The St Lucia-Ottawa Association (SLOA) under the auspices of the Consulate General of Saint Lucia in Toronto, continued Saint Lucia’s 40^th Anniversary of Independence Celebrations with a Church Service and Brunch, which was held at the St. Theresa Roman Catholic Church in Ottawa, on Sunday July 21^st, 2019.

The church service was a major activity on the calendar of events for the Association and was attended by a cross-section of persons from the Diaspora. One of the highlights of the event, was renowned Saint Lucian folk musician, Mr. Jerome Daniel, who infused the afternoon’s activities with local folk songs from his guitar strings, creating an invigorating cultural and celebratory ambiance, while a video chronologizing Saint Lucia’s journey to independence played in the background.

The President of the St. Lucia-Ottawa Association, Mrs. Nathalie Peterkin-Campbell, highlighted the significance of Saint Lucians in the Diaspora congregating to celebrate the achievements of Saint Lucia as a nation.  She implored nationals to continue high levels of participation, and to extend invitations to other Saint Lucians to attend Diaspora events.  Such participation she argued, would lead to sustained engagement with Saint Lucians in the Diaspora, and strengthen the collective contribution, which can be made by Saint Lucians abroad, to our homeland.

Other events which are slated for the St Lucia-Ottawa Association’s calendar of activities for Independence are as follows:

• Summer Splash Dance – Ottawa Masonic Centre, on Saturday August 17^th, 2019
• Creole Night – 211 Bronson Avenue, on Friday September 27^th, 2019
• Jounen Kweyol Activity – Sandy Hill Community Centre, on Saturday October 19^th, 2019

The Consulate General of Saint Lucia in Toronto was represented by Mrs Miline Foster, who recommitted her office’s support to the St. Lucia-Ottawa Association and the Saint Lucian Diaspora in Canada.