BY SARA MILLER
The people of Dominica and St. Lucia will be reunited once again to celebrate the commencement of Creole Month in Canada. Hosted by the Commonwealth of Dominica, Ontario Association (CDOA) and the St. Lucia Toronto Association (SLTA), the showcase event entitled Two Islands: One Culture – A Creole Extravaganza is expected to draw not only a full house of attendees but also a host of patrons from the Commonwealth of Dominica, St. Lucia and Caribbean diaspora. A night that guarantees to give guests a first hand cultural experience into the Dominica and St. Lucia culture, the highlight of the night will be the pageantry of St. Lucia meets Dominica Madame Wob Creole competition. In this unique competition, six young women, three from the Dominica and three from St. Lucia, will vie for the title of Madam Wob Creole. In attendance will be the reigning Madame Wob Creole Hernica Dorival-Corriette of Roseau, Dominica who will crown the winner of the competition. The cultural extravaganza will also include cultural dance performances as well as a mix of music from both islands provided by DJ Velo from Dominica and DJ Toxic from St. Lucia. After working up an appetite on the dance floor, a delicious array of Caribbean foods and drinks will be served and made available for consumption.
The Commonwealth of Dominica, Ontario Association was established in 1970 and aims to maintain an organization that helps Ontario residents who are of the Commonwealth of Dominica origin or descent. The goal(s) of the organization include: establishing and maintaining a cultural centre for people of Dominica origin or descent in Ontario, preservation of Dominica traditions and sponsoring literary, musical and other educational events for the Ontario resident of Commonwealth of Dominica descent. Spanning over forty-six years, the St. Lucia Toronto Association has been the leading voice of preserving and promoting the cultural traditions, heritage and languages of the island of St. Lucia. Dedicated to the people of St. Lucia, the non-for-profit organization runs several projects that enhance education, health and development for children in disadvantaged situations. The two organizations like the two nations have a long-standing history collaborating on several projects and efforts in the past including the celebration of His Grace Cardinal Felix in Scarborough as well as establishing the first Journen Creole (Creole Day), a festival held every October in Creole-speaking countries since 1984 to increase awareness and celebrate pride in their heritage and culture.
Two Islands: One Culture – A Creole Extravaganza will take place on October 1, 2016 at the Latvian Hall located at 4 Credit Union Drive, Toronto, ON. Show starts at 6:30pm. For further information, please contact Ross Cadasse at (416) 432-0239 or Hetty Lawrence at (647) 702-6831.
