Waterloo Region · Since 1975
Connecting
Caribbean
Community
The Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region unites the Caribbean diaspora through cultural events, youth scholarships, and community programs.
The Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region unites the Caribbean diaspora through cultural events, youth scholarships, and community programs.
Join us to connect, celebrate, and uplift the Caribbean community in Waterloo Region, as we have done together since 1975.
Connect with Caribbean Canadians and friends of our community across Waterloo Region, and build relationships that feel like home.
Be part of the cultural celebrations, Black History Month programming, and community events that keep Caribbean heritage alive and thriving.
Your membership helps support our Words of Excellence scholarships, which have opened doors for students in our community.
Take part in mentorship, the Afric Caribbean Book Club, and LiftOff, our Black Entrepreneurship Bootcamp.
Help shape the future of CCAWR, take part in our Annual General Meeting, and advocate for a fair and just community for all.
Be the first to hear about upcoming events, programs, and opportunities happening across our community.
The Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region (CCAWR) is a registered charity dedicated to advancing education, relieving poverty, and strengthening the Caribbean diaspora in Waterloo Region.
Founded in 1975, we have spent 50 years building bridges — through scholarships and micro-grants that open doors, job readiness and entrepreneurship training for BIPOC youth and adults, and cultural festivals that celebrate Caribbean heritage across Kitchener-Waterloo.
Founded in March 1975 — the offspring of a 1974 University of Waterloo summer project that brought cultural programming to Black and Caribbean youth — CCAWR (formerly the Caribbean Canadian Cultural Association) was created by Hilda Fletcher, Chloe Callender, and Jello Wickham at a moment when Canada was newly embracing multiculturalism. Fifty years on, we like to think of our community as butterflies: always adapting, always emerging into something more beautiful. Here's a look at the journey so far.
CCAWR was founded in March 1975. Our young dancers quickly became local favourites, performing in vibrant Caribbean costume at Canada Day celebrations, regional exhibitions, and The Centre In The Square.
Our 1987 benefit concert helped support a young Kitchener boxer named Lennox Lewis, who went on to win Olympic gold in 1988 and become a world heavyweight champion. The decade also brought visits from leaders like Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander as our community celebrated growing Black Awareness across the region.
Pride in Black Awareness grew into Black History programming in local schools and colleges, art exhibitions, and performances — from the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers to a youth music and drama program at Resurrection High School. The decade closed alongside global milestones like Nelson Mandela's release and the end of apartheid.
CCAWR deepened its partnerships — co-founding the Coalition for the Success of African-Caribbean Youths and launching the Awards of Excellence scholarships with the Congress of Black Women. We brought Broadway productions like Once On This Island and Ain't Misbehavin' to our community, and under leaders like Lauris DaCosta and Ingrid Berkley Brown, kept writing the next chapter — now through programs like LiftOff, the Afric Caribbean Book Club, and Mentorship.
Adapted from a speech by Vincent A. Smith, given in celebration of CCAWR's 40th Anniversary, April 2015.
