Over 1,000,000 participants and visitors attend the Toronto Caribana festival each year over a two-week period to experience Caribbean arts, music and culture. In early 2010 an IPSOS REID / Ryerson University study documented what the promoters of AfriCana Village has been stating since 2005. We have been stating that Caribana is a $500 million "wealth generator" and "econmic engine" for the the GTA, Ontario and Canada. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has over 900,000 Afro/Indo Caribbean Canadians with a combined GDP of some $17 billion dollars. A dollar circulates one time in the Black community, African-Canadians spend and consume significantly higher than other groups. AfriCana Village social enterprise initiative is an opportunity to recapture some of these dollars and re-invest back into the community to develop the community economically, culturally and socially. GTA is a global destination, 10. 6 million tourists visited Toronto in 2007, they spent $4.5 billion on hotels, restaurants, attractions, performing arts, etc. A quick analysis of the tourism/visitor market suggest that roughly 20% penetration of the visitor market will yield 2- million visitors to AfriCana Village with an average spend of $100.00, we can project $200 million in revenues for AfriCana Village. We have not yet factored in Provincial and GTA regional visitors from Mississauga, Peel, Halton, South Western Ontario etc, which may very well exceed international and out of province visitors to AfriCana Village and their average spend. A 2006 Study from the University of Guelph for Tourism Toronto found that in 1998 nearly 70% of respondents was “very satisfied” with their Toronto experience. By 2006 that had dropped to less than 50%. In May 15th, 2008 issue of the Toronto Star, Terry Mundell, President of the Greater Toronto Area Hotel Association was quoted as saying “ The key is to make Toronto more compelling to tourists with both public and private investments in new attractions” he further states that “ You can have all the marketing resources in the world, but if you don’t have a product to market and sell, it doesn't matter how many dollars you have” . We could not agree more that’s why we strongly believe the government and the private sector should support and promote AfriCana Village.Furthermore the African- American tourism and convention business is estimated to between $45- $50 billion. The African American meetings and convention business is estimated to be in $5 billion range. A conservative 1% penetration of this fast growing market segment will generate $400-$500 million dollars in potential revenue for AfriCana Village. AfriCana will be a year-round global destination and magnet for those who love afri-centric- caribbean arts, music, culture and cuisine. This unique cultural tourism destination will contribute significantly to Toronto and Ontario's economy.
We humbly submit that AfriCana Village & Museum will be the GTA and the Province of Ontario number one tourism-based cultural attraction in due course, as well as its most lucrative. Arguably, the future of the African Canadian-Caribbean community in Toronto and across Canada is in jeopardy. Members of these communities are becoming more and more isolated and disenfranchised. Recent violence and gun crime contributes to an ever-widening gap between these communities and the wider community. The 2007 Wellesley Institute Study, "The Colour of Poverty", The 2007, United Way Study, "Losing Ground", The Jan. 2008, University of Toronto Study, "The Three Cities Within Toronto", the recent 2008-2009 "Roots of Youth Violence" Study is a cry for action and raises serious concerns and alarm bells about the growing economic divide and racialization of poverty in GTA Region. A few years ago it was described by Professor Grace Galabuzzi of Ryerson University as "Economic Apartheid" in Canada. Seemingly politicians and policy makers are trying to address systemic institutional racism and socio-economic marginalization rooted in 400 years of Canadian history with band-aid solutions. Its obvious to all who have studied these problems for decades that the structural problem of poverty and marginalization of racialized groups, in particular the African- Canadian community will not be solved with just a sympathetic ear from our friends in government, unions, private sector and religious institutions, but by strong uncompromising advocacy. The same committed advocacy that Canadian Abolitionist like George Brown, and Ontario’s first Lt. Gov. Lord John Graves Simcoe and others in the 17th and 18th century exercised to take steps to help end state sanctioned slavery in Canada in 1793. Progressive Canadians in government as well as the private sector must step forward once again to lead the world in ending poverty and despair in their own back yard, we strongly believe AfriCana Village can and will be part of the solution. What is needed are increased opportunities and investments in "Social Enterprises" and Public- Private Partnerships to nurture and create sustainable employment, coupled with educational programs, mentorships, and innovative and creative leveraging of cultural and economic development talents and resources with-in the African Canadian-Caribbean community. Job creation and "economic empowerment" are the primary goals of AfriCana Village.
Our goal is to bring together ALL three levels of government, Labour Unions, Corporate Canada, Philanthropic Foundations, Community Groups, Community Networks, Think Tanks, Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, and Concerned Citizens in order to create new and creative ways of addressing issues of economic marginalization and systemic poverty in order create sustainable socio-economic development for a group and community historically and presently fe-facto locked out from the main stream of Canadian business and cultural life.From the North we note the previous Bush Administration and Republican controlled Congress allocating $200 million dollars in seed capital to develop a $1 billion dollar African-American Museum of History and Culture on The Mall in Washington. D. C., to celebrate and document African-American History. This show of respect and consideration for African-Americans has not gone unnoticed by African-Canadians who yearn to tell their story, through their eyes and from their perspective. Do African- Canadians deserves less from our government?
The 40 year track record of Caribana (despite guestionable management) as a tourism magnet and "wealth generator" for the City and Province is proof positive that Black/ Caribbean culture, music, and arts have the power to draw people and visitors in a significant manner. Fairness and basic business principles of FREE enterprise strongly suggest African- Canadian culture should be heavily invested into by government and private sector entities serious about making the GTA / Region a major cultural tourism destination. Caribana has injected over $20 billion into Toronto's economy over the past 40 years and generated some $4 billion in taxes for the Province and Federal government.
In our humble opinion AfriCana Village will be a very successful venture and a win- win" for ALL stakeholders. Our optimism is rooted in reality and is firmly based on the 40 year track record of Caribana in consistently generating $500-$600 million dollars in economic activity over a 2 week period annually for the City and Province. AfriCana Village will bring hope, self-esteem, social development and economic vitality to the African-Caribbean Canadian community in particular, and give tangible meaning to the overall Canadian claim of a just and diverse society.
Afri-centric culture has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt its power and natural attraction to ALL of humanity. For example, the global $100 billion dollar "Hip Hop" culture market speaks for it self. It was created by a few African-American youths in the Bronx with a few records and a couple of turntables. Love or hate the practitioners and creators of Hip- Hop culture they created the most powerful and popular youth music and cultural force on the planet today out of nothing but a few turn tables and a brain wave. If we had invested in these Bronx MC's 30 years ago we would have received an excellent Return on Investment (ROI). This is what we mean when we say that government investment in culture should be merit- based rather connections- based. Or at a minimum invest in a variety of cultural expressions and let the FREE market choose where they will spend their money or what culture they will adopt. Investing almost exclusively in one culture does not create a healthy and productive society or nation, its counterproductive and does nothing to create cultural products the global market wants to consume. The above is just one example and one genre of Afri-centric culture and music that speaks to the power and genius of Afri-centric arts & culture. Blues, Jazz, R&B, Reggae, Ska, Hip Hop, Spoken Word Poetry, fashion, art, cuisine, all speak eloquently of the power, attraction and genius of Afri-centric culture. With a $300+ million investment we can transform GTA-Mississauga into a major Afri-centric tourism destination hub in North America. We can create two thousand plus jobs, generate significant economic benefits and spin -offs for the GTA- Mississauga region. We respectfully challenge any one to propose a more rationale, lucrative, innovative and creative and economically sustainable cultural investment concept for GTA- Mississauga region. A cultural tourism concept that demonstrates superior potential ROI for public dollars than Africana Village & Museum @ The Waterfront.
African- Canadians have been in Canada since 1604, we are one of the "Founding Peoples" of this great nation. Our blood and sweat help build this great country from the very outset, we strongly urge all levels of government, foundations and corporate Canada to invest in AfriCana Village. As tax- payers and one of the "Founding Peoples" of Canada we strongly believe that we have earned targeted government investments and corporate assistance to develop the economic and cultural infrastructure and institutions that will "economically empower" African- Canadian communities across Canada. We see billions of dollars been poured annually into other cultural and heritage projects and we ask, why is there virtually no investment in African- Canadian cultural heritage and infrastructure?. Where is the "Diversity" in cultural investments that Canada is a signatory to under UNESCO global cultural diversity initiative for member states? .Furthermore we ask why was African Canadian cultural tourism development virtually ignored in the tax- payer funded 2009 “Ontario Tourism Competitiveness Study” despite many representations by black Canadian cultural & heritage tourism groups. Representatives from some of these groups are descendants of Black Empire Loyalists with a presence in South Western Ontario going back to the mid- 1750’s , as well as descendants of groups from the Underground Railroad, is their a richer cultural heritage story in Canada, than their story?. Why were they de-facto ignored by Ontario Ministry of Tourism officials and its consulting firms who wrote the study? These are legitimate questions that needs to addressed if we are going to have an intellectually honest conversation about tourism and cultural development in Ontario. Who decides which culture and heritage is worthy of development and whose culture is not? Can we get race and politics out of the tourism and cultural development business in GTA- Ontario?
We will be respectfully requesting a $20 million investment/grant from the City of Toronto or Mississauga depending on which waterfront site is leased with option to purchase to AfriCana Village. We will also request a $50 million investment from the Province and $150 million investment from the Federal Government for a total of $220 million dollars. We will seek to raise $100+ million from the private sector thus generating the $320+ million dollars necessary to develop and equip our proposed world class cultural heritage tourism- based destination. It makes excellent business and economic sense to invest in African Canadian-Caribbean culture. $300 million dollars is what is spent in Afghanistan on a weekly basis, we don’t think this investment is to much to ask give hope and create jobs for a substantial number of African-Canadians.
African- Canadians respectfully request their fair share of investments in "major cultural projects" in the Province of Ontario and Canada. Suffice to sat that it rings hollow when the cultural elites and politicians praise and laud the” GTA's Cultural Renaissance" then ignore one of its most vibrant and creative cultural resource. Let us invest tax payer's hard earned dollars in cultural institutions and projects that has a high likelihood of paying for it self and generating REAL jobs. We believe that its time for ALL levels of government to be fair in its investment in Arts and Culture and that there should be Equity and Diversity in its cultural investments. We strongly believe that NOW is the time for ALL levels of Government to seriously invest in African Canadian- Caribbean culture. Once again we see hundreds of millions of dollars been lavished on new start up cultural organizations by government, foundations and the corporate sector, yet we see virtually no meaningful investment been made in African- Canadian arts and culture. We are compelled to ask once more why no investment in what is universally recognized and viewed as the most dynamic and influential global cultural force on the planet. There is no need to elaborate as we believe Afri-centric Arts & Cultures record speaks for it self.
In conclusion we support and applaud ALL government investments in arts and culture, all we are requesting is our fair share of the investment pie in order to leverage African- Canadian culture to create sustainable economic and cultural development in African Canadian communities across Canada. The African- Canadian community is desperate for decent jobs and investments that will make a positive contribution to African- Canadian community for a change and society and the wider community on the whole. African- Canadians seek to make a positive cultural and economic contribution to Canada, OUR home and native land.
We call upon ALL Canadians of goodwill to support AfriCana Village as it will be a special place where ALL Canadians will feel at home when they enter its gate. AfriCana Village will be a win- win for Canada and the African- Canadian community from coast to coast!
"Where there is NO vision the People shall perish"!!
Thanking you in advance for your kind support.
Trevor David
Executive Director/Founder
AfriCana Village & Museum
AfriCana Village Development Corporation