Montreal cancels Carifiesta

A conflict between two competing organizing committees has forced Montreal to cancel the city's annual Carifiesta,officialssaid Thursday.

The conflict over the annual Caribbean festival began last year after some members of the Caribbean Cultural Festivities Association (CCFA), which had been organizing the parade for 34 years, split away to form a new organization, the Montreal Carnival Development Foundation (MCDF).

The two organizations fought over who had the right to organize the event, which includes a parade featuring vibrant costumes down Rn-Lvesque Boulevard.

The city of Montreal threatened to pull its $30,000 in funding for the event unless the two groupsresolved their differences.

Ultimately, the funding was split between the groups and two separate parades took place on the same day.

'They have a responsibility to work together to make this happen,' City executive committee member Mary Deros

This year, the groups have shownthey are unwilling to work together and the CCFA has taken the dispute tocourt, said Mary Deros, the city's executive committee member responsible for cultural communities.

Deros said the two groups were warned last year that the next edition of the parade would be cancelled unless they could put an end to their feud.

"They have a responsibility to work together to make this happen," said Deros.

"We don't want to pick and choose because [if] you choose one, you risk dissatisfying the others," she said.

The court is not expected to be able to hear the case in time for preparations to be completed for the event July 3.

Groups disappointed

Despite his organization's decision to take the issue before the courts, CCFA spokesman Keeston Clarke said he was surprised by the city's move.

"We've been trying to work out a solution so that we can hold the parade so that we don'tdisappoint the community," said Clarke.

But Clarke said the group is unwilling to compromise on its handling of the festival and took the issue to court in order to "protect its intellectual property," he said.

"Last year we did out best to try to get along and work with the city and unfortunately the division came along that even the money was split between the two groups and the quality of the carnival was not up to par.

"It's not a question of one or the other, it's a question of who should be and who has been working with the city for over 30 years," said Clarke.

MCDF president Henry Antoine, a former president of the CCFA, blamed the city for the collapse of talks.

When the conflict between the two groups began last year, he said city officials did little to try to find the source of the conflict.

"I find it a lack of regard for the black community which is not unusual," said Antoine.

The absence of the Carifiesta will be a "tremendous loss for the community," he said.

Both sides agreed it will be up to the courts to decide the future of the event.