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From The Star:
Sunset for Caribana?
Mar. 25, 2006. 06:10 AM
CHRISTIAN COTRONEO
STAFF REPORTER
Predictions of its imminent demise have come annually for years, but this time Caribana — or at least its golden brand name — may truly be dead.
If the Caribbean festival sees a 39th summer in the city, it will have to overcome two key hurdles: the loss of most of its public funding and a vow from its chief performers never to work under the Caribana banner again.
The festival's prime funder, the City of Toronto, is pulling out, probably taking provincial funds with it, since both funds are administered by the city.
That takes $800,000 — the vast bulk of its funding — off the table and leaves the festival's organizer, the Caribbean Cultural Committee, with faint hope for a modest dole-out from Ottawa.
Plus, the Toronto Mas Band Association, which supplies the performers and costumes, refuses to work with them again.
"All I know is that when we as bands, band leaders and so forth — we prepare our costumes, we make our costumes — go down the road, at the end of the journey, we don't get paid," said association president Frankie Ramsaroop.
"We advised the city and told them we're not going to work with them."
But the band group vows to step into the breach with its own event, leaving its former partner with a name and little more.
"As we speak, the festival will be on," Ramsaroop says. "There will be a parade. It will not be called Caribana."
The city's proposed budget, with budget talks set to start Monday, contains $400,000 designated for the band association, should it put in a viable proposal.
But any new festival would be in for competition, with the CCC promising to hold Caribana — a brand name it owns — with or without government backing.
"The CCC is the rightful owner of the festival," says Elsworth James, its public relations chief. "If they don't want to fund us this year, that's their will. They don't have to. But at the end of the day, we should have the right to put on our festival.
"If it means we have to go to court to do that, we're going to do that," he adds, suggesting the group could sue the city. "If they feel they can get away with this travesty, they have another problem on their hands."
In fact, James hopes the current woes will rally the community's support. Caribana, he says, "is the only festival that brings that kind of revenue into the city's economy, and yet we're being treated like we don't belong."
Several private donors have already stepped up, James adds. And outside bands are lining up for the opportunity to perform.
Despite that optimism, some longtime supporters, like Joan Pierre, say it's time for the CCC to step aside.
"I'm embarrassed by that," says the Toronto event manager, who served as Caribana's executive director for seven years until 1993, "that we can't get our act together to make this thing work. But unless we really seriously look at what it is we have to do as a community to make it work, and go out there and try to make it work, it's not going to change."
"There's no reason why they can't do it. Let's face it, the lifeline of the festival is the mas band. Without the costumes, you have no Caribana," she says.
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`I'm embarrassed ... that we can't get our act together to make this thing work'
Joan Pierre, former Caribana director
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The band association may not be any better equipped to handle a marquee event that draws a million people every July, she adds, but at least it will bring a fresh approach.
"There's nothing wrong with giving it to them to manage it," she says. "What we hope, as a community, is that they hire the right people to make it work."
Pierre maintains the heart of the CCC's woes is its board, chosen by a vote of members who join simply by paying $50.
She says the organization needs to screen board candidates to ensure they represent a broad spectrum, with legal, business and publicity skills. "When you have a mix without that sort of thinking, you just get any lay person being on the board," Pierre says. "That's where the mistake is and it will not change unless they change the whole make-up, the structure of the organization, that is stuck in 1967."
Despite its troubled history, Caribana has been a boon.
"It is a big economic generator for the city," says Councillor Joe Mihevc, who's been the city's liaison with Caribana for nine years.
"You cannot get a hotel space for miles around, and the hotel prices are dramatically increased during that period. Toronto is jam-packed. This is a big event in Toronto's summer calendar."
But Mihevc says that as long as Caribana's accounting process is closed, so is the public purse.
In 2004, the CCC failed to give the city a clean audit report, citing the theft of a computer and a turnover in board members.
"Frankly, I went to bat for CCC," Mihevc said. "We got the money in 2005. But the condition by council was they must produce a clean audit."
Mihevc told the committee in no uncertain terms that the city needed a 2005 audit by Jan. 3.
"If you have to photocopy every recipient, if you have to have a hard-copy receipt and a computer receipt, you've got to figure out a system to make sure you have a clean audit at the end of the year," he says. "Because this is public money and we live in a post-Gomery, post-Bellamy world. It's just the way it is."
The CCC says it delivered a qualified audit last week, meaning an accountant could not vouch for its accuracy.
In any case, says James, it's no mystery where the cash goes. In past years, the committee received $275,000 in total from both levels of government, and the Mas Band Association received $405,000. The rest of the $800,000 in total city-provincial funding went to other players.
In recent years, the city has withheld $155,000 of the CCC's allotment, using it to pay Exhibition Place and the police directly.
That leaves $120,000 to cover security, stadium rental, cleanup, hydro and insurance. "Out of that money, we're already in the red $24,500," James says.
And there are still tent, stage and lighting rentals, administration, ferry costs, promotions and prizes to pay for, he adds.
"When you hear this talk that we get all this money, that's a lie. We don't get all that money. The biggest money goes to the band leaders ... and the city never asks them for an audit."
James contends the city is just trying to wrest control from the CCC and drive a wedge into the Caribana community. "They only care about fattening the pockets of those who are reaping benefits from our blood, sweat and tears."
Sunset for Caribana?
Mar. 25, 2006. 06:10 AM
CHRISTIAN COTRONEO
STAFF REPORTER
Predictions of its imminent demise have come annually for years, but this time Caribana — or at least its golden brand name — may truly be dead.
If the Caribbean festival sees a 39th summer in the city, it will have to overcome two key hurdles: the loss of most of its public funding and a vow from its chief performers never to work under the Caribana banner again.
The festival's prime funder, the City of Toronto, is pulling out, probably taking provincial funds with it, since both funds are administered by the city.
That takes $800,000 — the vast bulk of its funding — off the table and leaves the festival's organizer, the Caribbean Cultural Committee, with faint hope for a modest dole-out from Ottawa.
Plus, the Toronto Mas Band Association, which supplies the performers and costumes, refuses to work with them again.
"All I know is that when we as bands, band leaders and so forth — we prepare our costumes, we make our costumes — go down the road, at the end of the journey, we don't get paid," said association president Frankie Ramsaroop.
"We advised the city and told them we're not going to work with them."
But the band group vows to step into the breach with its own event, leaving its former partner with a name and little more.
"As we speak, the festival will be on," Ramsaroop says. "There will be a parade. It will not be called Caribana."
The city's proposed budget, with budget talks set to start Monday, contains $400,000 designated for the band association, should it put in a viable proposal.
But any new festival would be in for competition, with the CCC promising to hold Caribana — a brand name it owns — with or without government backing.
"The CCC is the rightful owner of the festival," says Elsworth James, its public relations chief. "If they don't want to fund us this year, that's their will. They don't have to. But at the end of the day, we should have the right to put on our festival.
"If it means we have to go to court to do that, we're going to do that," he adds, suggesting the group could sue the city. "If they feel they can get away with this travesty, they have another problem on their hands."
In fact, James hopes the current woes will rally the community's support. Caribana, he says, "is the only festival that brings that kind of revenue into the city's economy, and yet we're being treated like we don't belong."
Several private donors have already stepped up, James adds. And outside bands are lining up for the opportunity to perform.
Despite that optimism, some longtime supporters, like Joan Pierre, say it's time for the CCC to step aside.
"I'm embarrassed by that," says the Toronto event manager, who served as Caribana's executive director for seven years until 1993, "that we can't get our act together to make this thing work. But unless we really seriously look at what it is we have to do as a community to make it work, and go out there and try to make it work, it's not going to change."
"There's no reason why they can't do it. Let's face it, the lifeline of the festival is the mas band. Without the costumes, you have no Caribana," she says.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
`I'm embarrassed ... that we can't get our act together to make this thing work'
Joan Pierre, former Caribana director
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The band association may not be any better equipped to handle a marquee event that draws a million people every July, she adds, but at least it will bring a fresh approach.
"There's nothing wrong with giving it to them to manage it," she says. "What we hope, as a community, is that they hire the right people to make it work."
Pierre maintains the heart of the CCC's woes is its board, chosen by a vote of members who join simply by paying $50.
She says the organization needs to screen board candidates to ensure they represent a broad spectrum, with legal, business and publicity skills. "When you have a mix without that sort of thinking, you just get any lay person being on the board," Pierre says. "That's where the mistake is and it will not change unless they change the whole make-up, the structure of the organization, that is stuck in 1967."
Despite its troubled history, Caribana has been a boon.
"It is a big economic generator for the city," says Councillor Joe Mihevc, who's been the city's liaison with Caribana for nine years.
"You cannot get a hotel space for miles around, and the hotel prices are dramatically increased during that period. Toronto is jam-packed. This is a big event in Toronto's summer calendar."
But Mihevc says that as long as Caribana's accounting process is closed, so is the public purse.
In 2004, the CCC failed to give the city a clean audit report, citing the theft of a computer and a turnover in board members.
"Frankly, I went to bat for CCC," Mihevc said. "We got the money in 2005. But the condition by council was they must produce a clean audit."
Mihevc told the committee in no uncertain terms that the city needed a 2005 audit by Jan. 3.
"If you have to photocopy every recipient, if you have to have a hard-copy receipt and a computer receipt, you've got to figure out a system to make sure you have a clean audit at the end of the year," he says. "Because this is public money and we live in a post-Gomery, post-Bellamy world. It's just the way it is."
The CCC says it delivered a qualified audit last week, meaning an accountant could not vouch for its accuracy.
In any case, says James, it's no mystery where the cash goes. In past years, the committee received $275,000 in total from both levels of government, and the Mas Band Association received $405,000. The rest of the $800,000 in total city-provincial funding went to other players.
In recent years, the city has withheld $155,000 of the CCC's allotment, using it to pay Exhibition Place and the police directly.
That leaves $120,000 to cover security, stadium rental, cleanup, hydro and insurance. "Out of that money, we're already in the red $24,500," James says.
And there are still tent, stage and lighting rentals, administration, ferry costs, promotions and prizes to pay for, he adds.
"When you hear this talk that we get all this money, that's a lie. We don't get all that money. The biggest money goes to the band leaders ... and the city never asks them for an audit."
James contends the city is just trying to wrest control from the CCC and drive a wedge into the Caribana community. "They only care about fattening the pockets of those who are reaping benefits from our blood, sweat and tears."