BY ALYSSA MAHADEO
Always a night filled with glitz, glam and fierce competition the Miss WI Pageant was definitely a night to remember! Now entering it’s 6th year the WI Canadian Pageant has started off strong demonstrating their abilities to do anything, expanding their horizons and growing with each passing year.
The Miss WI Canadian pageant was established five years ago in 2010 and since then they have grown and flourished into one of the biggest productions within the West Indian Community. Dozens of supporters came out to cheer on the girls as they competed for the title of Miss WI Canadian keeping the energy levels high and the anticipation mounting. This year nine of the most beautiful, intelligent and talented girls from within the West Indian community, graced the stage at the The Red Rose Convention Centre, in competition for the title displaying a range of talent and intellect so vast is was hard to tell who would come out on top.
The evening kicked off with a beautiful rendition of the Canadian National Anthem by Alisha Nauth, followed by an opening number giving the audience a first look at the delegates. This years contestants included Andrea Kumar, Kavita Ramsarran, Maya Jacobs, Melanie Singh, Neera Orilall, Nirmala Ramprasad Sibyl Ramdin, Stephanie Jhodhan and Surina Smolsky. Each girl of West Indian heritage brought something unique to the competition, showcasing that they aren’t just pretty faces, but a representation of strong confident women everywhere.
Founder of the Miss West Indian Canadian Pageant, Julie Rambali, has always strived to changed the perspective that most have about pageants, coming away from the idea that they are all about choosing the prettiest girl with the best physique, to finding a girl who has a great personality, natural beauty intelligence inspiration confidence and dignity. Through the WI Canadian pageant, she has created a platform on which these girls are encouraged to pursue their dreams and make a difference in the world.
Always held in conjunction with the WI Can Dance Competition and WI Canadian Expo, there is never a dull moment at Julie’s events, as there is always something happening that’s sure to capture your attention. There were many vendors set up throughout the hall offering different products and services, while the WI Dance competition took to the stage displaying a multitude of talents through the different styles of dance.
As the delegates took to the stage for the talent competition, the audience could not contain their excitement! Roaring cheers erupted throughout the crowd as the ladies put on quite the show with their dancing, painting, and piano skills!
These girls definitely knew how to shake what their momma’s gave them, wowing the audience with their high-energy Bollywood dance performances. The lovely Stephanie, put on a brilliant performance showcasing her passion for dance, with a quick paced dance routine, while Neera stunned with a beautiful and graceful contemporary style performance unveiling one of her own artistically hand painted portraits of the Baby Krishna. Sybil presented the audience with a rendition of John Legend’s ‘All of Me’ on the piano, and Nirmala left the audiences craving more after her engaging Bollywood number topped off with her brilliant smile.
All of the girls brought out their personal best. Andrea, Kavita, Melanie, Maya and Surina also putting on spectacular performances impressing judges with their engaging routines and captivating personalities. Throughout the night the audience was able to enjoy a small pageant put on by the adorable Little Miss WI Canadian girls, dressed in gowns of their own, pampered and taken care of like little princesses throughout the day. They were all awarded their own titles complete with a sash and a crown in recognition that every little girl is a princess at heart. The fashion show showcase presented by Om Deepam had models walking the runway wearing some of the latest in Indian bridal wear, complete with accessories, dazzling the audience with some of the most breathtaking outfits from the East.
As the night progressed, the delegates gracefully took to the stage for the evening gown completion, floating effortlessly and elegantly across the stage in some of the most beautiful evening dresses that suited each of the girl’s personality and providing the perfect accent to their obvious beauty. After narrowing it down to the top six girls, each contestant was asked a question, about the organization they would dedicate their efforts toward if they won the title. All of their answers were intelligently delivered with much thought and passion for the cause that they believed in.
The room was saturated in anticipation as it came down to the final two as Stephanie and Nirmala stood center stage and last year’s Queen Crystal Bankay finally crowned Nirmala Ramprasad as Miss West Indian Canadian 2015! Nirmala has her BA in Political Science from the University of Toronto. She also has her Bachelor of Education from York University. She is currently working as a Behavioral Therapist at ‘The Crystal Ladder Learning Centre,’ and she is the President and co-founder of ‘The Green Dupatta Charitable Organization.’
As the final results came in Stephanie Jhodhan was crowned as 1st runner-up as well as Miss Popularity, Sybil Ramdin 2nd runner-up, Neera Orilall came in as 3rd runner-up, Surina Smolsky as 4th Runner-up and finally Melanie Singh as 5th runner-up. Each girl displayed admirable traits of confidence, courage, poise and strength that is a refection of the true beauty that resides within. They all represented the West Indian community with true determination each symbolizing the many characterizes of what it means to be a West Indian
woman.
