Two teen-aged mas’ players from Whitby were adjudged king and queen respectively on Sunday at the first Junior King and Queen competition to be held in the 50-year  history of the Toronto Caribbean carnival.

Evan Murphy, 13, from the band, Venom Carnival, who portrayed ” Centipede Bite,” won the Junior King title.

Winner of the Junior Queen title was Canesha Edwards,15, from Tribal Carnival, who played “Beijia-flor, The Samba Queen.”

Both the Junior King and Queen have been playing mas’ for several years.

Evan said he has been playing with different bands since he was two  years old.

Canesha who has been playing mas’ for eleven years, said that for the last ten years she has been with Tribal Carnival.

Thirty-eight contestants from eleven carnival bands took part in the Peeks Toronto Caribbean Carnival Junior King and Queen Showcase which was held at the Woodbine Centre Mall in Etobicoke, a stone’s throw from the Woodbine racetrack.

“The energy and enthusiasm of the young people and audience was unbelievable,” said  Toronto City Councillor  Michael Ford, one of the special guests at the event.

Ford noted that ” events like these showcase the abilities of our young people who will build up carnival and our community for  years to come.”

Other special guests included Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and MP for Etobicoke North, and Mark Itwaru , CEO of Peeks Social, the main corporate sponsor of the Toronto Caribbean carnival 2017.

The full list of  winners in the competition is as follows:

Junior King: First place: Evan Murphy of Venom Carnival for ‘Centipede Bite’. Second place: Amari Balroop of Louis Saldenah Mas-K Club for ‘Our Heritage’. Third place: Shaleel Griffith-Ross of Toronto Revellers for ‘The Ultimate Steel Orchestra’.

Junior Queen: First place: Caneisha Edwards of Tribal Carnival for ‘Beijia-flor, The Samba Queen’. Second place: Jahzara Brown-Francis of Toronto Revellers for ‘Bassez Down in Guadeloupe.’ Third place: Kaia Cassells of Carnival Nationz for ‘Magic within Niagara Falls.’

Junior Female Individual Under 16

1. Reeyana Singh, Carnival Nationz, A Tribute to Women in the Military.
2. Makeda Joseph Brerton, Venom Carnival, Youthful Blossom.
3. Jada White, Fantaizia Carnival, Amazing Sunset over Lake Ontario.

 Junior Male Individual Under 16 

1. Amari Bowen-Otchere, Tribal Carnival, The Peacock Prince.
2. Elias Dasque, Venom Carnival, Guardian of the Garden.
3. Avery Lackpathia-Knight, Toronto Revellers,  D’Jazz Man

Junior Female Individual Under 10

1. Jada White, Fantazia Carnival, Amazing Sunset over Lake Ontario
2. Myauna King, Toronto Revellers, Little Miss Dancing Danza
3. Marietta Jacob, Louis Saldenah Mas-K Club, My Carnival Dream.

Junior Male Individual Under 10

1. Amari Bowen-Otchere, Tribal Carnival, The Peacock Prince.
2. Elias Dasque, Venom Carnival, Guardian of the Garden.
3. Avery Lackpathia-Knight, Toronto Revellers,  D’Jazz Man