The Festival Management Committee (FMC) which has been running the Toronto Caribbean carnival for the last ten years, has confirmed that it will be will be putting on the 2017 carnival.

Chris Alexander,  the FMC’s Chief Operating Officer told the Caribbean Camera that his organization is moving ahead with plans for  the carnival next summer.

But it is not clear  what role, if any, the Caribanaa Arts Group (CAG) will play in  the running of this year’s festival..

Last year the FMC has proposed to promote the Toronto carnival by its brand name  ” Caribana” and that  both the FMC and the GAC  would work  together in putting on the 2017 festival.

But talks between  the FMC and the CAG are reported to have broken down.

Monica Pollard, chairman of   the CAG, told the Caribbean Camera that her organization ” officially”  met four times last year with the FMC and had put forward  its proposals.

” But there were no counter proposals  from the FMC,” she said.

She declined to comment about the likelihood of further talks between both groups “anytime soon.”

Caribana first hit the streets of Toronto in 1967 and there was great excitement in the city’s mas’;playing community about celebrations of the 50th anniversary of  the festival this summer. with the proposed ” coming together” of the FMC and CAG.

The  break-down in talks between the FMC and the CAG  has dashed  hopes about the staging of a major extravaganza to mark the 50th anniversary o f Caribana.

One  disappointed carnival bandleader said that in spite of all the “ole talk” about  major  celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the carnival, he was not  optimistic about the  staging of  ” any grand-zafay.”.

” The two groups –  FMC and CAG  – were simply  not going to work together. That  seemed clear from t he start.” he noted.