Toronto, Canada, October 3, 2012 – One of the people who was part of a group comprising Grenadians and other Caribbean nationals in launching Caribana in Toronto in 1967 has died.

Trinidad-born lawyer Charles Roach, who was ailing for about six months with a brain tumour, died Tuesday. He was 79.

In addition to Roach, other members of the organizing committee for the first Caribana festival included Grenadian lawyer and retired judge, Romain Pitt.

In recalling the formation of Caribana’s initial board of directors, Pitt told writer Patrick Shepperd that one of the things they tried to do was to be apolitical.

“By virtue of its decision not to take political sides, it would be possible to have people of many different persuasions working together,’’ Pitt said.

Research has shown that Caribana, whose major sponsor is now Scotiabank, attracts about two million visitors to Toronto, and pumps about $400 million into Ontario’s economy. It is described as North America’s largest street festival.

Roach combined his legal training with community activism to champion numerous human rights and civil right causes, and in seeking equal opportunities and full participation in Canadian society for people of African and Caribbean heritage.

“I am truly saddened by the death of Charlie. It will be very difficult to replace Charlie as a legal brain, activist, humanitarian and leader in the community. He played his part to make Canada a better place for all of us and for that he deserves the utmost respect and gratitude,’’ said writer Sam Donkoh, a member of the Canadian Association of Black Journalists.

Although Roach lived in Canada since the 1950s, he never became a citizen. One of the requirements for citizenship is swearing allegiance to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth.

Roach, up to his last day, campaigned to end the citizenship oath to the Queen.

He argued that as someone of African ancestry, whose foreparents suffered at the hands of the British monarchy, he could not now swear allegiance to the Queen; and that the oath violated Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedom.

Roach had also been advocating for Canada to change to a republican model of government.

He arrived in Saskatchewan in 1955 to study to become a priest. But, he later transferred to law at the University of Toronto.

As a lawyer, Roach defended Black Panther members seeking refuge in Canada from prosecution in the United States.

He also represented domestic workers who were being threatened with deportation from Canada in the 1970s, and was appointed lead defense counsel at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 1998.