A traveler's tour of Caribana, Toronto's Caribbean Carnival

Caribbean Carnival celebrations, like the one held in Boston depicted here and the Caribana Festival in Toronto, highlight the rich cultural contributions and heritage of nations like Trinidad, Jamaica, Haiti, Barbados and Guyana. Created in 1967, Toronto’s Caribana festival features joyous singing, spirited dancing, colorful costumes and floats traveling down Lake Shore Boulevard at Ontario Place. (Banner file photo)

Shirley Jones-Luke

I can still hear the beats from the steel drums during last month’s Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival. Created in 1967 as part of Canada’s centennial celebration, the festival known as “Caribana” is now in its 41st year, and still very much alive.

The marriage between the celebration and its host city has been a good one, as Toronto is a hybrid of many cultures. There were the double-decker buses that reminiscent of London. There were the towering, New York-esque skyscrapers and a transportation system similar to that of Boston. During my stay, I met people from all across Canada, as well as visitors from Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad.

Caribana was not only a celebration of cultures, but also a celebration of community and unity amongst the various Caribbean countries. People from all over danced in the streets, sang songs and shared in the fellowship of the carnival.

My carnival adventure began at the main gate of Franklin Park. My friend and I arrived, anxious and excited. Everyone was encircling two gentlemen with clipboards stationed at the door of two buses. It soon became apparent that passengers had assigned seats on the buses, and that our bus was not there yet. Several minutes later, our bus arrived, and the driver, Doug, and another gentleman exited. The gentleman was Lonnie Jacks, one of the founders of KIQ Tours and our host for the Caribana trip.

After several hours of sleeping, the morning brought us a few rest stops to stretch our legs and get to know our fellow passengers. Soon, we were once again on our way to upstate New York, where we saw the mist of Niagara Falls.

The drive from the Canadian border to Toronto took an additional hour or so. I had fallen asleep and awakened as we came off the highway into downtown Toronto. Surrounded by office buildings and retail stores, I felt as if I was still at home, driving through downtown Boston’s Financial District.

It was almost 1 o’clock in the afternoon. The sun was shining, the streets were filled, and our hotel, the Delta Chelsea, stood tall and gleaming in the center of it all. The hotel is located in the heart of Toronto’s entertainment and retail areas.

Every room in the Delta Chelsea has a balcony — ours, on the 15th floor, overlooked Yonge Street, the main thoroughfare through downtown Toronto. While the city has an abundance of public transportation options, downtown Toronto is very walkable, and we didn’t have far to walk as Yonge Street provided us with every amenity. There was a 24-hour market behind our hotel, several fast food restaurants, music stores, clothing retailers, a bazaar and the crown jewel of Yonge Street — Toronto Eaton Centre.