More Great Toronto Annual_Events

This festival helps in healing, by letting black and Caribbean people overcome their feelings of loneliness, being outcast and being racialized - if only for one day. This is real Carnival, when society is turned on its head and the rich are poor and the poor rich, when men can be women, when straights can be gay and all vice versa.

When I was working on Caribana, many times police, especially from the U.S., would ask, "How many murders will you have here tonight?" I would say none, and they'd say, "You guys hide your statistics."

As police officers, we don't pat ourselves on the back enough for the work we do in terms of maintaining public order, having 1.4 million people come to a parade and go home safely without any deaths. The few incidents we have had over the years aren't what you'd expect when you have so many people.

If you look at the Easter Parade in Little Italy, College Street is blocked off, the parade winds through, and the businesses on either side of the street benefit because people buy. Same thing with the Taste Of The Danforth. Caribana does not wind its way through the Caribbean community. There's the Kiddies' Carnival on Eglinton, but that's not the same thing.

Caribbean-descended youth are some of the most creative in this country, and Caribana does not offer them an outlet for their creativity.

Caribana has to speak to the fact that there are people who don't have Trinidad as a reference. The memory that many of us have of the Caribbean is a Caribbean that we left, not one that exists.

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De Calypso & Soca Project
03 June 2005
The world's only known school teaching calypso and soca has been in operation in Toronto for two years - and judging from the performance of the participants, it is a huge success. Known as the Calypso and Soca Project, it is the brainchild of Juno-award winner John "Jayson" Perez and Dick Lochan, current head of the Organization for Calypso Performing Artistes

"We appreciate this event and our further role is to establish a foundation, where we can provide the funding for this to happen. Especially for those in our community who are in need of help. We must do these things," Lennox Farrell, Caribbean Cultural Committee's Chair, said at the graduation ceremony. To find out more about their recently released 10-song CD, called Pass The Torch If you can help out with a donation call (416) 289-3366 or (416) 284-4021.

 more at thecaribbeancamera.com

Pan Alive - Lamport Stadium
1151 King St. West

Joe MIHEVC
Toronto Councillor

"As City Council's Liaison to Caribana, I am pleased to report that 2004 was the most successful edition of the annual summer festival in recent memory. Caribana organizers were able to pay all the 2004 expenses and retire a portion of outstanding debt. Close to 1.2 million visitors from all over the province, North America and the Caribbean enjoyed our wonderful Toronto hospitality. Hotels and restaurants report a banner few weeks, due in no small part to the success of Caribana. Next year I will be working with the lead organizers to attract more private sector donors to invest in the festival."