Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen on Thursday (Feb. 4) hosted members of the Toronto World Presidents Organization (WPO) to a formal banquet at King’s House as they began a three-day visit to Jamaica. The visit which was dubbed a ‘cultural familiarization tour’ of Kingston was organized by former president of Scotia Bank Jamaica Bruce Bowen, who is a member of the WPO.
In welcoming the delegation to King’s House, the Governor-General said this was an opportune time for them to visit Jamaica as it coincided with the national observance of Reggae Month and its rich programme of activities.
“You are in the hub of our cultural and entertainment industry. The City of Kingston is the birthplace of various genre of Jamaican music spanning the gamut from Ska to Reggae to Dancehall. We celebrate the fact that last year Kingston joined the Global Network of Creative Cities following its designation by UNESCO for its contribution to the development of Jamaican music,” Sir Patrick Allen said.
Pointing to the good relationship that exists between Jamaica and Canada, the Governor-General said he hoped that the shared experiences of success and failure during the course of the visit would energize entrepreneurship in Jamaica. “We can learn much from the value you place on peer exchanges. I am encouraged by the peer exchanges which already occur among our CEOs and the role which several are playing as we seek to grow our economy sustainably,” he said.
The three-day visit included exchanges between Jamaican and Canadian business leaders as well as cultural interactions in some communities in Kingston.