Cariwest Festival in Edmonton
Since it began in the 1980s, the Edmonton Cariwest
Festival, sponsored by the
Western Caribbean Development Association (WCDA), has taken place
at different times and in in various locations. In
1998, however, the organizers relocated the festival
route to Edmonton's main street, Jasper Avenue. This move downtown
and sunny August weather has increased the festival's profile and,
importantly, has contributed to the vitality of Edmonton's downtown
core, which resulted in a 1998 Downtown Development Award nomination
from Edmonton's Downtown Development Association (Edmonton
Downtown Development Corporation 1997-1998 Annual Report, 1999).
"It Is Community Oriented
and I Do Enjoy That!" For
her work on carnival costumes, Jean Walrond Patterson
interviewed many people about Cariwest. As she recalls, "one
young person recognized that the
parade provided opportunities for family and friends to meet and
reinforce relationships. This sentiment is also expressed by
adults. One person extended the idea and said that in general it
was good that the community got together because it reinforced a
sense of community," Walrond continues.
"People from the Caribbean tend to live in all
areas of metropolitan Edmonton. This may be because they
understand and function in English, the working language of the
area and they do not encounter the language barrier that other
visible minority immigrants face. Evidently communities must not
only evolve by virtue of a common language. There is always a
need
to meet others who share similar customs even though you may have
different ethnic backgrounds," she says.
"The annual event is one opportunity
to assemble at a particular venue where everyone there has a
common interest and through communication further friendships can
be established," Walrond adds. "The parade is a magnet which attracts individuals
together but it is the gatherings during and after the parades
that influence community togetherness. After the parade there is a
picnic in the park with people 'liming' and children
enjoying the freedom of the outdoors. This atmosphere predominates
amidst a planned program of events, along with activities at the
concessions stands and beer garden."
Heritage Community Foundation Presents
![Cariwest](javascript:DynaPop('Cariwest Parade','images/digital/CWEST2_det.jpg','"Surface dwellers from the deep blue sea", a design by Fitzgerald Defreitas of Seattle/Vancouver is seen in the 1999 Cariwest parade on 108th Street.',10,1))
)
![Bridges](javascript:DynaPop('Cariwest Parade','images/digital/BRIDGE2_det.jpg','Non-caribean who is very involved in making the costumes, is pictured here in costume. She is from the band "Earth, Wind and Fire" by T & T Cultural Association, Edmonton, Alberta, in 1999.',10,1))
