J'OUVERT will not be a part of this year's 136th commemoration of Arima's becoming a borough, but mayor Balliram Maharaj has said it will return in 2025.
Maharaj said J'Ouvert had not been a part of Borough Day Celebrations since the covid19 pandemic. With the country grappling to get crime under control, Maharaj said the council decided to forgo it in this year's celebrations, which begin this weekend.
"To work police in the morning and in the evening is one of the reasons we are quite concerned about overworking the police."
Citing the weekend of July 13 and 14, which saw some 18 murders across the country, Maharaj said: "We wouldn't give opportunities to those who don't follow the law to use the darkness in the morning to get their revenge and all those other things.
"We are asking people to bear with us."
Rather, he said, the borough corporation would start the Carnival component of the celebrations with traditional mas from 2 pm on August 10.
Maharaj said the Borough Day calendar begins on July 27 with the Calvary Heritage Day, but will be launched on August 1 with a cannon blast and smoke and heritage ceremony. It will also include the commemoration of the International Day of the World's Indigenous People on August 9.
He said the African Emancipation Day parade will be held on July 28 at 3 pm, but will also pay tribute to all ethnic groups that make up Trinidad and Tobago.
"We're adding something to this African Emancipation Day where our forefathers, whether it's Hindus, whether it's Muslim, Africans, whether it's the first people...yes, it's Emancipation, but we have to give thanks to them."
On August 17, he said, there would be a cultural exhibition with embassies at the Holy Cross College titled Around the World Culture Event.
Apart from strictly celebratory events, Maharaj said there would also be events designed to give back to the community. On August 24 there will be a legal aid clinic and health fair at the Arima Community Centre.
"We have a barrage of lawyers doing a clinic for people free of charge. Then Arima Private Hospital would be giving some services free: testing pressure, testing blood and everything there."
The month-long celebrations will culminate on August 31 with a fireworks show to commemorate Independence Day.
While Maharaj was unable to give an aggregated account of the corporation's budget for the event, he said it has $1.8 million to host 22 events until the end of the year, which include the Borough Day celebrations, Republic Day and Christmas events.
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