The Tribune

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: Saxons are the overall winners of the Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade.

A DIVISION OVERALL:

1 Saxons

2 The Valley Boys

3 Roots

4 Genesis

5 One Family

– The Music Makers were disqualified

B DIVISION OVERALL:

1 Colours

2 Fancy Dancers

3 Immortals

4 Original Congos

5 Body of Christ

6 Conquerors for Christ

7 Foundation

8 Redland Soldiers

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

JUNKANOO supporters mocked officials after inclement weather that forced the postponement of the Boxing Day parade never came –– but Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg said standard practices and scientific information spurred the change.

He said the Junkanoo Corporation New Providence and the Parade Management Team require clearance of no rain from the Met Office two to three hours before mobilisation.

The parade happened last night, with groups performing only one lap on Bay Street and one lap on Shirley Street to ensure the event ended in time for businesses to reopen. Ordinarily, groups do two laps on Bay Street.

This was the fourth time in 20 years the Boxing Day parade was postponed by at least 24 hours; it also happened in 2022, 2017 and 2004.

 As in 2017, when the bad weather forecast did not materialise, people took to social media to question officials and spread memes.

 After the parade was postponed in 2017, former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis summoned top Junkanoo officials, telling them dates for the parade should remain unchanged unless something catastrophic is expected.

 “Any decision made by the JCNP and its stakeholders to postpone would have been based on the scientific approach by the experts from the Met Office, and that will always be the way we will move forward,” Mr Bowleg said yesterday.

 Forecasts had shown a high chance of rain again on Tuesday, but Mr Bowleg said experts assured him there was a less than 30 per cent chance of rain during the parade window.

 “I think the chances of rain, I was advised, might be between 20 to 25 per cent, which is below the average of rain and the wind knots less than 10 per cent,” he said. “I think the JCNP rule indicates that anything over 30 per cent chance of rain, that would have caused them not to want to proceed.

 “But the percentage was much less than the 30 per cent that would cause them not to want to move forward. So everything is looking good.”