Dr. Maurice Bygrave
Maurice Leroy Bygrave was born in Browns Town, St. Ann, Jamaica and arrived in Canada as a young boy in 1954. The family lived in Harbord Village in Toronto and Maurice attended Lansdowne Public School for elementary and Harbord Collegiate for high school.
Maurice went on to attend the University of Toronto for Dentistry, receiving his dental degree in 1966. Upon graduation, Maurice opened his own dental practice in one of the first malls in North America: Westside Mall.
Over the years, Dr. Bygrave has focused on providing expert care in a full range of dental procedures. He strongly believes in community-focused service, centered on building lasting relationships with his patients.
Dr. Bygrave continues to practice in the same location today where you can be confident of the highest standards of care and professionalism.
Community Leadership
Dr. Bygrave is proud of his Caribbean identity. His unwavering commitment to his heritage is evident in his long association with Caribana.
In 1966, the West Indian Community was asked by the federal government to contribute to the Expo of 1967 which was to take place in Montreal. This Expo was a celebration of Canada’s Centennial.
In response to this request, the West Indian Community in Toronto decided that the best way to contribute was to bring Carnival to Canada as it represented the whole of the Caribbean.
In 1967, when Dr. Bygrave’s good friend, Dr. Joseph “Al” Alban Liverpool became the Chair of the Board of Governors of the first Caribana, it was only natural that Dr. Maurice Bygrave also got involved in the planning of the event. He was the publicity and advertising coordinator.
The event took over 9 months to plan, with Al as the leader and Maurice promoting all the events that were to occur during the week. It was called the Caribbean Centennial Week. It was held August 5-12 of 1967, and it was opened with a Centennial Ball. This is the event that brought about the continued celebration of Caribbean and West Indian culture through what we know today as Caribana.
To this day, Dr. Bygrave continues to be a vocal advocate of Caribana and is committed to a strong Caribana that represents the whole of the Caribbean.
From the archives: Caribana through the decades – The Globe and Mail
Dr. Bygraves Tribute to Black Leaders
Family Day Message – Mount Zion Apostolic Church Bishop Ricketts (2021)