Time abroad and travel often help us see our home country in a different light but it also makes us aware how little the rest of the world knows about our vast and beautiful nation. Despite our humble nature, we Canadians are fiercely proud of our country and we'll gladly sing its praises.
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From Oneika...
The tropics usually
don't come to mind when most people think of (cold!) Canada, but one of the
country's biggest events is Caribana, a colourful festival celebrating
Caribbean culture held in Toronto every year.
Many people don't
realize that Toronto has a large population from the many islands that dot the
Caribbean Sea. Immigrants from places like Trinidad, Jamaica, Grenada, and
Barbados are part of the city's vibrant, multicultural fabric, and have weaved
their food, culture, and music into the Canadian way of life.
Caribana is a vivid
and extremely fun manifestation of these aspects. Officially known as the
Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Festival, this is a street party of epic proportions. It is comprised of a number of events
(taking place over a two week period) that fete the heritage and traditions of
the countries in the West Indies. The culminating event is the Parade of
Bands, which is a massive street parade that takes place at the every end of
the festival.
As a proud
Jamaican-Canadian who took part in the parade a few years ago, I have to tell
you that it was deliciously fun! Have you ever seen pictures of Rio
de Janeiro's Carnival? This is pretty similar. Us parade
participants don brightly coloured costumes (plumes, sparkles, and giant
headpieces are standard!) and dance our way down the 2 mile or so parade route.
We are kept moving by the loud blasts of steel pan, calypso, and soca music
supplied by the many speakers and live bands that are also part of the parade.
Spectators who are not part of the parade line the parade route to gawk and
cheer us on. Between the vibe, camaraderie between participants, and
eye-catching costumes, it is a stellar time. Check me out in the field in my
feathery finery! (I'm the lady in the middle.)
The parade, a
"closing ceremony" of sorts, brings over 1 million tourists to
Toronto every summer and is a great way to discover the city beyond usual
sights like the CN Tower or Hockey Hall of Fame.
So if you ever have a
hankering for a good party in the Great White North, I beseech you to add the
Caribana festival to your list. I'm willing to bet five loonies* that
you'll have the time of your life!
*loonie = the Canadian one dollar coin.
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Oneika is a fellow Canadian, teacher and expat who just moved back to Hong Kong after a stint in London but has also called France and Mexico home. She's an avid traveller, visiting 60+ countries on 6 continents and continues to spend her time exploring this vast and beautiful world. When she's not on the road, she's taking advantage of all that her adopted home has to offer and thankfully, she documents it all on her blog, Oneika The Traveller.
everything makes so much sense now! my best friend is Canadian. her mom is from Trinidad, her dad is Syrian (I think? not sure how the family history breaks down, but someone's family is from Syria) and I've always been curious how they ended up living near Toronto for so long. aha! it's interesting that Caribbean culture transplanted to a city so far away from the Caribbean.
ReplyDeleteHow awesome! I would not have associated the tropics with Canada, but I guess you learn something new every day - looks like an insanely fun event!!
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