RBC asked students applying to college or university to tell us their story of how black Canadians have helped define Canada’s diverse heritage. Today’s essay is about how black Canadians from all walks of life have helped define Canada’s diverse heritage.

For the second year in a row, Centennial College, through its award-winning School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culture department, will be an integral participant in the widely popular event.

“#ThatsWhatSheSaid”: Sway Magazine’s Online Recap of Current Events. This week: will Air Canada strike and the Caribbean Carnival saga continues

Caribana, the celebration of Caribbean culture that brings more than a million people to the streets of Toronto each summer, has a new name.

Last Thursday, the Ontario Superior Court ruled that it can no longer use the name Caribana because it is trademarked by a group that founded the festival, but no longer runs it.

Check out our photo gallery from the Caribana Parade at Exhibition Place on July 31, 2010.

Two-year-old Christina Thomas went to De Caribana Lime party at Ontario Place and, oh yes, she brought the cute. Big brown eyes, brown dress down to chubby knees, hands in the air, distracted only for a moment by the puddle a few feet away.

The sights and sounds of Saturday’s Caribana parade were enough to bring a smile to any face. Especially one covered in sparkles.
“She likes to dance,” Latasha Coombs said, smiling with glittery lips as her one year old daughter did her best booty shake between swigs of her sippy cup.

For many of the night’s contestants, playing mas was all about family pride – celebrating Caribbean heritage. Sway caught up with a few of the male and female individual competitors backstage.

“Although the Toronto Police Service has been involved with the Caribana community for quite some time, we decided it was time to take things a step further,” says 53 Division superintendent Sam Fernandes. “This is the first time we decided to get involved with the mas band, where we get young kids to design and develop their own costumes.”