IslandMix

just saw the press conference and i'm so happy to see that the two sides have reached an agreement for this year. i'm sure others have the inside scoop on what went on behind the scenes but i'm just glad this was resolved in what appears to be a postive way!

Caribana show goes on...under a new name
Last Updated Tue, 13 Jun 2006 13:41:32 EDT
CBC Arts

The City of Toronto has created the Festival Management Committee to manage the 39-year-old festival.

Caribana is the biggest Caribbean festival in North America. It attracts thousands of tourists to Toronto for its parade, which features brilliantly costumed masqueraders and dozens of trucks carrying live soca, calypso, steel pan, reggae and salsa artists.

But the city has been unhappy with the original organizers, the Caribbean Cultural Committee, accusing the group of financial mismanagement. Another group, the Toronto Mas Bands Association, was promised the $400,000 the city gives toward running the show. That led to protests by the CCC and threats of legal action.

Now, the two groups have decided to co-operate in running this year's festival, to be called The Toronto Caribbean Carnival.

"It will be the Toronto Caribbean Carnival with Caribana at the end of it," said Courtney Betty of the Festival Management Committee, which will oversee the event. She acknowledges most people will continue to call the popular event Caribana.

"So that was really a compromise that we reached, and I must thank all of the parties because there were strong feelings on both sides that agreed to, in effect, have a co-naming of the festival," she told CBC Radio.

"It really was an issue of time more than substance I believe. It just took longer than we thought it would."

The Caribana parade traditionally takes place the August Civic Holiday weekend, but a full festival schedule is not being announced until next week.

whateva. i'll be there!

salty

Umm ya make proper travel arrangements this year??

lol u rememba dat trouble from lass year?

never me again. i flyin directly in2 toronto nex time. this fly in2 buffalo, pick up car and drive to toronto bizness eh cuttin it again. real horrors especially comin back. if u c races me and meh homegirl went through just to get back 2 buffalo and catch flight. aye yi yi


salty

I can only imagine. I am doing it again this year cuz since I moved to Atlanta the prices from here are ridiculous. But I will be crossing the border @ 3am on Tuesday morning so I shouldn't run into too much traffic.(hopefully)

Hmmmmm I think I'll have to take that flight straight to Toronto....

Im glad they came to an agreement, at least there is a good chance both side will have a role in the parade. i hope they dismiss that foolish idea to start the parade where it usually ends.

Have any mas camps launched yet? I thinkin bout goin Caribana since I ain mekkin Crop Over dis year.

Well good because I already have my costume and everything picked out.

Toronto Caribbean Carnival is the new name? Dunno about that... it will always be Caribana to me. Last year was good and people were still at the parade until all 8pm (not like the parkway which shuts down at 4pm and all), so I hope the time is the same this year as well.

almost all mas bands i believe have launch already. you can check in carnival central for the carnival nationz thread to see costumes. otherwise check out trinmag.com photo gallery to see picks of other band launching in toronto

true. u should not have n e traffic around dat time. back in the dayz i used 2 do the drive up to toronto for caribana. in 2002 i drove the whole way which was a record 4 me. only 2 pee stops and dat was it. i still got the driving trooper in me, but if shite could be done easier......i taking easy street.

salty

Thanks!