Jamaica's 60th independence to be celebrated across Canada

April 11, 2022

Niagara Falls will be lit up in Jamaica’s green, gold and black colours on the evening of August 6 as the Caribbean country celebrates its 60th independence anniversary.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment & Sport Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange made the announcement on March 26 at an event at the Toronto Event Centre to launch celebrations in Canada to mark the milestone.

The high regard in which the Jamaican Diaspora in Canada is held was reflected in it being chosen as the first stop of the celebratory journey.

The launch in Jamaica takes place on April 10.

‘Reigniting A Nation For Greatness’ is the diamond jubilee theme.

“Our independence is part of a long journey filled with many stories,” said Grange. “But through it all, we have astonished the world with a culture and brand not paralleled by any nation our size since the civilization of Greece. This is the fire we are determined to reignite in Jamaica 60. This is the natural mystic that Jamaica is. Reigniting a nation for greatness means we see us all as one family in the globally unifying theme of ‘One Love’. It means engaging everyone who calls Jamaica home, including those who declare themselves as friends of Jamaica. It also means we are emboldened to make the structural changes needed to guarantee prosperity for all of our people.”

Grange promised that Jamaica will remain strong and resilient despite obstacles hindering development.

“We will not cower before the many challenges we have as a nation,” she added. “We will defeat them through the relentless efforts, resilience and fierce determination of a people. We will not quit, though the road ahead might be rocky, though the hills are steep and the valleys deep. With fire in our veins, we will meet every obstacle and every challenge. We will build back better, especially after this global pandemic. We are confident because we must pass on the fire to our children and we must leave a great legacy for the next generation.”

Grange, who lived in Toronto and co-founded the defunct ‘Contrast’ newspaper that served Canada’s Black community in the 1970s and 80s, disclosed that Jamaica’s National Stadium will be renovated and sports and music museums will be set up as Jamaica’s 60th independence legacy projects.

While the country has produced great athletes and musicians, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett said highlighting the country’s intellectual capacity would be a focus of the independence celebrations.

Ministers Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange and Edmund Bartlett were in Toronto to launch Jamaica 60th independence celebrations in Canada (Photo by Ron Fanfair)

“We are not just a sporting and music country or one of farmers and planters, he pointed out. “We are also a country of intellect and I want the world to understand that. This is our moment as we move forward for us to redefine ourselves as a people that add value to the global experience.”

Jamaican-born Canadian Senator and Canada-CARICOM Friendship Group chair Rosemary Moodie, Toronto’s Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson and Jamaican Canadian Association president Adaoma Patterson also delivered greetings.

Canada and Jamaica have enjoyed a close and healthy relationship in the last six decades.

Shortly after breaking ties with Britain, Canada established diplomatic relations with the first English-speaking Caribbean country to gain independence and opened a High Commission in Kingston that welcomed Graham McInnes as High Commissioner on March 4, 1963.

John Diefenbaker, who was the Canadian Prime Minister at the time, was fond of Jamaica, which he visited with his wife before becoming PM, and very proud that Canada was one of the first countries to recognize the newly independent nation.

His Conservative government provided $10,000 for the establishment of a scholarship in Canada to celebrate the landmark event.

Labour Minister Michael Starr represented Canada at the Independence celebrations in Jamaica in 1962 and, before leaving the country, said skilled Jamaicans would be welcomed to work in Canada.

In 1966, the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program was launched to bring Jamaicans to help make up for a shortage of apple pickers. Several hundred Jamaicans come to Canada yearly under the organized labour mobility initiative to meet the temporary seasonal needs of local agricultural producers.

The two countries also enjoy historic bilateral relations that include security and defence co-operation, trade and investment links and official development assistance.

Events will be held across Canada to mark the diamond jubilee.