Every year, the Caribana parade brightens Toronto streets with a colourful parade of costumes, floats, and music, celebrating West Indian culture.
Every year, people drive up and down Yonge Street the Friday night before in an unofficial Caribana parade, stereos blaring.
Every year, someone gets shot in a gang-related incident during Caribana.
Every year, the Caribana organizing committee threatens to cancel the whole event unless the city fronts them more money.
Every year, the city coughs up at the last minute for fear of being labelled racist.
This year might be different, if the city really sticks to its guns (like the parade spectators).
Can you imagine the city ever pulling out its funding for the Gay Pride Parade? Didn't think so. In the calculus of political correctness, sexuality now trumps race.
Perhaps Caribana should reinvent itself as the Batty Man Festival. The city fathers would dump a truckload of cash on them right away.
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I would like to see the City of Toronto pull it's funding from most of the cultural events such as Caribana and the Gay Pride celebrations. Not because they aren't worthy, but because they have both become events that should be self-sustaining through private sponsors. The city could still be involved by providing permits, etc. at no charge since they will more than make up those costs through different taxes (hotel, etc.)
If these events cannot survive without getting taxpayers money after all this time then they are not worth sustaining. This reliance on public money to fund "Canadian Culture" only serves to highlight just how shallow our culture is. Culture comes from the people wanting to celebrate their heritage, and if that can only happen because of governments funding, then it really isn't much to celebrate, is it?
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