THE L’Amoreaux grounds were transformed into a magical `little Guyana’ over the past weekend as thousands of Guyanese turned out to enjoy the Guyana Independence celebrations in Toronto.

The eighth Guyana Independence Festival was held during the May 16-18 weekend at L’Amoreaux Community Recreation Centre, 2000 McNicoll Avenue, Toronto. The Festival, organised to commemorate the 37th anniversary of Guyana’s independence, proved yet again, to be the major Guyanese attraction in Toronto and the largest annual gathering of Guyanese out of Guyana, attracting more than 20,000 people.

According to a press release from the Guyana Consulate in Toronto, the Festival was “an awesome whole of beautiful strands of Guyanese heritage intricately woven together into an amazingly perfect living caricature of all things Guyanese.”

“The weekend has certainly reaffirmed the national faith and resilience of the Guyanese people and the continued love, commitment and enthusiasm shared by the overseas communities toward nation building,” the release added.

Consul General Danny Doobay said the festival was a result of a “great partnership among the Consulate, our business community, our unity organisations and leaders, and the thousands of Guyanese who continue to support us each year”. The Guyana Festival Committee comprises 42 Guyanese organisations collaborating under the aegis of the Guyana Consulate.

Several dignitaries and many prominent Guyanese and Guyanese organisations participated in the celebrations. Among the participants this year were Minster of Tourism, Trade and Industry, Mr. Manzoor Nadir; Guyana’s High Commissioner to Canada, Mr. Rajnarine Singh, Consul General Doobay, representatives from the CARICOM Consular Corps of Toronto, and the Toronto City Council, including the Patron of the Festival, Guyanese born Councillor Sherene Shaw. Many others came from across Canada and the United States.

The Festival attracted the largest participation from Guyana this year, including members of the national cricket team, representatives of the Amerindian Community and the Resorts and Hospitality Industry. The Festival also attracted participation from the Camptown Soccer team from Brooklyn, New York.

According to the release, High Commissioner Singh kicked off the Festival with a Tourism seminar on Friday, May 16 under the theme `Guyana - A new and exciting nature and adventure destination’. Minister Nadir, who represented the government at the weekend celebrations, made a compelling case for the tourism industry in Guyana. He listed tourism as the fourth largest foreign exchange earner in Guyana. He shared with the audience his vision of making the tourism industry a more vibrant one.

The Minister lauded the efforts of the Consulate of Guyana in Toronto for its pioneering tourism drive. He acknowledged that the Consulate alone has produced more tourism material on Guyana than the combined efforts of all the other tourism related agencies. Nadir also expressed special appreciation to the Consulate for its organisation of various Familiarisation (FAM) trips to Guyana.

The Conference focused on marketing Guyana’s tourism products both in the Guyanese communities, as well as, in the broader Canadian society. The participants included travel agents, tour operators, travel writers, as well as Guyanese organisations and nationals. Several Tour Operators were given the opportunity to promote their resorts and tours. Captain Gerry Gouveia, President, Tourism and Hospitality Association (THAG), also made a presentation on the tourism sector, citing the Public and Private Sector’s unified approach in the promotion drive, which has identified North America as a major potential supporter. Canada is home to almost 200,000 Guyanese, most of whom reside in the Greater Toronto area. The seminar was co-sponsored by BWIA.

The seminar was followed by the prestigious Independence Awards Dinner, which was a “sold out” event held at the Elite Banquet Hall. The awards recognise the contributions of nations in the promotion of Guyana, Guyanese heritage and culture. This year’s awards were presented to:

1. The Honourable Mr. Justice Vibert Lamkin of the Ontario Court who

was born in Kitty, Georgetown. He was presented with the `Special Achievement Award’ in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments in the field of Law, and in appreciation of his consistent support for and contributions to Guyana.

2. Guyana Christian Charities. This stalwart Guyanese Organisation copped the `Most Outstanding Organisation’ award in recognition of more than three decades of selfless service to Guyana and the Guyanese community in Canada, and in appreciation of the organisation’s exemplary contributions to the Guyana Festival.

3. Norman Sue. Guyanese born Mr. Sue of Norman Sue Bakery received the `Most Outstanding Business Person’ award in recognition of this outstanding accomplishment in the field of Business, and in appreciation of his steadfast support for the Guyanese community in Canada.

4. Jennifer Sohan. Popular Guyanese singer Jennifer Sohan copped the `Community Volunteer Award’ in recognition of her generous commitment, dedication and service to the Guyanese community in Canada.

5. Bernie Serrao and the Ramblers. This Guyanese musical band was awarded the `Culture and Heritage Award’ in recognition of their distinguished contribution to Guyanese music and culture over the past 50 years, and in appreciation of their generous support for the Guyanese community in Canada.

6. The Consul General’s Award was won by Frank Fernandes of Toronto Auxiliary Police in recognition of his outstanding efforts to promote more purposeful linkages between the Guyanese community and the wider Canadian society, and in appreciation of his unwavering support for community-based activities.

The celebrations continued on Saturday, May 17 with the flag-raising ceremony followed by a grand festival, encompassing diverse entertainment, food, tourism, and heritage displays, arts and crafts, dominoes and soccer.

Several officials, representing the City of Toronto and the CARICOM Consular Corps participated in the flag-raising ceremony, which was highlighted by the invigorating beat of tassas, African drumming and steel pan much. Things came to a brief halt as an inexplicable feeling of patriotism transcended the atmosphere when the Golden Arrowhead was hoisted to flow majestically in the golden sunshine over Toronto.

“At that moment, it was made crystal clear that the many obstacles facing our Nation would never deter Guyana’s sons and daughters from forever paying homage to their sacred motherland,” the release noted.

The powerful combination of tassas and drums led the way into the Centre, which was beautifully decorated in all shades and hues of Guyana. Guyanese cuisine was on sale throughout the weekend. Patrons enjoyed the spectacular art and craft and tourism displays, as well as the authentic Amerindian crafts which were showcased by the visiting contingent.

A highlight of the festivities was the three sizzling cultural shows, cosponsored by Metrocap Financial, celebrating Guyanese heritage through drama, music, dance, story telling, poetry and comedy. This show was thoroughly enjoyable, professionally organized and featured top Guyanese star entertainers, such as Pamela Maynard, Savitri Persaud, Donna Makeda, Muntaz Alli, Monty Hamma, the Crooner, Country Kenny, the Ramblers, the Raj Kumari and the Kamelo Dance Groups.

The winner of the 2003 Miss Body Beautiful contest, Alana Pollard also delighted the audience with her special guest posing appearance at the Festival. Her visit was part of a promotion organized by the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) 2004 championships committee of the Guyana Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation in conjunction with the Consul General’s office in Toronto.

Another highlight of the Festival was the visit of a team of our native Amerindian people. Eight members of the Pakuri Lokonos Group participated in the Festival. The Group, including the Calypso Monarch performed a number of native songs and dances at the culture show, in addition to mounting a display of Amerindian arts and crafts.

Quick thinking by the Soccer Organisers ensured that the Soccer was a success. The match was moved to another ground with three teams participating, including Camptown of Brooklyn, Camptown went on to defeat both the Wrigley’s and the G/T veterans of Toronto. The visiting team expressed appreciation to the Committee for their pleasant weekend and is already looking forward to returning next year.

Seven teams vied for the coveted El Dorado Dominoes Tournament trophy in another well-organised competition, which was played on the L’Amoreaux grounds on Saturday. When the matches were all over, the Hustlers copped the 2003 championships.

Sunday at the ground was fun-filled extravaganza despite the disappointment of the wet ground, which resulted in the cancellation of the Celebrity Cricket Match, cosponsored by Western Union. However, the wetness of the L’Amoreaux grounds did not stop the thousands who turned up for the cricket match from thoroughly enjoying Guyanese music, exquisite cuisine and true Guyanese ambiance.

Sunday morning began with an interfaith service under the theme `Building Bridges’. The service remains a most significant part of the Festival and was well attended. Inspiring presentations were made by representatives of the Christian, Islamic, Bahai and Hindu religions. All the speakers prayed for national peace and love to prevail in Guyana. Bajans, hymns and national songs were rendered. A reception featuring special foods prepared for religious ceremonies followed.

An exhilarating Softball match between the East and West division of the Ontario Softball League was played on Sunday. The East Division managed a last minute victory taking the El Dorado Softball championship for the second year in succession.