Jamaicans in Canada celebrate Olympic success

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Event organiser Letna Allen-Rowe (left) celebrates with other Jamaicans. (Photos: JIS)

Is Paul Smith the most patriotic Jamaican living in Canada? This is what many Jamaicans are wondering, every time he drives past them in Toronto, Canada.

He has decorated his vehicle - a Mitsubishi SUV - in honour of Jamaica's athletes to last month's Olympic Games in Beijing, China, with four large flags on the roof, one on the bonnet and another one on the side. In addition, he has placed copies of newspaper articles highlighting Jamaica's success on the back, front, and side windows.

He said he was very proud of the athletes, noting that they had done well for Jamaica and that this is his way of showing his pride.

Dressed in his Jamaican jacket, hat, and shoes, he remarked, "You don't want to see my house".

Smith was just one of many persons who celebrated Jamaica's success at the games of the 29th Olympiad on Eglinton Avenue West in Toronto recently. For the second time, Jamaicans held impromptu celebrations on the strip, which is known as 'Little Jamaica', because of the number of businesses operated by Jamaicans there.

Paul Smith poses beside his SUV bedecked with Jamaican flags.

Organised by business owner, Letna Allen-Rowe, approximately 600 Jamaicans passed through the area during the eight-hour celebrations - waving flags, blowing whistles, and beating dutch pot covers.

Shouts of "Usain! Jamaica! Veronica! Asafa! Melaine! Shelly-Ann!" punctuated the air. Jamaican music blared from two large speakers, and every 30 minutes the Jamaican National Anthem was played, which everyone sang lustily. The evening ended with the group marching for about a mile, singing Jamaican songs.

Allen-Rowe thanked all the persons who came out, including Consul Nigel Smith; President of the Jamaican Diaspora Canada Foundation, Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, and President of the Alliance of Jamaican Alumni Associations, Alene Miller-Chen.