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Jerkfest, the biggest food festival of its kind in Ontario, Canada, was staged on Saturday and Sunday (August 8 and 9) at Centennial Park, Etobicoke, on the outskirts of the city of Toronto. On Saturday, featured artistes were Frankie Paul and Georgia, delivering to a very gratified crowd who braved the rain armed with their umbrellas. Paul, a veteran and...

In 1962, a group of Jamaicans living in Toronto, Canada, wanted to celebrate the Independence of their island home. The planning of the festivities resulted in the formation of the Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA), which today is regarded as the largest and oldest Jamaican community organisation in Canada. Like Jamaica, the JCA this year celebrates its 47th year of existence....

Chairman of the St. James Festival Visual Impact Committee, Odette Soberam-Dyer, has commended the business entities in Montego Bay, which participated in the Business Place/Shop Window Display Competition. Soberam-Dyer, who visited the entities yesterday (Aug. 12) to present certificates to the participants and plaques and prizes to the winners, said that all the entities did a "tremendous job". "I was...

Teens and young adults in and around the Swaby's Hope community in Manchester are slated to benefit from a one-week youth development forum, which will be hosted by the Swaby's Hope New Testament Church of God. Pastor of the church, Ernie Nelson, told JIS News that the event, which will be held from August 17 to 21, will target young...

Sunday, August 9 was declared 'Jamaica Day' in the United States capital, by the Mayor of Washington, D.C., Adrian Fenty. Mayor Fenty read the proclamation at a Thanksgiving Service to commemorate Jamaica's 47th year of Independence, at Dumbarton Chapel, Howard University, in Washington, D.C., on August 9. The Mayor said that Washington, D.C., is proud to be the home to...

Youth, Sports and Culture Minister, Hon. Olivia Grange, is defending the administration's decision to stage Emancipation and Independence celebrations this year, despite calls from some persons for their postponement, in the face of the global economic downturn. This year's celebrations, which were staged under the theme: 'I Believe in Jamaica', and which started as far back as May, with the...

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, the Hon. Olivia Grange, has cited the need for Jamaicans, particularly those in the Diaspora, to "take control" of the country's cultural products which have figured prominently, globally, particularly in developed countries. Noting that music is Jamaica's most "dynamic and far-reaching export", Miss Grange said the product has penetrated all corners of the globe,...

Canadians are learning about Maroon culture and history from the Charles Town Maroons from Portland, who have been in the North American country since July 30. The 10-member group of dancers and drummers is in Canada at the invitation of the Jamaican High Commission to take part in Emancipation and Independence celebrations. They have conducted workshops in Ottawa and Toronto,...

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) has declared yesterday's (August 6) Independence Grand Gala a major success, particularly in light of the response of Jamaicans to the event. More than 35,000 people watched the spectacle from inside the National Stadium, while projectors were set up in the National Arena to accommodate over 6,000 more. The event was also carried live...

The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, has put together a secretariat to plan the celebration of Jamaica's 50th anniversary of Independence, which will be observed in 2012. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Olivia Grange, made the announcement in an interview with JIS News at the National Stadium yesterday (Aug. 6), where approximately 40,000 Jamaicans had gathered for the Grand Gala to...

Jamaicans from all walks of life turned out at King's House this morning (Aug.6), where they joined the country's leaders in celebrating the island's 47th year of Independence. The mood at King's House for the National Independence Day Parade was one of celebration marked by the traditional pomp and pageantry, as the Guard of Honour went through their paces and...

In commemoration of Jamaica's 47th anniversary of Independence, the Bank of America tower, downtown Miami, Florida, USA, will be illuminated in the black, green and gold colours of the Jamaican flag, starting Friday (August 7) at dusk. The 47-floor Miami landmark, located at International Place, will remain lit throughout the weekend until midnight on Sunday (August 9), as a tribute...