On Aug. 10, 2024, The Waterloo Public Library held its second annual Caribbean carnival at the East Side Branch Library.
The library organized the event with the help of the Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region, who brought instruments, decorations and books to promote their culture. The event lasted from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., with three smaller events: a small impromptu concert with traditional drums and steel pan, a storybook reading and a parade around the library.
The concert involved various musical numbers, including soundtracks, such as “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid. Volunteers from the Caribbean-Canadian Association read The Carnival Prince by Daniel J. O’Brien for the children attending the event. Then, to conclude the carnival, the library staff members and the representatives of the Caribbean-Canadian Association created a parade by forming a long line and marching throughout the library, inviting other library guests and staff to join in.
Lannois Carroll-Woolery, the president of the Caribbean-Canadian Association of Waterloo Region, said they co-partnered with the Waterloo Public Library to contribute some of their culture by providing music, food and much more.
“We’ve always contributed to the cultural mosaic of the region in many different ways,” Carroll-Woolery said.
He said the carnival is an excellent way to entertain and educate the participants on Caribbean music, culture and food. It is a way to relax and introduce another culture to the community.
Caroll-Woolery also said they also co-partnered with the library to make the community more visible to families with either Caribbean connections or Caribbean ancestry who may not be aware of the association operating in the city.
“So, this is a little bit of marketing for us and making the wider community aware of our presence here,” he said.
The event promoted the association in a couple of other ways. First, the event will allow the association to introduce themselves in person to different Caribbean communities in Waterloo, including Jamaica, Trinidad, Saint Lucia and Guyana. It also helps them introduce the community to some of the programs and events held by the Caribbean Association, such as an upcoming event, Caribana. The association can also inform post-secondary students about the ten different scholarship programs the association offers. Besides the carnival, the library has many informal partnerships with the association.
The Caribbean carnival was hosted at the John M. Harper Library last year before coming to the East Side Branch. The carnival changes venues to ensure the association visits and hosts the event at the different library branches in Waterloo.
The carnival is an opportunity to connect with others, especially after
spending so much time in isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anandi Carroll-Woolery, a volunteer at the Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region, stated, “The Waterloo region has seen a big increase in immigration from outside Canada.”
He explained that this is one of the reasons why events such as the Caribbean carnival should happen: to respect multiculturalism.
Even though most of the attendees were primary school children and their parents, Anandi hopes that individuals from other age groups will participate in future events related
to the Caribbean carnival. She said some youths feel disconnected from their Caribbean ancestry and hope to introduce new activities such as robber talk, a form of Caribbean rap battle.
Nancy Yee, the library programmer at the East Side Branch library, said that as a part of the community, the library acts as a hub and is “a good place” to share different cultures and hold events like the Caribbean carnival.
Yee said that cultural associations
play a critical role in hosting events at the library.
“It’s nice to have somebody who is part of that community to be able to come in and partner with us to help guide and create something authentic,” Yee said.
Aside from the Caribbean carnival, the library plans to form partnerships with other communities located in Waterloo to foster relationships and create a culturally accepting community.
The Waterloo Public Library plans to hold more culturally inclusive events, such as The Caribbean carnival and hopes to invite more members of the Waterloo region community to participate.
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