Celebrating
Peter Marcelline
(1936-2015)
Celebrating the life of Peter Marcelline
Wednesday, February 17th, 2016
United Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil Street
Host
Ainsworth Hamilton — CUPE Local 79 Vice-President, Equity
Speakers
Tim Maguire — President, CUPE Local 79
Andria Babbington — Toronto and York Region Labour Council - Vice President
Andria Babbington is the Vice-President of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council and an organizer for Unite HERE Local
75. She has spent the last 31 years organizing workplaces, mobilizing workers and defending their rights on the job and in their
communities. She has worked in the hotel industry for most of her career and has spent the last 12 years on the Labour Council
board as an elected executive board member. In 1999, Andria founded Spring Village Association of Toronto — a non-profit
organization that supports schools and elderly people in Jamaica. Outside of her leadership role in the Labour Movement,
Andria has remained a stalwart advocate in the community, working on issues of race relations and discrimination.
Ken Amoroso — Human Rights Committee Member/Past Membership Secretary, CUPE Local 79
Valerie Joseph — Human Rights Committee Member and Spoken Word Artist
Marie Clarke Walker — Executive Vice-President, Canadian Labour Congress
Marie started her career working in a home for the elderly. She rose rapidly through the ranks of the Canadian Union of Public
Employees (CUPE), eventually becoming CUPE Ontario’s Equity Vice-President and her union’s first-ever national Diversity
Vice-President. Marie made history in 2002 when she was elected as the first racialized woman and youngest person to the
position of Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress. She is now in her 5th term. She is currently an executive
member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.
Family
(in attendance)
Kathy Marcelline (Daughter)
Gerald Sutton (Son-in-law)
Karleigh Sutton (Granddaughter)
Patricia Marcelline (Daughter)
Marney Dyker
(unable to attend)
Peter Allan (Son)
Miles Marcelline (Grandson)
Materials
Caribana co-founder Peter Marcelline helped lead festival for decades — The Toronto Star
Obituary: Peter Marcelline — George Haim, The Toronto Star
Peter Marcelline — Black in Canada
Caribana co-founder Peter Marcelline ‘left a lasting impact’ — Ron Fanfair, Share Online Inc.
Condolence Motion — Toronto City Council
Peter Marcelline: A Lifetime of Caring and Sharing ­— CUPE Local 79
In Appreciation
Thank you to the CUPE Local 79 Executive Board and Executive Committee for their continued
support in the promotion of equity and diversity at all levels of our Union. Special welcome to members
of Peter Marcelline’s family in attendance here this evening.
Light Refreshments Provided by the Real Jerk Restaurant
Caribana co-founder Peter Marcelline helped lead festival for decades
Tireless activist, who died at 78, never backed down from a fight — nor held a grudge.
By: George Haim Special to the Star,
Published on Wed Jan 13 2016
In the late 1960s and early 1970s,
Kathy Marcelline and her younger
brother and sister loved going to the
Caribana parade to pick up pieces of
costumes that fell off parade participants. They created their own
costumes out of this material and
paraded down their North Toronto
street to introduce their neighbours
to Caribbean culture.
The siblings’ father, Peter, was one of
the founding members of the Caribbean Cultural Committee, which
organized Caribana. He was also a
Peter Marcelline, centre, with former premier Dalton McGuinty and former
social activist, fighting passionately
mayor David Miller at Caribana’s 40th anniversary celebration.
against racism and discrimination,
and for human rights, labour rights
and many other causes he cared about.
Originally planned as a one-time event for Canada’s centennial celebration in 1967, Caribana was so successful it
was held annually thereafter, with Marcelline often at the helm of the CCC.
Marcelline died in Toronto on Oct. 4 of pneumonia. He was 78.
“How do you describe a man who invites the whole world to his party?” said his youngest child, Patricia Marcelline, born the year after the first Caribana. As she grew up, the Caribbean festival became as normal to her as
birthdays and Christmas.
“Peter meant a lot to many people in the community,” said Maurice Bygrave, also a founder of the CCC. “He was
solid as a rock. He anchored the fledgling Caribana community. He never wavered in his commitment to the
cause.”
“He was a person who never backed away from a fight,” said Lennox Farrell, who served on the CCC’s board
with Marcelline.
Peter Gregory Marcelline was born in 1936 in Princes Town, Trinidad, the ninth of 10 children.
His family was quite poor. As a child, he owned one pair of shoes for church and another pair for school. Out-
doors, he played barefoot. The frugality he learned at a young age stayed with him all his life.
Education was important for Marcelline, who came to Canada in 1959, studying first in Winnipeg then at the
University of Toronto, where he earned a master’s degree in city planning in 1964.
After graduation, he secured a job as a planner for the City of Toronto, where he spent his entire career. He was
active in CUPE Local 79, which represents city employees, and remained involved in the union until well after
his retirement in 2001.
Marcelline wanted to stage the first Caribana parade to replicate the experience of the carnival in Trinidad. Using
his knowledge of the city’s bureaucracy, he planned the route and logistics of the 1967 parade.
Marcelline was never shy about speaking his mind. He told the Globe and Mail in 1987 that he disliked terms
such as “visible minority” and West Indian. “Don’t forget: our children are Canadian. And I’ve brought up mine
to not take crap from anybody,” he told the newspaper.
Over the years, Marcelline found himself in the midst of many squabbles revolving around Caribana, from
budget shortfalls to the kind of music featured.
“Caribana is Trinidadian in terms of form and Caribbean in terms of people who give it life,” he told the Globe
and Mail in 1995 when explaining why he thought Calypso music, which originated in Trinidad and Tobago,
should continue to predominate.
The following year, when a group objected to Marcelline’s plan to change the parade route and institute a gate
charge, he told the Star: “I think they have their own hidden agenda... It’s about more than disrupting the festival.
It’s about trying to take over the festival.”
“The show went on despite whatever controversy there was,” said Lennox Borel, another founding member of the
CCC. “He was a steadying force.”
Marcelline was on the board of the CCC for decades and was elected chairman a number of times. Others deferred to his wisdom because he had the longest institutional memory, said Borel. Marcelline would help resolve
conflicts by always reminding people of the organization’s original goals, he said.
With a deep baritone voice and almost six-foot stature, Marcelline could intimidate a room without meaning to.
He appeared gruff but had a soft side, said his daughter Kathy.
Marcelline never harboured ill will or rancour against anyone, even after a disagreement, said Farrell. “The next
time he saw you, he greeted you with a big smile,” he said.
Marcelline leaves behind two daughters, a son and two grandchildren.
Source:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/01/13/caribana-co-founder-peter-marcelline-helped-lead-festival-for-decades.html
This is a copy of Peter Marcelline’s obituary,
published in the Toronto Star on Oct. 10, 2015.
Peter Marcelline
Obituary
Proud Trinidadian/Canadian, Social activist, Caribana co-founder, Union leader, University of Toronto graduate, City of Toronto Planner, Father, Grandfather, Brother, Uncle,
Toronto Blue Jays/Maple Leafs/Raptors fan.
Peter passed away peacefully at Toronto’s Mt. Sinai Hospital surrounded by family. Born ninth of ten children, to
Emanuel (Reynold) and Theodora (Eva) Agard on October 27, 1936, in Princes Town, Trinidad, he was the first
to leave the island and to pursue a university degree. He arrived in Canada, his new home, in September 1959
and eventually settled in Toronto, by way of Winnipeg, where he married, graduated in 1964 with a master’s
degree in city planning at University of Toronto, and had three children. He worked as a Planner for the City of
Toronto for 30 years. For Canada’s centennial celebration in 1967, Peter became one of the founders of the Caribbean Cultural Committee (CCC) that delivered the first Caribana parade. The event was so popular that it has
repeated every year since. He sat as Chair of the CCC many times over the years. Along with the other founders,
he has helped to weave this Caribbean culture of his homeland into the mosaic of Toronto, his adopted land.
Through his years with the city and beyond, Peter was very active with the union. He sat as executive or member
on the Bargaining, Human Rights, and Retirees Committees for CUPE Local 79, and also worked at the provincial and national levels.
Cherished father of Kathy (Gerald Sutton), Peter Allan and Patricia. Proud Grandpa Peter to Miles and Talia,
beloved Umpa to Karleigh and Sean and Brad. Brother of Sylvia, Lytton and Norma and of predeceased siblings
Esmie, Carl, Gaston, Pearl, Julian and Louise. Uncle Peter to many across Trinidad, the Caribbean, Canada, the
United States and beyond.
This grander-than-life voice has been quieted, but his stories, teachings and contributions live on through his
proud family, wealth of friends and the community. Cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Peter’s Life
will be held in the future. Follow “Peter Marcelline - Memorial & Celebration” on Facebook for details. In lieu of
flowers, donations in Peter’s memory may be made to Sistering (www.sistering.org), or to the Toronto Star Fresh
Air Fund.
Rest in Peace
Published in the Toronto Star on Oct. 10, 2015
These messages of condolence
were left in an online Guestbook
attached to the Toronto Star
obituary.
January-14-16
My deepest condolences to the Marcelline
family. I met Peter sometime in the late
1970s. He was a great friend. His beautiful
voice and his laughter has been silenced but
memories of him will live on forever in our
hearts.
~
Linda Griffith,
Toronto, Ontario
November-05-15
We miss Peter’s voice at Labour Council,
CUPE Ontario and National Conventions.
Rest eternal grant unto Peter, O Lord and Let
light perpetual shine upon him. May he rest
in peace and rise in glory.
~
David Carrington,
Toronto, Ontario
October-29-15
On Behalf of myself and family, I am offering
my sympathies to the family, May god grant
you peace in your time of sorrow
~
Nadine Newton,
Newmarket, Ontario
October-24-15
Heartfelt sympathies to all the family,
especially Kathy, Allan & Patsy from the old
neighbourhood. He was a wonderfully kind
man; teased me as a child (wink and a grin)
and I missed that, and him when we moved
away. Rest In Peace.
~
Jennifer Devaney,
Toronto, Ontario
October-22-15
My Condolences to Pat and the rest of the
family.
~
John Charles,
Brampton, Ontario
October-21-15
Our sincere condolences to Peter’s
immediate and extended family and
friends. Will miss his passionate discussions
regarding world history, sports (especially
soccer), and social equity. Rest in peace.
~
Edward & Isobel Mickiewicz,
Lorne Park, Ontario
October-21-15
My sincere condolences to Peter’s entire
family. peter was a very big and positive
influence in the many lives that he touched.
Alpha W. King
October-17-15
My deepest condolences go out to the
Marcelline family. May he rest in peace.
~
Jennifer Collymore,
Pickering, Ontario
October-16-15
Sending love and light to Kathy, Pat, Allan,
Gerald and family, and peace for our good
friend, Peter, on his journey home,
Peace,
Sue Brown and Judy Jordan
~
Sue Brown,
Peterborough, Ontario
Contact Me
October-15-15
Kathy, Patty,
We are sorry to hear about your loss. We
didn’t get to know him in person, but all
the references and tales we heard about
Peter just indicate how great he was, and the
huge passion he placed on whatever he did.
We are truly sorry to hear about your loss.
Your father will be missed and will always
be remembered. Our deepest condolences,
Rocio and Jorge
~
Rocio Isaza,
Toronto, Ontario
October-15-15
Dear Patricia, Please accept my condolences
for your loss, to you and your family.
Although I never met Mr. Marcelline, I
sensed and was made aware of the deep
love, devotion and respect you had for your
dad, and this special relationship will help
keep his memory alive.
~
Dina Anthony,
Mississauga, Ontario
October-15-15
Kathy
My condolences to you and your family.
Know that he is with God now and looking
down at you with his lovely smile.
Liz Ambas
October-15-15
R.I.P. Brother you were a great source of
inspiration to combat the fight for social
justice and humanity. You are in our prayers
and thoughts.
~
Harminder Magon,
Ottawa, Ontario
Contact Me
October-13-15
R.I.P Uncle Peter you have been a great
inspiration to me, our entire family and lots
more worldwide. Your grace, humor and
love will live on forever in all our hearts.
Love you
~
Denisa Marcelline,
Toronto, Ontario
October-13-15
My sincere condolences to the entire
Marcelline family. Kathy I know that he
was a huge influence in your life. Nicole
Papineau
October-12-15
Condolences to the Marcelline family and
friends RIEP Peter Marcelline.
October-11-15
My deepest condolences to the Marcelline
family.may his sole rest in peace
~
Noel Audain,
Toronto, Ontario
October-11-15
Rest in peace my uncle. I will certainly
remember your stories and discussions on so
many topics. Your rich enquiring mind. Will
be missed.
May God be with you.
Arlene Mc Comie (Niece, T&T)
~
Arlene Mc Comie,
Trinidad & Tobago
October-11-15
My deepest condolences to the Marcelline
family,i remember his great intellect and his
word of wisdom.He will be greatly missed in
our community.
~
Calvin S Herbert,
Toronto, Ontario
October-10-15
My sincere condolences go out to the
Marcelline family. He will be missed by
everyone in the community. May he rest in
peace
~
Jerry Bain,
Kitchener. ON, Ontario
October-10-15
Peter will certainly be missed. I will miss his
calls reminding me of The ROMEO Lunch.
We will miss his chatter, his rants, his genuine
enjoyment of debate and conversation, and
most of all his joyous laughter. Peter, Rest In
Peace. Audia and Leo
~
leo marin,
toronto, Ontario
October-10-15
It was a pleasure knowing Peter in Caribana
and out of Caribana peace in your travel home
October-10-15
It was a joy to know Peter through Sacred
Circle Dance - a lovely man through and
through.
This is a
profile of
Peter that
appeared
in Black in
Canada,
an online
platform
for Black
Excellence.
Peter Marcelline, City Planner/ Co-Founder of Caribana, Member of the Executive Committee
Born: Princess Towne, Trinidad
Published on
August 20,
2012
Peter Marcelline was born in Princess Towne, Trinidad and the product of Catholic parents. He was the ninth
child of ten, growing up in a large close-knit family. Peter had a happy childhood doing everything country boys
did – making tops and pitching kites -because his family couldn’t afford to buy toys. He received a good primary
education and went to the prestigious St. Mary’s College in Trinidad for high school.
Peter applied for three universities and got accepted to all three of them. In the end, he chose to go to Canada
because he felt it had a better standard of education than the United States. Moreover, he did not want to study
in the United States because of its racism. Since Blacks couldn’t vote in the US in the 1960s, Peter did not want to
live in a country where he couldn’t vote. Thus, he chose Canada despite its discriminatory immigration policies.
Peter was the first of his siblings to go to university. Growing up Peter loved geography and attended the
University of Toronto in 1960 to study Urban Geography. While in university, a professor suggested that he study
city planning. Thus, Peter pursued a masters in City Planning and graduated in 1964.
Peter worked for the City of Toronto for 30 years as a city planner, working in collaboration with city engineers,
transportation workers, parks and recreation people, social workers, architects and urban designers to come up
with city plans. He was attracted to planning because it is a multi-disciplinary profession.
Early on in his career as a City planner for the City of Toronto, Peter became one of the founders of Caribana.
He knew Romain Pitt, George Meikle, George Lowe, and Dr. Alban Liverpool. It was Alban who suggested Peter
was a good fit for the group and that he should attend the first planning meeting. Peter went to the Old Firehall
in Adelaide in December 1966, and became one of the members of the Executive Committee of the Caribbean
Cultural Committee (CCC).
Peter used his City connections to plan the logistics of the first Caribana parade. Peter was responsible for
planning the first route going from Varsity Stadium down University Avenue to Nathan Phillip Square, ending
with a reception at City Hall.
Neither Peter nor the other founders expected the parade to ever happen again, but when they were begged by
the Mayor of Toronto to keep doing it they agreed. However, they were not given the money to do it. In order
to put on a subsequent Caribana, Peter and six other members of the CCC, such as Charles Roach, Alban
Liverpool, and Romain Pitt, had to dig into their own pockets to come up with the money because parade could
not meet its expenses, relying heavily on gifts and its few sponsorships. As a consequence, they approached many
banks and were only approved by the Royal Bank of Canada for a loan of 33,000 dollars. Scotiabank, which
currently sponsors the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival, at the time, did not look at the CCC twice. They
considered it to be too much of a risk and would not approve a loan.
In order to secure such a large loan, the members had to put up their houses and other assets as collateral. Peter
and his wife had just purchased their first house, and Peter was forced to put it up as collateral. While these
members have never been formally repaid, many consider it part of their contribution to an achievement they
were proud to support, the impact of which on Toronto’s economy would be outstanding.
Others such as the Liverpool brothers – Hermes Selwyn Liverpool a business administrator who founded the
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Association of Montreal and Dr. Samuel Allan Liverpool a dental surgeon who
eventually went on to found the sister organization in Toronto in 1968 – donated their personal money as well.
Thus, it is interesting how the private sector, which was not willing to support the historic parade in the early
days, was so willing to co-opt it at present.
Peter stayed on the CCC board for a long time, longer than any other member, becoming Chairman over 5
times, because he felt proud to take part in Carnival and ‘making mas.’ It was part of the culture he grew up with
and wished to cultivate in his adopted home of Canada.
During his long career with the City, Peter became very involved in the union. Originally, City Planners were
not allowed to be in the union. Peter took part in organizing a local unit of the union, Cupe Local 79, eventually
becoming an executive board member. He chaired committees such as the Bargaining Committee and pushed
for some of the benefits for City workers, such as sick benefits, vacation pay, and leave for caring for sick family
members.
Peter has sometimes been called a communist because he attended a ‘Solidarity for Cuba’ meeting in 1994 and
was very involved in unions. While Peter believes wealth should be shared by everyone, he does not believe in
communism because the theorists behind it were not writing for African people.
As a city planner in Toronto, Peter was involved in working to keep Kensington Market alive on two separate
occasions. First, when it was almost destroyed by Toronto Hydro and second when it was threatened by George
Brown College. As part of the preservation effort, he helped organize small business owners to resist and is proud
to have played a part in keeping such a historic part of Toronto safe from developers.
Peter has three children, two girls and a boy, and two grandchildren. He is currently retired and lives in East
York.
WHO INSPIRES YOU?
My parents. They pushed to get us an education and open doors for us to become better people. We all got a
good education – 5 out of 10 children went to university, and this was back when there was no money for that
and had to grow their own food because they couldn’t afford groceries.
WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO?
My mother was involved in community work, giving and sharing her time, so I take from her example.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE?
I admire a lot of people so I don’t want to exclude. People like Malcolm X, Franz Fanon, Nelson Mandela, Fidel
Castro. I also went to school with a lot of Africans and I liked a lot of the things they said.
“If you want a young man to become a communist, send him to school in the States. If you want a young man to
become a capitalist, send him to school in Russia.” -African student
From a Nigerian Igbo student who went to school in Nebraska hearing the US national anthem: ” Land of the
free if you’re white, and home of the brave if you’re Black.”
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK?
I have hundreds, but right now, on my shelf in front of me is The Books of Negroes by Lawrence Hill and The
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela.
GIVEN THE CHANCE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO THAT YOU HAVE NOT DONE YET?
Go to Africa. My grandmother on my mother’s side is Yoruba, so I would go to Nigeria.
Caribana co-founder Peter Marcelline
‘left a lasting impact’
This is a profile of Peter that appeared in Share
Online Inc., a weekly community newspaper that
has served the Black and Caribbean community
in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) of Ontario,
Canada since April 9, 1978.
Always jovial, socially conscious and very community-oriented, Peter Marcelline has left his mark on the
community.
The Caribana co-founder and retired City of Toronto planner passed away on October 4 at Mount Sinai Hospital
after a lengthy illness. He would have celebrated his 79th birthday on October 27.
The ninth of 10 children born and raised in Princes Town in south-central Trinidad, Marcelline graduated
from St. Mary’s College, where his classmates included retired Toronto District School Board (TDSB) principal,
Lennox Borel.
“We were close in high school and we played soccer together,” said Borel, who has judged several local calypso
monarch finals.
They reunited in Toronto in 1960 when Marcelline left the University of Manitoba after a few months to attend
the University of Toronto’s St. Michael’s College.
“We were teammates on the university’s soccer team where Peter excelled as a centre forward,” said Borel. “He
had a powerful shot with either foot and he would often remind us that his feet were ‘The Guns of Navarone’
(in reference to the 1961 movie in which two powerful German guns control the seas past the Greek island
of Navarone making the evacuation of endangered British troops on a neighbouring island impossible). In
addition to his soccer prowess, Peter cared about Caribbean culture and was a very vocal advocate for the
underprivileged.”
Graduating in 1964 with a master’s degree in city planning, Marcelline spent three decades with the City
of Toronto collaborating with engineers, transportation workers, parks and recreation staff, social workers,
architects and designers to devise urban plans.
When the Caribbean community in the city decided to put on a cultural festival as their gift to Canada’s
centennial year festivities in 1967, Marcelline planned the parade route from Varsity Stadium to Nathan Phillip
Square and the subsequent city hall reception.
The inaugural parade attracted almost 30,000 spectators and influenced then Mayor William Dennison to
challenge the organizers to repeat the cultural extravaganza. In order to sustain the event, Marcelline and his
then wife put up their first home as collateral to secure a bank loan. For nearly 30 years, he served as chair and in
other capacities of the Caribbean Cultural Committee (CCC), which organized Caribana.
“Peter dedicated countless hours doing work for Caribana,” said founding member, Dr. Maurice Bygrave, who
was the inaugural festival publicity and advertising co-ordinator. “He was instrumental in its launching and
ensuring it would last so long.”
Henry Gomez, a former chair of the Caribana Arts Group (CAG) that replaced the CCC as the organizer of the
annual Caribbean summer carnival, said Marcelline played a key role in transforming the city.
“He helped to focus the energy of Toronto’s Black community through the Caribana festival,” said Gomez, a
retired TDSB educator. “He has left a lasting impact on the economic, social and cultural life of this city. Peter
was never afraid to speak up for what he believed in, a trait I admired dearly.”
A proponent of social welfare, Marcelline – who is survived by three children – was an active union member
who sat on the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 79 executive and served on the bargaining,
human rights and retirees committees. He also worked at the provincial and national levels.
Marcelline, along with a few of his U of T mates of Caribbean heritage and CARIBANA co-founders, met every
month for lunch at either Scarlet Ibis or The Real Jerk restaurants.
“We would reminisce about old times and eat which is something Peter liked,” said registered professional
planner and Niagara Escarpment Commission member, Cecil Louis, who met Marcelline at St. Mary’s in the late
1940s. “He had a sense of humor and would tell us great stories about his experiences as a railway porter which
some of us did during the summer to pay to go to school.”
The group of about 25 called themselves “The ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eating Out)” and Marcelline was the
self-anointed chair.
“He always sat at the head of the table,” said Dr. Bygrave, who migrated from Jamaica in 1954 and is a dentist by
profession. “He was ‘The Don’. I pray that there wouldn’t be a turf war to find his replacement.”
Marcelline, who was also an avid bird watcher, was cremated last week. A public celebration of his life will take
place at a date to be announced.
Donations in his memory could be made to www.sistering.org or the Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund.
By RON FANFAIR
Patricia Marcelline said:
Tony Boissiere said:
So very proud of my father. To see all that he did beyond being
my dad. Every day more and more proud. I miss him so much.
I met Peter at St. Mary’s college and we became fast buddies.
Regrettably, we drifted apart as we pursued our different
careers, but whenever we met, it was like time had stood
still. We reminisced about old times, old buddies and every
thing under the sun. His contributions to the public good and
especially to Caribana are irreplaceable.
Ken Jones said:
Peter will be truly missed, he was a devoted friend and family
man. I first met him in San Fernando in the late fifties while
reporting Sports for the Old Trinidad Gazette. He was a
very good left wing playing in the Southern Football League
and when he scored he made sure I mentioned it. He was
instrumental in having us (Steltones-first organised steelband
in Canada) play at City Hall, heralding the start of Caribana,
playing at parties and especially Boat Rides.
Food and fun were his specialties.
May your soul rest in Peace Peter and never ever forgotten when
the boys get together.
David Mahon said:
Peter was an expat icon in Toronto. His attitude and disposition
towards life, close friends, and acquaintances was exemplary.
His spirit stood out in a group, and his facial expression
reflected his genuine personality. Rest assured that Peter has not
been laid to rest as is commonly expressed but has risen. His
spirit lives on in the next and his presence will continue to be
felt among the ROMEOS in this life.
Peter’s jovial spirit and generosity will surely be missed; May his
soul Rest in Peace.
CONDOLENCE MOTION
Moved by:
Councillor Paula Fletcher
Seconded by:
Councillor Michael Thompson
The Mayor and Members of Toronto City Council are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of
Peter Marcelline on October 4, 2015.
Mr. Marcelline was born in Princess Towne, Trinidad and moved to Canada in 1959. He attended the
University of Toronto and graduated with a Masters in City Planning in 1964. He worked as a
planner for the City of Toronto for 30 years and among his many significant achievements was the
work he did to save historic Kensington Market.
During his long career with the City, Peter was very involved with the Union and eventually became
an Executive Board Member of CUPE Local 79. He chaired several committees and worked to
secure benefits for City workers including vacation pay, sick benefits and leave for caring for sick
family members.
Peter became one of the founders of the Caribbean Cultural Committee which delivered the first
Caribana Parade as part of Canada's centennial celebrations in 1967. He served as Chair of the
Committee many times over the years and along with the other founders helped weave the Caribbean
culture of his birthplace into his adopted home of Toronto.
Peter's volunteer work and his professional accomplishments have left a lasting impact on our city
and will live on through his proud family as well as his many friends and colleagues.
The City Clerk is requested to convey, on behalf of the Members of Toronto City Council, our
sincere sympathy to the Marcelline Family.
December 9 and 10, 2015 City Council Meeting
Peter Marcelline
A Lifetime of Caring and Sharing
1936 – 2015
Peter Marcelline was a proud union member, and CUPE Local 79 is proud he was one of our members. He
was active in the life of the union and brought energy and a strong sense of social justice to everything he was
involved in – including Local 79 collective bargaining, labour rights, and human rights.
He spent 30 years as a City Planner for the City of Toronto. Originally, City Planners were not part of a
union but Peter helped to organize a union that went on to become CUPE Local 79. He served on the union’s
Executive Board, took part in collective bargaining, and served on the retirees and human rights committees.
Peter cared about people and he was never afraid to speak up and stand up for what he believed in. As a union
activist, Peter fought for benefits for City workers: sick benefits, vacation pay and compassionate leave for
workers to care for sick family members.
He cared deeply for his family and his large community of friends who all remember his positive presence in
their lives. Memories of Peter Marcelline will live on through all the people he reached out to in his lifetime.
Peter shared his passion for social justice, and made the betterment of the lives of others a lifetime commitment.
He spoke out for inclusion and togetherness – not isolation and exclusion. Peter was a force to be reckoned with.
Born in Trinidad, Peter brought to Toronto his love for Trinidadian culture and he became the driving force
behind the first Caribana festival in 1967. Sharing Caribbean culture was a gift to Canada in our Centennial Year
celebrations. The festival, started in 1967, lives on to this day and is shared by literally millions of people. It has
had a lasting effect on the economic, cultural and social life of the City of Toronto.
Peter Marcelline – shared
and cared.
This photo is of
Peter Marcelline and
Local 79 President
Tim Maguire at the
retiree’s tea.
Printed by COPE 343