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WCDA History

The Western Carnival Development Association (WCDA) is a not-for-profit group established in 1984 with a goal of developing a Caribana-style Carnival in Edmonton which would bring in participants who lived in Western Canada, including cities as Calgary, Fort McMurray, Vancouver, Winnipeg and other surrounding places. Today that vision is still alive and the Festival continues to bring in costume maintained byers, Calypsonians and steelpan players from those cities, but it has also attracted people from Toronto, Seattle, New York, Miami, and Trinidad.

In the early 1990s, the Board of Directors and members of the Society adopted the more marketable name CARIWEST for the Festival, and added the sobriquet the Edmonton Caribbean Arts Festival. This was an indication of a shift in the aims of the group. While the intent was to continue to be a venue for Caribbean people to participate in the Carnival Arts of costume making, Calypso and steelpan, we wanted the Festival to reach out to new audiences, to be embraced by the larger community of Edmonton, and to aim for excellence in the Carnival Arts as mentioned.

CARIWEST has earned a place of recognition within the Festival Community of Edmonton and in the general Arts Community as well. Cariwest receives financial support from the City of Edmonton through the Edmonton Arts Council, is included in all brochures on tourism by the City of Edmonton as a Festival City, the provincial government through the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and employment grants from the federal government. The Downtown Business Association and numerous local businesses have also supported Cariwest through sponsorship of the festival.

Cariwest is constantly being approached to provide Caribbean style costumes and artists for various events and shows in around the City. For example, we have had our costumes, and steelpans perform at the International Track and Field Games, openings of International Baseball games, the Fringe Festival, K-Days, at numerous conferences, theatre productions, and at other Mardis Gras events. In other words, WCDA has become known as the organization for any art form associated with the Caribbean, and acts as a referral centre for musicians, dancers, singers, costume maintained byers and masqueraders associated with the Carnival Arts.

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