In 1966, a group of local West Indian (African-Caribbean) professionals from the various Caribbean islands were asked by the federal government to make a contribution to Canada’s 1967 Centennial. Joseph Alban Liverpool, MD, was one of the nine individuals who created the Caribbean arts festival that would come to be known as Caribana.

Caribana’s founders were first called the Centennial Committee, but in 1969 they became the Caribbean Cultural Committee and the name Caribana was officially trademarked. 50 years later, the festival has been billed as the biggest Caribbean celebration outside of the West Indies, was renamed the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, and continues its tremendous journey in the XXI century.