The City of Toronto is working with a Mas band group to put on this year's version of Caribana despite the Caribbean Cultural Committee's demands to continue staging the popular summer festival.
By Zen RurykCaribbean Cultural Committee (CCC), which owns the rights to the name Caribana, is at odds with City Hall over who will stage this year's festival.
Councillor Joe Mihevc, the city's pointman for the festival, said although council has final say on the matter, Toronto officials are working with the Toronto Mas Bands Association (TMBA) to put on the event, which attracts huge crowds to the city.
Plans call for this year's festival to be renamed "Toronto Caribbean Carnival," TMBA chairman Frank Ramsaroop said.
City officials decided to to cut out the CCC as organizer of the festival because the group failed to submit an audit for last year.
"The city, working with the TMBA, is putting together a festival management committee," said Mihevc. "The festival management committee will have the responsibility of carrying out the overall management of this year's festival and also setting in place the new or renewed structure for the 40th anniversary -- which is next year -- and beyond."
Mihevc said that city bureaucrats are now reviewing the TMBA's application to put on the festival.
"They will set the broad vision and the budget. At the end, they will be responsible for the audit, as well," he said.
Mihevc said he expects city council to earmark about $400,000 to put on the festival and for the provincial government to match that contribution.
CCC chairman Monica Pollard said yesterday that her organization still wants to put on this year's festival.
