Brampton Centre MPP continues public consultations on establishing Caribbean Heritage Month

Community members excited to give input on a designated month to celebrate Caribbean peoples’ contributions

Queen’s Park – Last week, the NDP MPP for Brampton Centre, Sara Singh, held the second of several consultations her office is hosting in order to gather input on establishing a Caribbean Heritage Month in Ontario.

“We had an engaging discussion with members of the Caribbean community who are excited to participate in the consultation process, and to provide input on a designated month that will recognize the contributions of people of Caribbean descent in the province,” Singh said.

Singh held an initial public consultation at Queen’s Park on Oct. 10, and the second in Brampton, on Oct. 24. The third consultation is scheduled for Nov. 1, and will be held in Scarborough.

Angela Johnson, President of Carabram, a festival that celebrates Brampton’s diverse ethnic communities one of the city’s biggest celebration of multiculturalism and diversity, said:

“I appreciate the consultation process that MPP Singh is undertaking with the Caribbean community to consider a provincial Caribbean Heritage Month. As Caribbean culture is diverse and varied, it is important to reach out to a number of Caribbean organizations and members of the community for valued input that is reflective of their experiences.”

Rebekah Gosyne, a young community leader in Brampton who is of Trinidadian heritage, added, “It was an important discussion, because an established month would provide young Canadians of Caribbean descent an opportunity to learn about their roots and to celebrate our rich history.”

Singh is encouraging members of the Caribbean community to provide feedback on a potential heritage month in the upcoming weeks.

Attendees can register online for the last consultation meeting in Scarborough. Members of the community are also invited to take part in an online survey to help inform the consultation process.