BY SIMONE J. SMITH
After a very long and tedious drive from Brampton, Trish Browning and I were relieved when we saw the sign for Rum Diaries. We both eagerly got out the car to stretch; the drive was not a fun one, but we knew that the night ahead of us was going to be well worth it.
Toronto Caribbean Newspaper had made the trek down to Ajax to be part of the Durham Caribbean Week Proclamation Reception on June 27th, 2019. We had heard that it was going to be a star-studded event with acts including: Razor B, Ray Robinson, Steele, Jimmy Reid, Tonya P, Liberty Silver, Mel C and the talented Warrior Love Band. It was so much more than that, but we will get there in a second.
Not too long after arriving, Mary Galvan, the Founder of Durham Caribbean Festival, greeted us. With a resounding smile, and a giddy, playful energy, Mary was the perfect host for an event like this. We were escorted to a booth and began to take in the festivities. Rum Diaries began to slowly fill up, and people began to come out of the woodwork; we had a chance to mingle and community chat with Sharon Fletcher from Blacks Inspire, Elaine Robinson & Giselle Wison from G.H.E.T.T.O, Kerry Lee Crawford, who actually won a community award that night, and staff from the Durham District School Board who happen to be Sponsors of Durham Caribbean Week.
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We also had an opportunity to speak with Jim VanDusen of Chevrolet Buick GMC, who proudly spoke of his involvement and the fact that he was honoured to once again be a sponsor and supporter of the Durham Caribbean Festival. Through our conversations, we learned about how exciting this week is for the Caribbean community in Ajax. It was nice to be able to celebrate their Caribbean heritage without having to take that drive into Toronto. From Thursday June 27th – Wednesday July 3rd, members of the Durham Caribbean Community had the opportunity to: enjoy live entertainment, participate or spectate at a Carnival Parade, enjoy an afternoon of African Dance and Groove (Afiwi Groove), delight themselves with a fish fry (Mr. Delicious), have intellectual conversations around networking and entrepreneurship (G Centre), and even try their lungs with some karaoke.
It was great to see Mayor Shaun Collier – who happens to be Ajax’s first new mayor since 1995 – there with his lovely wife. They actively participated in the evening’s activities, enjoying the music and dining on Caribbean cuisine. Mayor Shaun Collier spoke on his appreciation for Mary Galvan and the work that she has done in Durham, and he was especially impressed with the amazing work that the Caribbean community is doing in Durham.
After a couple of cocktails, award presentations, and delightfully full bellies, the evening began to heat up. It was a wonderful sight to see a community come together like this, supporting each other and proving once again that with the right people working together, magnificent feats can be accomplished.
It is important that we recognize all the people who were involved in making the tremendously successful week happen; Toronto Caribbean Newspaper would like to thank: Mary Galvan, Durham District School Board, G Centre, Jamaica National Money, Durham Citizen, SKD Gardarie, TD Bank, SJ71 Limited, OPSEU-SEFPO, Hilton Garden Inn, and Canadian Heritage for their dedication, leadership and activism. We also want to continue to honour the memory of Fitzroy Gordon; he is a man who touched the hearts of many, and we must focus on the work he did while he was here in the flesh with us.
