- Caribbean publicist Tenille Clarke shared her journey from Trinidad to Toronto and back.
- Clarke moved to Toronto at 19, experiencing a significant cultural shift.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tenille Clarke, founder of the Caribbean-based public relations company Chambers Media Solutions. Clarke was born and raised in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago.
This story has been edited for length and clarity.
I was raised in a part of Port of Spain called East Dry River, one of the poorest communities in Trinidad and Tobago.
My mom migrated to Canada when I was three years old, so I was raised by my maternal aunt. My dad was very active in my life, but he also traveled a lot for work.
Life in East Dry River was never considered ideal. But you learn to see beauty in the simplicities of life; I had great neighbors and a good extended family.
The magic of East Dry River is that it's the birthplace of Carnival, a historic festival that dates back to the Transatlantic Slave Trade, where enslaved people of African descent emulated masquerade balls of French colonizers — an event in which slaves were not allowed to participate.
I was fortunate enough to be immersed in the carnival experience at a very young age by watching my family members and wearing my own costumes.
From the Caribbean to Canada
I was almost 19 when I moved to Toronto, where my mom had been living for 16 years.
I didn't want to go to university in Trinidad because I had read so much about different cultures, and I was encouraged to explore beyond home shores.
I migrated in the middle of the Carnival season in February 2003, which was a devastating reality because I loved Carnival so much.
When I left Trinidad, it was 32 degrees Celsius. When I landed at Pearson International Airport in Toronto that night, it was minus 23 degrees Celsius. Culture shock is the understatement of the century.
In Toronto, it takes longer to form a community than in Trinidad or the Caribbean. We are such warm, affable people, and not every cultural background is like that.
One year after moving, I enrolled at York University, where I studied humanities with a specialization in social sciences.
Several Caribbean students were enrolled on campus. They came from all over the region, from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south, Bermuda, Barbados, and everywhere in between. It was such a joy. Those early years really exposed me to a new world of cultural opportunities.
I lived in Toronto for nine years. After I graduated, I worked in the financial services sector, but then I decided to move back to Trinidad after my dad lost both of his parents within a two-year window.
Intuitively as a daughter, you know where and when you're needed by your parents. I just felt like my physical presence would help my dad to transition through that period of grief.
So in 2011, I moved back to Trinidad in the middle of the Carnival season. Carnival seems to be a very recurring theme in my life.
It's so much more than sun, sea, and sand
I began my public relations company, Chambers Media Solutions, after leaving my full-time job as a senior copywriter in 2016.
The opportunity to tell Caribbean stories in our own unique way was always the biggest appeal for me.
I want people to know that the Caribbean region is so much more than the sun, sea, and sand. It's unfortunate when visitors, regardless of their background, don't give themselves the grace to change their minds about our region.
Our history is really complex and requires a lot of nuance.
I deeply appreciate the thrust for community tourism initiatives because people are so intent on having experiences rather than things. It gives tourists the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in our culture, our heritage, and our shared identity in a responsible way.
Some people might be looking for a party environment; Trinidad and Tobago, the birthplace of Carnival, would be the perfect spot for that. Some people might be looking for marine life; Grenada is excellent for that. Just last year, the region expanded its underwater sculpture park, where people can snorkel and see detailed sculptures just underneath the surface.
I would make those recommendations because that's what my world looks like right now, but that might be subject to change.
And that's the beauty of the Caribbean region — even if you do change your mind, you can still find something that aligns with that new idea.
I would definitely recommend any tourist to get familiar with the community and to make new friends with the people who live there. The citizens will know the off-the-beaten paths.
There's no better research than making a new friend. And that's where kindness comes in — it will get you so much further than your money can ever do.