9 was a wake-up call.

“It is fantastic (to play well at home). As I told the boys we needed to lose one and I felt that losing one early on brought us back down to earth so we know where we need to improve as a team. Hopefully that was our only loss and we could go all the way,” Ramdin said.

The victory sealed qualification into the knock-out phase of the tournament for TKR.

In front a near capacity crowd, Ramdin’s 35-ball knock (two fours and four sixes) got TKR over line which seemed improbable with six overs remaining.

In chase of 159 TKR were 89 for five, needing a further 70 runs from 36 deliveries. Ramdin found an able partner in captain Dwayne Bravo and the pair gave the home team a lift with a quick-fire partnership.

Ramdin began the onslaught as he struck left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi for two sixes in the 16-run 15th over.

Bravo also delivered with two fours off pacer Carlos Brathwaite to push the total to 121/5 after 17 overs. After pulling pace bowler Hasan Ali for six, the game took another turn as Bravo was run out for 20 by Ali going for a quick single.

The loss of Bravo did not affect Ramdin, as he struck Ali for a six over backward point after being joined by Javon Searles.

Needing 22 from the last 12 deliveries, Searles took little time to settle hitting Brathwaite for a straight four followed by a clean hit for six over long on. TKR were now in the driver’s seat with 10 required from eight balls. It was only fitting that Man of the Match Ramdin finished off the match for TKR.

A six over midwicket by Ramdin off a Brathwaite full toss also brought up his half century, with Ramdin even pointing his bat in the direction he struck the ball.

And a straight four by Ramdin off Ali ended the match.

Searles finished unbeaten on 12, while Colin Munro scored 36 earlier in the innings.

Off-spinner Mohammed Nabi grabbed two for 12 off three overs for the Patriots, while leg-spinner Samuel Badree took 2/14 in two overs.

Earlier the Patriots got solid scores from Shamarh Brooks (37) and Jonathan Carter (31) as they posted 158/7 in 20 overs. Patriots captain Chris Gayle could not fire contributing only four, while in form opener Evin Lewis was out of the line up due to an unconfirmed illness. Cameos from Brathwaite (19) and Nabi (17) helped Patriots to a competitive total. Sunil Narine was the top bowler for TKR taking 2/26 in four overs.

Despite the loss Patriots are second on the table with six points after three wins and a loss in the competition.

TKR will face Guyana Amazon Warriors on Saturday at Providence, Guyana.

The VIP Lounge at the Piarco International Airport included members of the media, local athletics personnel, Government officials and a few of the athlete’s close friends and family members.

However, from interacting with the athlete, one cannot help but realise that Richards is only at the start of his path to greatness.

Richards, who is only 23 years of age, studies at the University of Alabama in the United States, and the last of three children who were raised at New Village, Point Fortin by their mother Yvette Wilson.

During his speech, which also showcased his charismatic qualities, Richards emotionally highlighted the hardships that he and his family had to face leading up to the Championships.

“All year this year I was thinking about my mother because I know it’s hard. Me being in college and having my good apartment there and just knowing sometimes the struggles my mom had to go through and the struggles she went through for me to go to practice when I was in Trinidad, doing everything for me and, this year, even before I left, I told my mother that I wanted to dedicate this year to her. And I am just thankful to God that I can actually do that.” The sprinter also stated that his mother is his number one supporter.

“She even watches all of my races a million times and sometimes my sister gets mad because she always watches the races over and over again.” Hearing Richards speak about his family, especially his mother, gives one a sense of where his positive and humble personality originated. He is heavily supported by those closest to him and this has played a major role in his current success as an athlete.

He also expressed the immense love he has for his family saying he cried after reading news articles about his mother watching him run on television.

“The undying support I have from them is unreal,” said Richards.

“Reading the articles I saw my mom said ‘run baby run!’ and just picturing my mom saying that brought tears to my eyes because I know how emotional she could get. She calls me her baby and I am a baby because I am a last child. So I just want to say thank you to her and my family for all their support.” Wilson also expressed how proud she was about her son’s achievements at the Championships.

She said, “I am really, really proud of him and we just want to enjoy this moment with him and spend as much time as we can with him while he is here.”