Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival Turns Up The Heat This Summer

Online, June 1, 2011 (Newswire.com) - TORONTO -- The Festival Management Committee (FMC) today announced a new name to the Festival that has captured an audience of more than 1.2 million people annually on the August long weekend: The Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival.

The Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival (STCC) will be back in July with the same line up of events featuring the Toronto Mas Band Association (TMBA), the Organization of Calypso Performing Artists and the Pannists, as well as an array of new programming leading up to the Parade on July 31st.

This is the 44th year for the Parade, and all of the participants are preparing for another major turnout of attendees this summer, said Denise Hererra Jackson, CEO of the FMC. Rebranding ourselves as the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival allows us to move forward with an exciting program that will appeal to members of the community of all ages.

The Festival is an important summer celebration of diversity through arts and culture in Toronto and as such, is important to the roots of this city, said Chris Alexander, CFO of the FMC. The Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival will continue to grow and meet the needs of the attendees, while reinforcing its relationships with the Toronto community, its sponsors and other stakeholders.

In addition to its commitment of title sponsor, Scotiabank also announced $10,000 in prizing to be divided among the TMBA, Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes and the Pannists, based on competitive judging.

Scotiabank's partnership with the FMC opened an exciting new chapter for the Bank given our extensive presence in the Caribbean and the importance of this event to the City, our customers and our employees, this event is a natural fit for us, said John Doig, Scotiabank Senior Vice-President, Toronto Region. Today we have come together to reinforce our support for the Festival Management Committee their decision to rename the Festival, the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival, continues to reflects our diverse and multicultural communities. We're looking forward to a great festival!

The STCC has released the official programme for the summer festivities today, and festival goers will see new additions, including a sports component featuring athletics of the Rugby League. Programme details can be found in the backgrounder and a new name and logo will appear in all marketing materials as well as on the revised interactive website, http://www.torontocaribbeancarnival.com. Join the Facebook group at http://facebook.caribbeanmovement.com.

About the Festival:

The Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival is an exciting three-week cultural explosion of Caribbean music, cuisine, revelry as well as visual and performing arts. Now in its 44th year, it has become a major international event and the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. As Carnival is an international cultural phenomenon, the great metropolis of Toronto and its environs will come alive as the city explodes with the pulsating rhythms and melodies of Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Chutney, Steel Pan and Brass Bands. The Festival Management Committee is responsible for the managing and staging of North America's largest outdoor festival.

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The Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival Office is located at 263 Davenport Avenue, Lower Level; Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5R 1E9. Contact info: Tel: 416-391-5608; Fax: 416-391-5693; Email: [email protected]