The 47th edition of Carifiesta, the flamboyant annual parade of Montreal’s Caribbean communities, will be canceled this summer due to lack of municipal funding.
This is according to the organizers of the event, which normally attracts more than 100,000 people to the streets of the city center each year.
“It’s canceled,” said Everest Blaize, president of the Association of Caribbean Cultural Festivals (AFCC), in a telephone interview with La Presse. “There will be no Carifiesta. They turned down the entire project. »
Mr. Blaize refers to the City of Montreal. In a letter received by the AFCC, the municipal cultural department effectively indicates that the parade “was not selected by the committee” responsible for choosing the events that will benefit from the support of the City. “The evaluation committee had to make choices,” the missive points out.
According to the AFCC, the City of Montreal contributed approximately $30,000 to the Carifiesta each year, which represented “about 70%” of the event’s budget. The City also provided various services and equipment that made the event possible.
“I don’t know why the City refused the request. No one has called me since January 13,” Mr. Blaize continued. ” It’s a lack of respect. »
The City of Montreal did not immediately comment on the situation.
In a press release issued on May 5, announcing the list of cultural events supported by the City for 2023, the Mayor of Montreal was delighted with the significant number of new funded events.
“This year, Montreal is making more room for diversity in all of its event funding,” Ms. Plante said in a statement. “We are very pleased to concretely demonstrate our commitment to festivals that offer the population rich, varied and inclusive cultural entertainment in the 19 boroughs. »
The Carifiesta was to be held on July 8.
“The Carifiesta is a tradition dating back to the days of slavery,” says Tourisme Montreal on its website. “In Trinidad and Tobago, when, three days before Ash Wednesday, the French colonists held a masquerade ball, their slaves were entitled to a day’s rest. They then took the opportunity to celebrate in turn and make fun of their masters. »
