Promises to deliver; there are some changes happening with the Toronto Caribbean Carnival

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“We look forward to the strategic leadership that Aneesa Oumarally will provide in developing the 53rdToronto Caribbean Carnival!” Joe Halstead, Chairman of the Festival Management Committee.

Now that we are finally winding down from the mid-summer celebration we in Toronto like to call the Toronto Caribbean Carnival (formerly known as Caribana), the team that is responsible for the festivities are now reflecting, and thinking about ways that they can continue to make it a memorable experience for visitors and the community.

The Toronto Caribbean Carnival is organized and produced by a Festival Management Community. This is a group of individuals that are responsible for how we the community experience the festival. This is a huge responsibility because the Canadian Caribbean community inspires and gives life to the Toronto Caribbean Carnival Festival, and is comprised of Canadians with heritage taken from: Barbados, Bahamas, Guyana, Grenada, Jamaica, Haiti, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the other countries of the Caribbean. What some may not know is that Caribbean immigrants established the festival in 1967 as part of Canada’s 100th anniversary celebrations, and was considered a cultural gift to Canada.

In the need to honour past, present, and future Caribbean immigrants, changes must occur in order to keep up with the times, and also respect our beautiful and historic culture. The Board of Directors of the Festival Management Committee (FMC), the producers of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival (TCC) has appointed Mrs. Aneesa Oumarally as the organizations Chief Executive Officer (CEO).  Some of her responsibilities will include streamlining the overall operation of the festival, and working closely with: corporate institutions, government, and individuals within the public and private sectors, all in the efforts to deliver another successful Toronto Caribbean Carnival. So, who exactly is Mrs. Aneesa Oumarally?

Aneesa Oumarally is no stranger to the Toronto Caribbean Carnival; as a current board member of the (FMC), Oumarally has been responsible for providing oversight as Chair of the Governance Committee for the 2019 Toronto Caribbean Carnival (TCC). Having practiced law in Ontario over the last two decades, Oumarally brings a wealth of knowledge in business management, and has been involved in corporate commercial, real estate and civil litigation cases appearing before most levels of court, including the Ontario Court of Appeal as lead counsel.

Her work is seen at the community level as well; she has been involved in projects that provide free confidential legal advice and representation to low and modest income South Asians living in Ontario. Her ability to work with individuals in many different contexts and situations is one of the reasons why she was a natural choice when choosing the new CEO. Her community involvement, legal intelligence, and business management skill will allow her to work closely with the Board of Directors to assist them in achieving the overall objectives of the organization. Community, let’s take this time to welcome Aneesa Oumarally, and let her know that we are looking forward to the work she will do in attracting new visitors to the city for the 2020 Toronto Caribbean Carnival.