Dick reports...

Salsa – on St. Clair

It was fun, it was loud, the local merchants were happy with the results, the food was mostly Latino with a sprinkling of other ethnic origins, – but there was a lot of stumbling and falling over the elevated street-car tracks with kids and strollers and people getting hurt, especially after dark.

That is why I think a new venue for the festival should be found. But that is only my opinion! Perhaps on a street where the subway runs underneath – as in the “Taste of the Danforth” or the Kingsway - or the Ukrainian Festival at the Bloor Street Village. Why? Well, I don’t want to rehash the TTC Fiasco again, but if you are interested you can go to our website: http://echoworld.com/B10/B1008/b1008dick3.html and read all about it in my report at that time!

It is still a great festival and should be continued. I just do not have an answer for solving the problem, since the festivals are always celebrated in the areas were most of the ethnic descendents reside I have n o idea where it would be more suitable and safer. And for that reason it might have to stay where it is, maybe warning the guests of the elevated tracks may help.

I enjoyed watching the youngsters having such a ball dancing to the Latin Sounds on the street. Thus even the small fry are introduced to their heritage by the sound and the foods of their heritage.

Visitors from all over came too and marveled at the many different street performers. There was of course a small “Midway” next to MacDonald’s to take ride on.

The surrounding neighborhood was filled with none local cars, which is a bit of an annoyance for the people living there. But it has its funny side too. We observed one family searching up and down a street to find the car they were certain to have parked in front of a specific house, right close to a fire hydrant. They thought for sure that the car had been hauled off by parking authorities and asked locals if they had observed such an action. However, after walking the street for half an hour they found their car in an entirely different street block, much to their relief. rka