By Lincoln DePradine

Changes could be coming to the seteelband fraternity, although no final decision has been made on several proposals discussed last weekend at a meeting of the Ontario Steelpan Association (OSA).

The one idea agreed to, at the meeting in Scarborough of OSA band representatives, was to include “panorama’’ as part of the title of the annual carnival competition that’s been staged annually under the brand name, “Pan Alive’’.

OSA president Terrence Wilson reported that the association has been in discussions with the Festival Management Corporation (FMC) and with Councilor Michael Thompson, the City of Toronto’s carnival festival liaison.

“We’re still having talks with FMC,’’ Wilson said. “I will like them to assist us in marketing the competition.’’

Wilson, saying the aim must be to increase audience attendance, suggested the idea of OSA examining instituting a preliminary round of judging, with only the top eight steelbands earning a place in the final of the competition.

The 2019 pan championship may return to its traditional venue at Lamport Stadium or to an FMC-proposed carnival city site at the Canadian National Exhibition, said Wilson.

He said Councilor Thompson, who has to report to Mayor John Tory, was provided with an outline of the challenges confronting carnival stakeholders, including their funding needs.

One of the OSA members, elected to the board of directors in January, is arranger and band leader Salah Wilson. He promised to use his tenure on the board to advocate for the association seeking to acquire its own warehousing space that can be used for rehearsal by steelbands and for storage of instruments.