Toronto Carnival launches virtual timeline for Black History Month

Toronto, ON, February 11, 2021 – In celebration of Black History Month, the Festival Management Committee, producers of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival (formerly Caribana), presents an interactive timeline documenting the history of Carnival and the celebration of Caribbean heritage in Canada.

Carnival: The Caribbean Experience, is a rich tapestry of artistic expressions from the Carnival Arts, which also highlights other aspects of Caribbean Culture and the achievements of persons of Caribbean ancestry in Canada. Our Caribbean love shines brightly among Canada’s diverse cultures, reflecting an extraordinary blend of unity and community building. Starting with hundreds of pioneering producers, performers and revelers on University Avenue and evolving into the spectacle of a million people on Lakeshore Boulevard, the timeline showcases the richness, growth, and beauty of Caribbean culture.

The Virtual Timeline project aims to be the most comprehensive, collaborative, and accessible resource available. The collection includes an abundance of images, articles, and videos, all telling a story.

Understanding that continued engagement with history is vital as it provides context for the present, the timeline memorializes and commemorates what was, educating current and future generations of our Carnival Community on their ancestral roots. Experiencing the dreams that became achievements deserves a moment of reflection. During Black History Month, we aim to reflect on our shared past, to celebrate with pride the heart and soul of our Canadian-Caribbean heritage, and to recognize that, right here and right now, we are creating the future of our Carnival Arts.

Visitors will be encouraged to explore, engage, and contribute to the timeline, making it an interactive and living history of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. “Whether you’ve built a costume, played in a band, made corn soup, or watched from the stands, we live this adventure together, keeping this tradition alive,” says Joe Halstead, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Festival Management Committee. “We want you to share those memories with us.”

To contribute to the timeline project, our virtual visitors can go online to //www.torontocarnival.ca/history to upload their photos, videos, journal entries, and other multi-media materials, which will be selectively reviewed by the archive team for inclusion.

This is the news release published in its entirety.