Greater Toronto

By William Doyle-Marshall

"Our festival is on and I want to thank everyone for coming here today as the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto." Denise Herrera Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of the Festival Management Committee (FMC) told members of the media at the first press conference to launch Caribbean Carnival Toronto, the festival the world knows as Caribana. The grand announcement took place high above the city on the 49th floor of the Scotiabank Plaza in the heart of the financial district.
Chris Alexander, Chief Administrative Officer of the Festival Management Committee announced that the name was being changed from Caribana to Caribbean Carnival Toronto. However according to a Caribana Arts Group (CAG) statement, if the FMC attempts to pass off Caribana festival under a different name it will be held liable and all parties associated with and in support of such a decision could also be held liable, including major sponsors and facilitators of this illegal action.
Alexander outlined what he termed background to the disagreement between both groups that necessitated the name change. He also reported that CAG members resigned from the FMC board after rejecting lucrative offers in payment of royalties.
Responding to Alexander's claim that members of the Caribana Arts Group resigned from the FMC Henry (Cosmos) Gomez said, "Absolutely not. The FMC cut us off from information and refused to invite us to or inform us about meetings."
In what appeared like restrained exuberance Herrera Jackson talked about the line-up of the events of this year's festival. "Our carnival and our festival – the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto has something for everyone."
While talking about a new festival name the CEO informed the gathering, "We normally start our festival with a Junior Carnival and that is like the mini version of the big parade that you see on exhibition place. And it is wonderful to see kids in their mini costumes because it is all mini. That's one of the events that we have and we are always very proud to ensure that we host this event in one of the priority neighbourhoods and we are hosting it in the Jane/Finch area."
The festival is scheduled to run from July 16 through August 11 with a host of activities across the city of Toronto. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority is partnering with the FMC because the airport is a gateway to the city. Through this relationship people who are travelling in and out of the city will be told what they are in for regarding the carnival.
"For the past three years we have been having an art show which took place at the ROM. And this year I am happy to say we are partnering the ROM and the Gladstone Hotel so that's going to be something that's very unique, extending the festival from the street into two artistic types of areas," Herrera-Jackson announced.
The CEO was really excited about the addition of a sporting event – a rugby match between the Jamaica National Team and the Canadian team – as part of the line-up.
Ontario Science Center is giving out a special innovative mas costume award for the second year. It was offered last year because the center recognized that science and technology and engineering are represented extremely well in this event.
"We know that the innovative thinking, the problem solving, the engineering, the mathematics, the sheer inventiveness exemplifies the very things the Ontario Science Center stands for which is the promotion of science literacy in the world.," said Dr. Holley McLaughlin, Vice President Science Experience and Chief Science Officer of the Center. The Ontario Science Center will be participating in the King and Queen Competition in order to determine who deserves the award for the most innovative costume. They will be on the look out for the one that shows that real spirit of incredible inventiveness, Dr. Holley explained.