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An event advertised as an “unforgettable day of food, music, culture and community” in Toronto’s Little Jamaica has been cancelled after organizers say they were unable to obtain the necessary city permits.
In a post on Instagram, organizers said the decision to cancel the inaugural Taste of Little Jamaica was made after “careful consideration.”
“While every effort was made to move the event forward, we were ultimately unable to secure all of the approvals required to proceed this year,” organizers said in the post.
“Although we are deeply disappointed, we respect the City’s permitting process and appreciate the time and collaboration of everyone involved.”
The event, scheduled for July 18, was set to feature Caribbean food and marketplace vendors and entertainment.
Lori Beazer, an organizer, said all of the necessary applications were submitted, but “literally, we were racing for time” to put the event together. As well, city resources, in terms of having police available for a street closure, may have been “stretched” due to the FIFA World Cup, she said.
“There’s a whole host of departments that need to be in sync to create this type of street closure or event. We did everything that we could do,” Beazer said.
Staff provided help with planning, city says
Asked by CBC News why the permits weren’t issued, the city said its staff provided organizers with guidance on planning, explored funding opportunities and explained permit and street closure requirements. It said organizers decided on June 12 not to proceed with the event.
A scale-down version was also suggested, but organizers chose not to pursue that option, the city said.
The city said its staff remain in contact with organizers and will provide support if they decide to stage the event next year.
“While the cancellation of the inaugural Taste of Little Jamaica is disappointing for everyone who was looking forward to celebrating the community this summer, residents and visitors can still enjoy a number of exciting events in the neighbourhood,” Pat Tobin, general manager of the city’s economic development and culture division, said.
Those events include the Afro-Caribbean Farmers Market on Sundays starting July 5, the Deh’ya: Rave Yaad block party on July 11, and a night market series on July 25, Aug. 29 and Sept. 26.
The city says the Taste of Little Jamaica was a new event proposed by organizers with the help of the Taste of the Caribbean and Afro-Caribbean Farmers Market. It said organizers aimed to deliver a community-led festival in Little Jamaica outside of the BIA. (Zachary Proulx /CBC)
A similar event, Little Jamaica Festival, organized by the Little Jamaica BIA, was also cancelled last summer due to “funding and permit challenges,” organizers said at the time, but the BIA has indicated it plans to hold it next year.
“City staff, Taste of Little Jamaica organizers and the Little Jamaica BIA will reconvene in September to begin planning early for next year,” Tobin said.
Little Jamaica ‘in a state of emergency’: salon owner
Sheryl Bryan-Phillips, owner of Sheryl’s Caribbean Cuisine, said the event would have brought tourists to the area. She said Little Jamaica is still suffering after the construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, which took 15 years to build and opened earlier this year.
“I was very disappointed because I’m saying it would be good for business, knowing that we’ve been struggling since the LRT,” Bryan-Phillips said. “What’s going on with Little Jamaica? Are we forgotten about? We’re not on the map?”
Phillips said the community is trying to preserve and promote the heritage of Jamaica but it feels like it’s “fading out slowly.”
Jason McDonald, owner of Casual Beauty Salon and BIA chair on leave, said the cancellation is disappointing but not surprising.
He said more than 300 local businesses closed during the construction of the Crosstown. And when the line opened, the prosperity the community hoped for didn’t follow, he said.
“Right now, Little Jamaica is still in a state of emergency. Businesses are closing rapidly,” he said.
Upset with the state of the neighbourhood, McDonald said he has decided to run for city council.
Meanwhile, Beazer said the plan is to organize the same event, Taste of Little Jamaica, for Saturday, July 17, 2027. Organizers will likely begin work on the event at the end of August, she said.