— The City of Brampton has formally proclaimed July as Caribbean Heritage Month, recognising the generations of Canadians of Caribbean origin whose contributions have helped shape one of Canada’s most diverse municipalities while also acknowledging the community advocacy that brought the designation to City Hall.
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By Romeo Kaseram
An LJI Community News Report
Brampton – The City of Brampton has officially proclaimed July as Caribbean Heritage Month, recognising the enduring contributions of Canadians of Caribbean origin and background whose influence continues to enrich the city’s economic, social, political, and cultural life.
Issued by Mayor Patrick Brown on behalf of Brampton City Council, the proclamation celebrates a community whose presence in Canada spans centuries while affirming Brampton’s place among municipalities recognising the growing importance of Caribbean heritage within the country’s multicultural landscape.
In announcing the proclamation, Brown said the month provides an opportunity to celebrate Brampton residents and Canadians of Caribbean origin whose contributions continue to shape the city’s character, while also recognising the work of community advocates dedicated to preserving and promoting Caribbean heritage.
“We also recognise the delegates from Caretakers of Our Culture for their continued work to honour, preserve and share Caribbean heritage in Brampton,” Brown later posted to social media, noting, “Their legacy, leadership, and impact are part of Brampton’s story. Join us in recognising and celebrating Caribbean Heritage Month throughout July.”
The proclamation notes that people from the Caribbean have been arriving in Canada since the 1700s and cites the 2021 Statistics Canada Census, which found that approximately 1.6 million Canadians identify as being of Caribbean origin, many of whom now call Brampton home. It further acknowledges that Canadians of Caribbean heritage have made significant contributions to the nation’s economic, social, political, and cultural fabric.
The designation follows a petition submitted by community organiser Dewitt Lee of Caretakers of Our Culture, an organisation that has worked to preserve and celebrate Caribbean history, traditions, and achievements in Brampton.
Consul General Gerry Hopkin at Grenada’s Consulate General in Toronto praised the City’s decision, describing it as an important acknowledgement of both the community’s historical legacy and its continuing contributions.
“It is with immense pleasure and pride that I applaud the City of Brampton for deciding to proclaim the month of July, Caribbean Heritage Month, in response to the petition made by Community Organiser Dewitt Lee of Caretakers of Our Culture,” Hopkin wrote in a Facebook post.
He said the designation recognises “the past and current contributions of people of Caribbean origins towards the all-around sustainable development of the City of Brampton, and by extension, of Ontario and Canada”.
The City’s proclamation also situates Brampton’s decision within a broader national conversation surrounding recognition of Caribbean heritage. It points to the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, Canada’s largest festival of its kind, which for more than five decades has showcased Caribbean culture while making a significant cultural and economic contribution to the country, including Brampton.
The document further references Bill S-248, introduced in the Senate by Senator Paulette Senior, which seeks to establish Caribbean Heritage Month across Canada.
Bill S-248 is currently in the Senate, having passed its second reading, and been referred to the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology.