Caribbean carnival returns to Montreal streets
Global News
Thousands of spectators lined Rene Levesque Boulevard Saturday afternoon to witness the return of the Caribbean carnival parade, one year after it was cancelled.
Thousands of spectators lined Rene Levesque Boulevard on Saturday afternoon to witness the return of the Caribbean carnival parade, one year after it was cancelled.
The Carimas Parade was about an hour late getting started but once it got going spectators like Charlotte Callender refused to stand still, dancing to music blaring from floats followed by dancers in various costumes.
“I’m really happy to see it back,” she laughed. “I’m so happy.”
The parade moved west from Saint-Laurent Boulevard along René Lévesque Boulevard to Peel Street at Place du Canada for Carimas Sizzle to cool down after the parade, enjoy food and live music. Both events capped the month-long Carimas Festival showcasing Caribbean culture.
Previously, the parade was called Carifete. It was cancelled last year after the city denied formers organizers a permit citing governance concerns. Ericka Alneus, the city’s Executive Committee member responsible for culture said she understands the resulting disappointment among Montreal’s Caribbean communities.
“We wanted to make sure all things were there to make the organization was capable of delivering such an event,” she told Global News while marching in Saturday’s parade.
A new organization, the Caribbean Coalition Network of Montreal (CCNM) — a group of associations representing different Caribbean islands — took over. Coalition member and president of the Barbados House Montreal, Cynthia Waithe, said the group had about 12 weeks to put on the parade as well as other festival activities.
“A lot of hard work, starting our days at 4 o clock in the morning,” she noted. “Working our day jobs as well and working with the city, working with all the volunteers, the bands were fantastic.”