History of TTCS: Timeline

Here is a chronology of events, beginning with those leading up to the inception of the Society.

October 11, 1987
Cocktail party for Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister A.N.R. Robinson, Meridian Hotel Vancouver

November 22, 1987
Our first meeting was held at Minoru Pavilion in Richmond,B.C.

July 30, 1988
At the invitation of the City of North Vancouver, we staged our first annual Caribbean Day Festival at Waterfront Park, North Vancouver, B.C. This event featured Caribbean folk dancing, Caribbean foods, arts and crafts by Caribbean artists, children’s Carnival parade, limbo and dancing to the rhythms of the ever popular steel drums.

January 15, 1990
Incorporated under the Society Act of British Columbia.

1991
Commenced the annual donation of books by Caribbean authors to several Public Libraries in the Lower Mainland. These books are dedicated in the memory of the late Vicky van Wouw, the founder of our in house library. Each year the sum of $2500 is set aside for this ongoing project.

This year also saw the start of our annual Scholarship Awards to students of all nationalities for the pursuit of post secondary education. There are 3 categories: Children Of All Nationalities, Children Of Caribbean Heritage, and Children Of TTCS Members.

Held our first Annual Boat Cruise in Vancouver Harbor. This event is jointly sponsored with the Trinidad Chinese Club and is held on the 3rd Saturday in July each year.

October 9 – 11 1992
Staged our first Youth Conference entitled “How Can Young People Best Adjust To And Improve Their Living In A Multi-Cultural Society?”. This conference, organized by the youths, was attended by delegates from Halifax, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Calgary. This project was funded in part by B.C. Multiculturalism.

1992
Instituted programs to include our Seniors regardless of nationality so as to help improve their quality of life

1993
Held our first Carnival Extravaganza dance featuring carnival costume competition, Limbo and Calypso competition.
Also in this year, at the invitation of the Commonwealth Caribbean Club of B.C. we participated in the presentation of a chair for the grounds of Government house in Victoria.

August 27- 29, 1993
Second annual Youth Conference, in the form of a weekend Retreat was held in Langley, B.C. This conference explored the subject of “Leadership In The 90s”.

July 23 – 24, 1994
Our annual Caribbean Day Festival was expanded into a 2 day Caribbean Days Festival, including an evening event Saturday at the Plaza of Nations. Plazarama featured a carnival parade of costumes, folk dancing, art and crafts, Reggae, Soca, Salsa and Calypso singing. The annual Family Day Festival was held Sunday, as usual, at Waterfront Park, North Vancouver.

April 29, 1995
Our first Festival of Caribbean Foods fundraiser was held at the Minoru Pavilion in Richmond, B.C. to raise funds for our annual Post Secondary School Scholarships. This gala evening featured a buffet dinner, prepared and served by some of our very talented in-house Chefs. It featured a sumptuous array of over 25 hors d’houvres, entrees and desserts accompanied by some of our well known West Indian drinks such as sorrel, Mauby, Ponche de creme and Rum Punch. This event was so successful that it was repeated in 1996.

1997: Our 10th Anniversary
This year, to commemorate our 10th Anniversary, the Society staged its first 2 Day Caribbean Days Festival at Waterfront Park, Lonsdale Quay, North Vancouver on July 26 – 27, 1997.

On July 26, a Multicultural Day street parade wound its way to Waterfront Park. This event provided an opportunity for dancers of different countries, including Africans, Japanese, Chinese, East Indians and Jamaicans, to come together and display their individual cultural talents.

On Sunday, July 27, the gaiety resumed at Waterfront Park at 11.00 a.m. for the traditional Family Day Festival featuring a children’s parade, dance presentations, arts and crafts and authentic Caribbean foods. Music included calypso, reggae and soca.

2000
On April 14, 2000 the dream of forming an Umbrella organization became reality when the first Board if Directors of the British Columbia Organization of Caribbean Cultural Associations was elected:

On The International Scene

1990
In co-operation with the Rotary Clubs of Richmond, B.C., the Rotary Club of Port of Spain, Trinidad, W.I. and Rotary International, Chicago, Illinois, and The Trinidad Chinese Club, we provided 3 complete sets of Dental Equipment to the Princess Elizabeth hospital for handicapped children in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

1992
Together with the Rotary Club of Richmond, B.C., the Rotary Club of Port of Spain West, Trinidad and Rotary International, Chicago, we provided computers, Art supplies and musical instruments for the Immortelle School for handicapped children in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

1993
In conjunction with the Rotary Club of Couva Point Lisa’s, Trinidad we provided financial assistance to the St. Catherine’s School for little ones in Grand Couva, Trinidad. This school is operated by a group of Catholic nuns without any assistance from local government.

This year we also provided Bursaries for 3 high school students in Tobago, in the memory of our late Vicky van Wouw who was educated in Tobago and began her teaching career on that island.

1996
We provided 16 computers donated by schools from Lower Mainland to the Diego Martin Government Secondary School and other schools in Trinidad.

1997
Several boxes of used text books and encyclopedias were presented to the San Fernando Government Girls’ School in Trinidad (The Alma Mater of our our Dr. Hedy Fry), to help augment their library.

1998
Presented the Blood Bank of Port of Spain with a complete set of computer equipment.