MEDIA ADVISORY - SATURDAY GRAND PARADE - TORONTO CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Mitzie Hunter, Laura Albanese, Marco Mendicino, John Tory, Police Chief Saunders and many others will kick-off Saturday’s Grand Parade

 

The media are invited to join the Honourable Mitzie Hunter, MPP Minister of Education + Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism, Laura Albanese, MPP Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Michael Chan, MPP Minister of International Trade, MP Marco Mendicino, Mayor John Tory Police Chief Saunders, and many others for the 2016 Toronto Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade launch this Saturday.

 

The Grand Parade is the highlight of the three-week Festival and is expected to draw over a million people. This year ‘s Parade Route is the same as in 2915. The Parade will travel the width of the Exhibition Place before going west on Lakeshore Blvd. 

 

 

What:               The 2016 Toronto Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade ribbon cutting ceremony & start of Grand     Parade.

                        Significant lowering of fences along Lakeshore

 

Who:                12 masquerade bands with 16,000 revellers in costume

A million+ spectators and fans

 

When:              Saturday, July 30th

                         9.45 a.m. – Ribbon cutting ceremony            

                        10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. – Grand Parade

 

Where:             Exhibition Place (admission fees apply)

                         Lakeshore Blvd. (free)            

 

For more information about the Parade route, viewing areas and events, please visit the Festival’s official website at www.torontocaribbeancarnival.com. 

 

About Toronto Caribbean Carnival

 

The Toronto Caribbean Carnival is an exciting three-week cultural explosion of Caribbean music, cuisine, and revelry as well as visual and performing arts. It is a major international event and the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. As Carnival is an international cultural phenomenon, the city of Toronto and the Greater Toronto region will come alive with the pulsating rhythms and melodies of Calypso, Soca, Salsa, Zouk, Reggae, Chutney, Steel Pan and Brass Bands celebrating the Carnival of the Americas. The Festival Management Committee oversees the running of North America's largest outdoor festival.

Corporate sponsors / partners of this year's festival include: OLG, The Toronto Star, CTV, CP-24, the Federal Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, the City of Toronto, Tourism Toronto, Grace Kennedy Foods, the Ontario Science Centre, Exhibition Place, Malvern Town Centre, and Porter Airlines.

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For more information about the programmes and events, please visit the festival's official website at www.torontocaribbeancarnival.com. The Festival Office is located at 19 Waterman Avenue, Toronto. Contact info: Tel: 416-391-5608;   Email: info@torontocaribbeancarnival.com.

 

Media Contacts

 

Stephen Weir

Toronto Caribbean Carnival Publicist

Phone 416-489-5868

Cell: 416-801-3101

Email: Stephen@stephenweir.com

 

Craigg Slowly

Toronto Caribbean Carnival Publicist

647-572-2314

 

CHURCH SERVICE SUNDAY OPENS FESTIVAL

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Invitation to the Media and the Public

The media and the public are invited to attend the opening service of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival 2016 Festival at the Anglican Church of the Nativity, July 10th, 2016 at 10.30am.  Following the service light refreshments will be served.  

The Anglican Church welcomes visitors of all faiths and religions.  It will be an Anglican Service that will be celebrated.  This is a Free Event.

The Church is located in Malvern at 10 Sewells Road, Scarborough, Ontario. Parking is limited, however you may park in the Malvern Mall across from the Labels store.

About Toronto Caribbean Carnival

The Toronto Caribbean Carnival is an exciting three-week cultural explosion of Caribbean music, cuisine, and revelry as well as visual and performing arts. It is a major international event and the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. As Carnival is an international cultural phenomenon, the city of Toronto and the Greater Toronto region will come alive with the pulsating rhythms and melodies of Calypso, Soca, Salsa, Zouk, Reggae, Chutney, Steel Pan and Brass Bands celebrating the Carnival of the Americas. The Festival Management Committee oversees the running of North America's largest outdoor festival.

Corporate sponsors / partners of this year's festival include: OLG, The Toronto Star, CTV, CP-24, the Federal Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, the City of Toronto, Tourism Toronto, Grace Kennedy Foods, the Ontario Science Centre, Exhibition Place, Malvern Town Centre, and Porter Airlines.

For more information about the programmes and events, please visit the festival's official website at www.torontocaribbeancarnival.com. The Festival Office is located at 19 Waterman Avenue, Toronto. Contact info: Tel: 416-391-5608; Email: info@torontocaribbeancarnival.com.

For media inquires:

Stephen Weir Toronto Caribbean Carnival Publicist

Phone 416-489-5868

Cell: 416-801-3101

Email: Stephen@stephenweir.com

COMPETITION BEGINS FOR THE JUNIOR CHEF OF THE 2016 TORONTO CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL

NEWS: COMPETITION BEGINS FOR THE JUNIOR CHEF OF THE 2016 TORONTO CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL

Think your child has got what it takes to be the first Junior Chef of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival? The Carnival and Grace Foods is asking junior chefs to put on their thinking toque blanches and wow the Carnival celebrity chef consultant Latoya Fagon with a recipe suitable for summer!

Children between the ages of 11 and 16 are eligible to take part in the Toronto Carnival's Junior Chef Culinary Competition The deadline for entries is June 23rd

“The competition provides a platform for young aspiring chefs to demonstrate their culinary skills and promote passion for healthy eating and lifestyle,” explained Denise Hererra-Jackson, the CEO of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. “The competition is aimed at spreading Caribbean Gastronomic Culture by using local products with Caribbean flavours inspired by Grace Foods.”

Junior chefs must come up and cook a healthy choice recipe that uses at least one healthy Grace Product. The meal option is for lunch or dinner.

Ten junior chefs will be selected by the competition’s consulting celebrity chef
La-toya Fagon by June 27th to move on to a qualifying round where they, with professional help, will cook their recipes.

After the live qualifying round, three contestants will be selected to go to the Finals which will require a second grilling recipe for presentation on stage, July 16th (1-5pm) at the Toronto Caribbean Carnival’s Junior Carnival. The Parade and Junior Carnival takes place in Neilson Park, in Malvern (Scarborough).

The winning chef receives a $500 cash prize. Second place receives $250 and third place gets $150. For rules and information about the competition visit: here: http://www.juniorchef.ca/. A full list of Grace Foods’ products is available on www.gracefoods.ca

Junior Carnival Parade/ Family Day July 16, 2016. This will be the biggest children's parade ever! The free Junior Carnival Parade will take place in and around Neilson Park in the Malvern community. Over 2,500 children will perform for the judges and play Mas. Games, food, Calypso and Pan performances in the Park after the parade. 10 a.m to 8 p.m.

For media inquires: Stephen Weir, Toronto Caribbean Carnival Publicist, 416-489-5868, Cell: 416-801-3101, Email: Stephen@stephenweir.com;

Sikh Heritage Month About To End In Ontario - Brampton Art Gallery the place to be - Media Alert

MEDIA ALERT

Attention Assignment Desks, Arts & Entertainment Editors

Sikh Heritage Month Closing Night Celebration.

Saturday April 30 from 6 – 10 p.m.

WHO:	Singh Street Style. Tom Smart exhibition curator.  Marty Brent PAMA manager.  Members of the Sikh Heritage Month Committee. Artists. Performers. Politicians
WHAT:	Sikh Entertainment filled closure to Sikh Heritage Month. Closing Night Celebration Singh Twins Retrospective Art Show, Dhole drumming, performances in the courtroom, Gatka demonstrations in the parking lot (weather permitting) Kirtan music and workshops, art showdown and more. FREE
WHERE:	PAMA
	9 Wellington St East
	Brampton, ON K2T 0K5
WHEN:	Saturday, April 30. 6pm  – 10pm
WHO:	Accredited journalists, videographers, photographs, bloggers and social media practitioners.  Press interviews  in English and Punjabi.

ABOUT PAMA

PAMA is a place to explore and learn about Peel Region’s culture and heritage, as well as use conversation, questions and stories to help make new and fascinating connections to the surrounding community. Throughout the year, PAMA offers a variety of workshops and programs for all ages, families and adults. With so many different programs to choose from, PAMA has something for everyone. Operated by the Region of Peel, PAMA is located at 9 Wellington St. E. in Brampton. Visit pama.peelregion.ca to learn more.

FURTHER INFO:

Erin Fernandes

Marketing Co-ordinator

Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives

905-791-4055, ext. 7596

Erin.fernandes@peelregion.ca

 or 

stephen@stephenweir.com

What is Happening to Customer Service At American Airlines?

What is Happening to Customer Service At American Airlines?

A friend of mine is pressing American Airlines over problems he had with a Toronto to Santa Fe flight and back. He has been up and down the chain of command at American Airlines, but with no results. He shared his letter of complaint with me. I have removed one paragraph and removed one name, still makes for interesting reading!

Douglas Parker
Chairman and CEO

Dear Douglas Parker:

I have always been a fan of American Airlines ever since I went down to Cambridge, Massachusetts as a graduate student. American stood for quality, efficiency, and reliability. Last week we took American Airlines from Toronto to Albuquerque, and enroute there and back we experienced so many problems that I feel the need to report them to you.
My partner and I left for Albuquerque – enroute to Santa Fe – on AA 1038 to Dallas on Thursday, July 2nd. The flight arrived early, and we waited the necessary three hour at the gate of our connecting flight AA 5721. As the time went by, there was no sign for us at B2, from where we were scheduled to leave at 4:50. At 5 o’clock, we were informed that we were leaving from B49 at 5:20. We raced over there only to sit and wait. The plane was delayed – it was further delayed – then at 7:10, we were informed that the crew had not appeared, and so the flight was cancelled. We could go to B40 to arrange for flights the next day.
At B40 I was informed – after waiting in line for much more than an hour – that we were on a flight the next day. The uninformed agent then gave me a meal voucher and a voucher for a room. “Where is the Ramada?” I asked. Suniura, the agent at Gate 40, replied simply and briefly, “I don’t know!!!” So much for aid or help.
We took a taxi to the VERY substandard Ramada – eighteen miles from the airport. The furniture was too slimy to sit in – there was no restaurant open – there were no stores in the immediate or distant vicinity where we could even buy toothpaste and a toothbrush. After waiting half an hour for service, we decided to leave – we took a taxi back to the Grand Hyatt and spent the rest of the night there. (I enclose the bill for the Hyatt – including the telephone calls we had to make about meetings in Santa Fe the next day. I also enclose the unused voucher for the dreadful Ramada.)
At breakfast the next morning we used the dinner and breakfast vouchers, paying the remaining $19.00. Given flight arrival, baggage claim, shuttle to the rental car company, and obtaining the rental, we arrived at our destination –eighteen hours later than scheduled. It goes without saying no only were these eighteen unpleasant hours but they were also eighteen hours that have been forcibly removed from a packed agenda.
Enroute back from Santa Fe and Albuquerque, we were scheduled to take AA 2511 to Dallas to transfer to 2308 to Toronto on July 6th. We arrived at the airport two hours ahead of time, yet faced another series of delays due to mechanical failures. Eventually the woman at the desk said that “Due to mechanical difficulties,” the plane would not take off. We were instructed that we needed to line up to receive bookings for subsequent flights! Should we count ourselves lucky that we received flights the next day – along with some new coupons! Others were not as fortunate.
Going to retrieve our luggage, I listened as the man in front of me addressed the agent at the American luggage office. He told her, “I find it disgusting that American has gone so downhill!” She replied automatically, “I can only agree with that view!”
And so we went off to the Best Western, arming ourselves with a car (receipt enclosed) for the evening. (Bill was $64.19 plus $3.00 for gas.)
At dinner that night, we spent a grand total of $67.71 – and the fine restaurant refused to take your dinner voucher. We were given no voucher for breakfast.
The next morning we arrived at the airport at 5:30 am. for flight 3071, departing Albuquerque for Chicago at 6:50 a.m.. With our prechecked tickets, we waited in line for almost an hour to receive our bag tags. The woman on duty was dealing with one customer for thirty minutes! When I went up to her and said we had to get to our gate, she snarled back, “I am only a trainee!” I managed to get my bags checked through another agent! The trainee was still plodding. One woman behind us said, “I will never travel American again!” Another said that she had been three days trying to get from the Dominican Republic to somewhere further – and she wondered just what was happening! There was open hostility at the airport – grumblings, complaints, exasperation!
When we finally reached Toronto – six days after departing and two days ruined by air travel – we picked up our car a day late. (That cost of an additional day amounts to $25.60. or $20.00 American.)
I do not understand what has happened to American Airlines. We were rudely treated. We never heard an apology for all these cancellations. I was and am aghast.
I enclose all the bills for our abortive trip, coming to a total of $459.04. I would be grateful if you would pay this amount – the least when you consider all the missed appointments, meetings, and other important happenings.

Sincerely,
David Staines