TORONTO — Jamaica takes the spotlight in Toronto during the next couple of days, as Jamaica House Toronto – the home base for Jamaican athletes, Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica – opens its doors to visitors from around the world nightly through July 24 for live entertainment, Jamaican cuisine and a chance to rub shoulders with some of the island’s top athletes.

The event, which coincides with the Pan Am games offers opportunities to celebrate with Jamaican athletes and learn more about vacationing on the island. Among the performers were Rootz Underground tonight (July 22); l-Octane and Baby Clam on Thursday night (July 23) and Maxi Priest on Friday night July 24.

Events begin at 6 p.m. each night at Atlantis at Ontario Place. Tickets start at $42.15 and are available through Ticketmaster.

(Also check teamjamaica.ca for details).

“Jamaica continues to be the most diverse destination in the Caribbean,” Philip Rose, Regional Director for Canada for the Jamaica Tourist Board, told a large gathering of media, sporting officials and sponsors at a launch event yesterday. “And when we heard the Pan Am games was coming to Toronto, that’s the first thing that struck me was diversity – in its food, people and languages,” he said. “We saw that as an opportunity to bridge the two cultures. We also saw it as an opportunity to sprinkle some spice, if you will, into the Pan Am initiatives.”

Rose said ideally he would’ve liked to invite everyone to Jamaica for the launch but instead settled for a venue in Toronto (Atlantis) that is on the water, like Jamaica. He thanked the many sponsors including Sunwing Vacations, Appleton Estate Rum, Grace Foods, Kisko, House of Jerk, Bliss tropical cuisine, Air Canada and Caribbean Airlines.