Our Saint Lucia - Getting Down To Work

Issue 04 | 26 May, 2018

Vision 20/20: Building Resilience

OUR SAINT LUCIA www.govt.lc

Bi-monthly Progress Report from the Government of Saint Lucia

Get ting Down to W o r k

John Compton Dam Desilting Project Canaries Bridge Construction Micoud Road Rehabilitation

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At a glance...

CONTENTS

TOURISM

Upgrade of Castries Market

St. Lucia Carnival gets more government support

Finally desilting work begins

Micoud gets brand new road

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Ministry of Infrastructure continues to deliver

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The Department of Tourism, Information and Broadcasting, through the OECS Regional Tourism Competitiveness Project (ORTCP), will undertake an upgrade of the Castries market and surrounding areas. As part of this initiative, the ORTCP has planned a workshop series aimed at building the skills of vendors. Through this workshop, the Department of Tourism hopes to sensitize vendors about the ORTCP with particular focus on the activities relevant to the redevelopment of Castries and the central market. The three-day training workshop for vendors will commence on May 22.

SECURITY

The Officer in Charge of the Police Complaints Unit has urged the public to make complaints concerning police behaviour directly to the unit. Acting Superintendent, Anthony Bernard Gaston, has stated that the Police Complaints Unit and the Police Complaints Commission were established specifically to handle specialised complaints, and as such they should be utilised as a first port of call when any complaint is made.

Acting Superintendent Gaston stressed that it may be hard for some to make the journey to Castries, the initial communication is vital. The complaints process involves the receipt of the complaint at the commission, and the transfer of the complaint to the complaints unit for investigations.

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EVENTS

Media flock to Saint Lucia Jazz The just ended Saint Lucia Jazz Festival attracted media attention from a wide range of international press, giving coverage not just to the event but the island as a whole. One of the keys to the success of events like the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival, is being able to attract major journalists to the island. In times past, the Saint Lucia Jazz festival witnessed the presence of the likes of ABC, NBC, CNN, BET, Billboard Magazine, Jazzizz magazine and Time Magazine to name a few. Marketing and Sponsorship Officer at The Events Company of Saint Lucia, Leila Williams, said the event saw a spike in interest by the international press, with many of them returning to the festival after being absent for a while.

HEALTH Education gets EQUIP

Police Complaints Unit stresses transparency

Workers Undergo Training Technocrats from the Ministry of Health are being armed with the knowledge and skills to respond to and combat future strains of influenza. The Ministry of Health with the support of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is making a deliberate attempt to strengthen the capacity of health services to detect and respond quickly to the appearance of cases of unusual severe acute respiratory infections. On May 15, the “Surveillance of Unusual Respiratory Events� training session for healthcare professionals was held at the Bay Gardens Hotel.

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Saint Lucia Continues to Inspire

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he sonorous rise of a poem being read by the late Sir Derek Walcott is the backdrop of vivid images of the land that he wrote about so often. Its intrigue, its history, its land, its people and of course the sea- it is all part of a new campaign by the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority under the new tagline “Saint Lucia: Let Her Inspire You.”

room expansion at Bel Jour Hotel, a 36 room expansion at Coconut Bay (Serenity), Royalton Resorts’ completion of 96 additional rooms in the third quarter of 2017, nine over water suites at Sandals Grande and the reopening of Windjammer Landings during the third quarter of 2017 with four additional villas. The increase in Airbnb stock was also factored in.

And while the video has not been officially launched as yet, several other marketing campaigns by the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and pointed efforts by the Government of Saint Lucia is already bearing fruit.

Last week, during a press conference here, tourism officials announced some impressive tourism figures.

According to the Minister with responsibility for Tourism, Hon. Dominic Fedee, Saint Lucia continues to be an iconic destination and is the most aspirational in the Caribbean with an increasing number of persons booking the island as their preferred holiday destination.

“The year to date figures are out and it actually suggests that Saint Lucia’s stay over arrivals are up 9.5 percent from the months of January to March. This is the best first quarter we have ever had in the history of Saint Lucia at 110,032 and it is also the best March we have ever had where some 41,000 would have come to our shores,” Hon. Dominic Fedee reported.

The cruise sector, according to the Minister is also showing significant increase.

“We see that year to date, January to March cruise figures are up 13.5 percent and if we compare the March of 2017 to March 2018 there is a 27.3 percent increase in cruise passengers coming to our destination,” he explained.

So far for the year the island has witnessed two quantum class cruise vessels; one in January, the other on May 16 2018. Their arrivals were preceded by the expansion in the berth at Point Seraphine in 2017. The Minister also disclosed that a berthing facility will soon be established in Vieux Fort by this Government, further enhancing the opportunities for cruise tourism.

“Saint Lucia is expected to see some 800,000 cruise passengers this year and that is because of our strategic development for the sector both in terms of the infrastructure and the marketing and promotions by the SLTA,” the Minister explained.

Despite some challenges in the yachting sector, arrivals continue to be strong and year to date yacht numbers suggest that the island is up 25% in that regard.

BEST CARIBBEAN ISLAND Not only is Saint Lucia inspiring repeat and new visitors to our shores but the island continues to win a number of major industry awards too.

According to Agnes Francis, Executive Chairperson at the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority on May 15, 2018 Saint Lucia won yet another one of these accolades.

“We have just received the Best Caribbean Island award. It came from the Global Traveller, their sixth annual leisure lifestyle awards and the Global Traveller is a publication of 300,000 readers which connects with US based frequent affluent influential travellers,” Francis said.

The Minister went on to reveal that overall visitor arrival was now almost at a half a million mark. “And that is just in the first quarter so we have actually surpassed our last year number, 435,000 in the overall number of tourist that have come to the destination in the first quarter. It looks like Saint Lucia will reach the million mark again and it will be about the sixth time that we have reached those numbers,” he stated.

“We won the award from among ten islands including Aruba, Cayman Islands, St. Vincent, Bahamas, Curacao, Nevis, Jamaica, the BVI and the USVI. So we are quite proud of this and of course it will be part of our promotions moving forward,” she went on to say.

Part of the reasoning for the overall growth the Minister says, was the increase in capacity within the island’s room stock. Among them; a 76

The island has also been nominated for another award, the CTO “Social Media Award” at next month’s Caribbean Week in the United States.

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Saint Lucia Jazz

Rebranded Impresses International Press!

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he second year of the rebranded Saint Lucia Jazz Festival, appears to be regaining prominence amongst Jazz purist and the international press. In fact, the original idea behind the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival when it was conceived in 1992 by the then director of tourism (now prime minister and Minister of Finance of Saint Lucia) Allen Chastanet was to attract the attention of the international press. The visiting press would in turn afford the island much needed marketing visibility necessary to attract visitors not just for the festival but beyond.

Years later the festival grew into something entirely different from where it started and the island continued to benefit from this marketing strategy as well as the trickle-down effect. But with that came some consequences including a far bigger spend (about EC$14 million) than what was originally envisaged, using up a large portion of the marketing budget for the island. Additionally the jazz genre in the festival had also diminished along with the interest from the international press.

“The larger networks like BET and others we no longer saw them coming,” Hon. Allen Chastanet said recently. “We also felt that this was too great a spend for ten days and so we had to go back to the drawing board and recreate a truly Jazz festival, spend less money on the event and spread some of that money on events throughout the year. So we now have a spread of various genres year round providing opportunities for our artistes as well as service providers year round,” the Prime Minister explained.

Interestingly, the just ended Saint Lucia Jazz Festival was able to attract media attention from a wider range of international press like never before, giving coverage not just to the event but the island as a whole.

Andrea DeSilva photo journalist, Trinidad: “I’m happy to see that this year they’ve gone back to traditional Jazz. I think that was kind of missing for a while. When I first came here in 1997 I saw a lot more Caribbean people here then it kind of dwindled when they put in the pop and the R&B and that kind of thing and I think if Saint Lucia continues to go in the direction that they now started to go again with strictly Jazz, there’s a market for that and there are jazz enthusiasts who need something like this to come to, because a lot of the festivals in the Caribbean are saying Jazz but they are not really Jazz.”

Kevin Lashelle, broadcast journalist, UK: “The combination of the setting which is absolutely beautiful, the atmosphere, the vibe and the music is what I like about Saint Lucia.

I think the programming this year is very, very strong so it’s an opportunity for me to learn more about Caribbean Jazz and also to see international artiste in this setting as well.”

Nicole Vassil, Pride Magazine, UK: “I think that there’s just an incredible atmosphere, you can tell that there are a lot of different international elements in this event, the music is so approachable as well. I am not someone who is very aware of jazz it’s not my go-to music genre, but coming here as a Jazz newbie I have had a really great time I’ve really enjoyed the acts.”

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Saint Lucia Carnival to benefit from Increased Government Support

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he Government of Saint Lucia will in 2018, invest well over EC$6 million dollars in Carnival, one of the island’s largest cultural showpieces which has grown significantly over the last few years.

This is a doubling of what was spent on carnival in 2017. During Tuesday’s sitting of the House of Assembly, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Hon. Allen Chastanet, explained the rational, against the backdrop of a reshaped Saint Lucia Jazz Festival.

in North America and throughout the Caribbean and we are now working with Caribbean Airlines as well as a sponsor, to try and fill in any void,” Francis revealed.

“We felt that the Jazz festival was the wrong entity to be the leading event calendar for Saint Lucia, because we don’t have a lot of jazz musicians to create the international buzz,” Prime Minister Chastanet stated. He went on to add that the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival started seeing dwindling returns over the years, with an oversized production team coming in from overseas having to be housed at hotels paid for by taxpayers. In addition, the interest from Jazz aficionados and the international press had also dwindled, as the festival now incorporated other genres of music and less jazz.

Minister for Culture and Local Government Senator Hon. Fortuna Belrose is also excited about the growth in Saint Lucia’s carnival particularly with the music. “We continue to support the artists by investing in them, assisting them with their professional development and promotions overseas and this has been reaping rewards particularly with the Soca and Dennery Segment,” the Minister explained.

The Prime Minister went on to say that the intention is to now put more money into two of the biggest national events in Saint Lucia – Carnival (June- July) and Creole Heritage Month (in October).

In fact, the success story for Saint Lucia’s carnival 2018 is already unfolding, with some of the major hotels reporting one hundred percent occupancy bookings for Carnival.

Agnes Francis, Executive Chairperson at the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, confirmed the good news at a recent press conference, adding that from all reports flights from some of the islands major source markets in the United States have also been sold out for carnival. “So now we are in discussions with a large international carrier form New York to see if we can put on incremental flights during carnival,” she said.

“What has happened with carnival, is that it has organically grown with the bands and the various events put on by the promoters and the Events Company and wherever there is a gap we fill. So we assist with the marketing and where there are shortcoming we come in and we assist. We recognize that there is a significant demand for Saint Lucia’s carnival, particularly

“We have recognized that Carnival and Jounen Creole are the most important events we have and we need to put more resources into those events,” she concluded.

“What we want to do is to take our culture, our art-forms, our music, and our people and boost them up…and we believe that this is going to be a greater success story.”

The Events Company of Saint Lucia is the lead agency charged with producing the national events for carnival and lending support to a number of community carnivals around the island. Events Company of Saint Lucia will officially launch Saint Lucia’s carnival 2018 on Wednesday May 30th at the Sab Playing field, Vigie. The event will feature the various carnival queen contestants, calypso, steelpan and of course Soca music and the popular Dennery Segment.

From there on the island will be a continuous buzz, with carnival events culminating with the two day parade of the bands on July 16 and 17, 2018.

Kaiso is Class Cultural Center

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Junior Calypso National Cultural Center

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Epic Wednesday The Sab

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Ambassadors Calypso Tent National Cultural Center

Micoud Carnival Launch Micoud Multi-Purpose Center

Legends Chill Rodney Bay

Vieux Fort Carnival Launch Recreation Park, Vieux Fort

Mabouya Valley Queen Show Mabouya Valley

South Calypso Tent National Cultural Center

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Roseau Valley Carnival Launch Total Construction Grounds

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Canaries Carnival Launch Canaries

Gros Islet Carnival Launch Gros Islet

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May Schools’ Calypso Competition National Cultural Center

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CMC Soca Expose Mabouya Valley

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Fire One Quarter Finals National Cultural Center

Dennery Kiddies Carnival Dennery Village

Vieux Fort Junior Carnival Parade Vieux Fort Town Circuit

Feteland Sandals Golf and Country Club

Vieux Fort Carnival Queen Pageant Phillip Marcelin Grounds

Soufriere Carnival Queen Show Soufriere Mini Stadium

Shine/Unity Fete Verve Carpark

Fire One Calypso Tent National Cultural Center

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CMC Soca in the City Derek Walcott Square

Take Over Tent/Soca Village National Cultural Center

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June

National Carnival Queen Pageant Royalton Saint Lucia Resort & Spa

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Parade of the Bands Dennery Village

J4F Boat Ride Tango 2

Soca Preliminaries National Sports Complex Car Park

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Soufriere Carnival Parade of the Bands

Vieux Fort Kiddies Carnival Vieux Fort Town

Dennery Carnival Queen Show Dennery Village

Roseau Valley Carnival Queen Show Marigot Secondary School

J4F Cooler Fete Gaeity Carpark

Take Over Tent/Soca Village Quarter Finals National Cultural Center

South Calypso Tent Quarter Finals National Cultural Center

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June

Transcend Pigeon Island

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Soca Monarch Competition The Sab

Sunblock SLU (Fuzion Mas) Beausejour Promenade

Remedy (J4F) Pigeon Island Beach

Legends MESS Surprise Venue

National Calypso Finals The Sab

Panorama Competition The Sab

Binge Reduit Beach

www.soleilsaintlucia.com

Inter-Commercial House Calypso Competition National Cultural Center

Vieux Fort Senior Carnival

Roseau Valley Parade of the Bands - Roseau

National Junior Carnival The Sab

Vieux Fort Junior Carnival Vieux Fort Town Circuit

Colour Me Red Pigeon Island National Landmark

Kaiso Headquarters National Cultural Center

J.O.B. Carnival Queen

Tide Up Boat Cruise Rodney By Boatyard

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Gros Islet J’Ouvert Gros Islet Village

Laborie Carnival Laborie Village

August

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Micoud Carnival Cool Down Micoud Village

Micoud Carnival Micoud Village

Gros Islet Queen Show

Babonneau Carnival Babonneau

Anse la Raye Carnival Anse la Raye Village

Babonneau Kiddies Carnival Babonneau

Mabouya Valley Parade of the Bands Mabouya Valley

Gros Islet Parade of the Bands Gros Islet Village

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Post Carnival Diaspora Boat Cruise Rodney Bay Marina

J4F Last Lap Fete Gaeity Gardens

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Parade of the Bands Mega J Roundabout to Castries City Circuit Fuzion Mas Defuzion Blue Waters Carpark

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Gaeity to Pigeon Island & Back

Live N Color (Verve) Pigeon Island

Ignite Saint Lucia Pigeon Island

J4F Jouvert Jump Up

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Fond St Jacques Kiddies Carnival Fond St. Jacques

National J’ouvert Castries City Circuit

King & Queen of the Bands The Sab

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Fond St. Jacques J’ouvert Fond St. Jacques

JAB JAB Fete Gaeity on Rodney Bay

AURA Slush x Verve Sandals Golf and Country Club

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Fond St Jacques Queen Show Fond St. Jacques

Canaries Carnival Canaries Village

Indulgence (J4F) Pigeon Island Beach

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ESCAPE (J4F) Pigeon Island Seaside

Brazen - Pigeon Island National Landmark

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Legends - BISS Surprise Venue

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U4RIA Pigeon Island National Landmark

Parade of the Bands Dennery Village

Legends - Chill Rodney Bay

WLBL - Bacchanal Brunch Old Military Rd, Bonne Terre

National Calypso Competition - Semi Finals National Cultural Centre

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NEMO Helps Saint Lucians Get Hurricane Ready

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une 1st marks the start of the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season. A list of 21 names has been created for possible tropical storms and hurricanes that may form this season. The 2017 hurricane season was exceptionally destructive to the Caribbean region. Barbuda, Cuba, St Maarten, and St Thomas were left irreparably damaged after the passage of Hurricane Irma. Following soon after, Hurricane Maria caused large scale infrastructural destruction in both Dominica and Puerto Rico, where reparative work is still underway nine months later.

St Lucia remains vulnerable this hurricane season, and storms are now stronger than ever due to climate change. We have never been spared from hurricanes, and Hurricane Debbie in 1994 cost the country over EC$230 million dollars in losses, according to NEMO. The National Emergency Management Organization’s (NEMO) purpose is to educate the public, and implement tested strategies to mitigate adverse effects of natural and man-made disasters on the population of St. Lucia.

One such way is through promoting hurricane preparedness.

Hurricane preparedness should be the priority of all St Lucians. Planning ahead is the best way to mitigate any damage caused during the hurricane season. Proper preparedness includes having a sufficient supply of non-perishable food items, and water. It is also wise to keep

stock of medication, toiletries, first aid supplies, candles, flash flights, battery operated radios, hardware supplies and other miscellaneous items. These items are best stored in water tight containers.

Equally important is remedying any infrastructural issues around houses and other buildings. Trimming branches that may damage windows, clearing drains, boarding windows and strengthening galvanize roofs can lessen any likely damage from strong troughs, tropical storms or hurricanes. Planting trees on slopes and constructing retaining walls can prevent land slippage and excessive flood damage in areas which are especially flood prone.

In extreme cases during hurricanes, each community has at least one emergency shelter to house displaced residents.

These shelters are usually churches, schools or community centers.

Director of NEMO, Velda Joseph, continues to remind St Lucians to take heed this hurricane season. St. Lucians often do not take weather warnings seriously until they have started to affect the region. She stresses the importance of planning ahead to prevent being caught off guard during the season. St Lucians are reminded to only accept information from NEMO or other creditable sources, considering the fact that a lot of misinformation was spread during the 2017 hurricane season.

NEMO’s website includes downloadable checklists to ensure that St Lucians are adequately prepared for this year’s hurricane season: http://nemo.gov.lc/Tips/To-Do-Checklist

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Phase One of JCD Desilting Project Commences T

he start of de-silting works at the John Compton Dam has been a long time coming, but it wasn’t until the symbolic Ground Breaking Ceremony held recently that members of the public caught a glimpse of some real progress being made in that regard. At the ceremony, Chairman Francis Denbow took the opportunity to provide insight as to how the current board of Wasco and management and the sole shareholder government had arrived at this present juncture.

The board had taken up duties in early August 2016 and in the words of Mr. Denbow “eventually saw the tail end result of the second unsuccessful bid offer package proposal conceptualized to desilt the dam.” He noted that prior to the advent of the present board there had been two unsuccessful bid attempts to procure contractors to desilt the dam which was almost two-thirds filled with silt. This meant that the topic of desilting had been in the public domain for almost eight years.

“The present board reviewed the project in detail and took into consideration that there was already an approved CDB facility for a loan of us $14.789 million to desilt the dam with security being a government guarantee for a similar amount,” he said. “The present government also realised at the time that this proposed guarantee would create a contingent liability and thus a charge on the Consolidated Fund and would affect and increase their overall debt to GDP ratios. So in March of 2017, government made a decision that Wasco should approach the CDB to pursue discussions on the possibility of direct lending to Wasco without a government guarantee.”

According to Mr. Denbow, in the interim, Wasco’s board and management met with the consultant engineers Golder and Associates from Canada and re-examined the scope of the project and related costs. The same engineering option to desilt the dam that was originally recommended by the US Corps of Engineers was adopted. This option called for the removal of 1.5 million cubic meters of sediments with an electrical or diesel modified and powered suction dredge. Initial dredging would first daylight the lower water abstraction port at the back of the spillway that is currently blocked with silt and then subsequently move the dredge to the rear of the reservoir to remove beached sediment. Dredging of residual sediment would then continue and be maintained over the following years from the Wasco owned dredge.

sediment disposal area and building and repairing of access roads thereto at the site. Notably, this phase was tendered only to local contractors. The second component called JCD02 includes dredging of the reservoir and installation of pipes to the sediment disposal area downstream. The second phase will be tendered to international bidders who are qualified and experienced dredgers.

“After a detailed review of the available options we costed both aspects of the project and re-applied to the CDB for a total loan package of US$10.167 million. I am pleased to report that in record time and within two weeks of submission in December last year CDB approved the facility without a government guarantee. Grant funding had also been approved.

Wasco’s Chairman thanked the CDB for demonstrating confidence in the company by way of providing “a virtually unsecured loan.”

Wasco could only now extract water from an upper port described as “vulnerable” which could become covered with silt in the event of another major hurricane, or if water levels in the reservoir dropped below that port if a drought occurred.

As it related to the bidding process, Mega Contracting, owned by Saint Lucian national Ned Samuel, had been contracted to construct and prepare the sediment disposal area. The total cost of the sediment disposal area is EC$17.9 million VAT exclusive. For the dredging process, a bidder had also been identified, with negotiations still underway.

“So one can understand the importance of urgently desilting the dam to negate those possibilities and to overcome difficulties that would ensure the abstraction of water from the dam is absolutely not compromised,” the Chairman noted, before going into detail about the other intricate components of the project. He also spoke about the existing 10.43 percent dredging fee included in monthly bills to consumers, which would be used to repay the loan commitments with the CDB for the project, which was now being looked at as a two part undertaking. The first component called JCD01 includes the preparation and construction of the

At the current volume of 1.5 cubic meters of sediment in the dam and an annual extraction rate of 150,000 cubic meters a year, the Chairman echoed the words of Wasco’s General Manager Edmund Regis that it would take approximately 10 years to fully desilt the dam. He thanked Saint Lucians for their patience throughout the years. Minister Hon. Ezechiel Joseph, and Prime Minister Hon. Allen Chastanet also spoke at the event, reiterating their commitment to supporting Wasco throughout the duration of the de-silting project.

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Infrastructural Investments Continue Islandwide

Micoud Road Officiall

Hon. PM and Micoud South MP Allan Chastanet he Allen Chastanet led administration has embarked on a record number of infrastructural projects throughout their tenure in office, and the evidence can be seen throughout the length and breadth of the island.

Communities once neglected have seemingly sprung to life, with reconstruction efforts including but not limited to roads, culverts, bridges, and other infrastructure. To back all of that up, is a budgetary allocation that according to representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure, has never before been seen for this country.

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“Driving around my constituency and seeing the reactions of people... it’s really the small things that make all the difference,” Chastanet said, directing his attention to representatives of Fresh Start. “The little things that show people in the community that you respect them. That one small thing on this project was the little concrete culverts that you put to connect to everybody’s house. It didn’t stop there. The four feet of pavement that you did past that culvert, and the fact that you sent people to clean up the concrete afterwards, showed the greatest amount of respect for the community.”

Of the recent developments, Prime Minister and parliamentary representative for Micoud-South Hon. Allen Chastanet had ‘a lot to say’ at the opening of the Micoud Road, held earlier this month. Moments after gracefully asking the audience to indulge him, the Prime Minister started off by thanking Arsene James, former parliamentary representative for Micoud-South, and a man he described as a mentor. In his words, “Mr. James deserves as much credit as I have gotten for the road,” as it was James who had first taken him around the constituency.

Chastanet recalled a particular occasion, when he’d come around for the sake of inspections, and was flagged down by two elderly men from the community.

“When we lost elections, this constituency was neglected,” Chastanet said. “I know it hurt him very much that certain things would not continue, so I am grateful for his continued support.”

The road reconstruction project had come with a cost of $18.5 million, and Chastanet made public his satisfaction with the overall report from the Chief Engineer.

Chastanet also thanked Infrastructure Minister Hon. Stephenson King for his support, as well as the Micoud South Council, and the Fresh Start construction company for their good work, spirit of community, and respect for people during the construction process.

“They told me first off, they didn’t vote for me,” he laughed. “... but said, ‘when you came around and said this was going to be the first project in the community, and you were going to fix up the road, we thought you were going to come and do a patchy patchy job like everyone else, but you see what you did there, we didn’t see that coming.’”

“This road really symbolizes a beginning for my administration, the quality of what we want to be able to achieve throughout the length and breadth of Saint Lucia,” he said, adding that although the country had financial constraints, the government was determined to fix island roadways.

Important to note, was the fact that the recently implement-

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ed $1.50 tax was what was being used today to be able to launch the billion dollar investment into island roads.

ally Opens

As part of a drive to paint the island with a new brush, Chastanet highlighted other developments currently underway on island. With a commencement date in August, 2018, construction efforts are expected to begin at the Hewanorra International Airport in August 2018. The project comes with a price tag in excess of US$100 million.

Chief Engineer Albert Jn Baptiste

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Putting things more into perspective, Chastanet noted the road rehabilitation initiative would include a total of 50 similar projects, funded with monies obtained from the British ($140 million), which would go towards the re-development of the West Coast roads; the Japanese government, through JICA ($40 million); a portion of the airport tax, which would go towards the North-South highway within the next year and a half, as well as other funds. US$50 million (EC$130 million) would be supplied by the Taiwanese government, with another $80 million from local tax revenue adding to funds available for road rehabilitation.

Prime Minister and former M.P. Arsene James

Still in the south, the highly anticipated horse racing track is making steady progress, with the first international race already scheduled for February, 10 2019. There are also major housing, school, hotel, sport, and other developments in the works, with $10 million set aside for what Chastanet described as major rehabilitation works with the Ministry of Education for the renovation of schools during summer and Christmas 2018, and another $10 million already allocated to the Ministry of Housing, for joint venture housing related initiatives.

“For those people who continue to say that the United Workers Party is not working, I’m here to say we only know how to work,” Chastanet announced, to a rousing round of applause. The island’s prime minister assured all present that his government had not given up on health care – in fact, one of pillars of his party’s mission was affordable health care.

The prime minister made it known that his government had every intention of delivering a world class hospital in the south. The most recent developments, he noted, were only the beginning for communities throughout the island.

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This road really symbolizes a beginning for my administration; the quality of what we want to be able to achieve throughout the length and breadth of Saint Lucia.

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Significant Milestone for Canaries

Infrastructure Minister Hon. Stephenson King speaks as Hon. Prime Minister Chastanet and Hon. Dominic Fedee and P.S. Ivor Daniel look on.

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he Canaries Bridge is much more than meets the eye.

Particularly to residents, for whom its very completion speaks to how far the village has come over the years.

From being one of the last communities to be connected to Saint Lucia’s road network in the 1950s, to now boasting modern infrastructure and facilities, residents have a lot to be proud of.

The Canaries Bridge was officially opened this month with a ceremony hosted by the Department of Infrastructure, Ports and Energy (DIPE). Speakers at the event included Prime Minister Hon. Allen Chastanet, MP Anse La Raye/Canaries Hon. Dominic Fedee, Minister for Infrastructure, Ports, Energy and Labour Hon. Stephenson King, Permanent Secretary (DIPE) Ivor Daniel, and Chief Engineer Albert Jn. Baptiste.

Speakers related on the occasion just why this particular event assumed such great significance, recalling the way things were before its implementation. Within various deliveries were recollections of the chaotic traffic flow that resulted from early attempts at a minimal road system for the area. With just one lane, police interventions were frequent, dealing particularly with driver confrontations about just who had arrived to the bridge first, and had right of way.

For Canaries, the development of the new bridge is momentous, and from the account of the event’s Master of Ceremonies, “anyone who knows the history of the village would understand.”

Where the Department of Infrastructure was concerned, representatives said it was with a high degree of relief and satisfaction that the bridge had been completed, particularly as the location had presented various construction challenges over the years, with the most recent relating to the Christmas Eve Trough. The bridge had been speedily reinstated after that point,

within a week or two according to authorities, during which time a temporary Bailey Bridge had been erected. Now in 2018, the new bridge was part of the wider Hurricane Tomas Reconstruction Project funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

Commencing in 2016, funding for the construction of the Canaries Bridge was footed by the CDB, at approximately $5.8 million. The intended completion date for construction was September 2017, but even with an extended time frame, P.S. Ivor Daniel speaking at the ceremony said there had never been a trade off on budget, or quality.

When Hon. Dominic Fedee took to the podium at the ceremony, it was not only to emphasize the significance of the project, but of Canaries overall being at the forefront of the government’s de-silting program.

“If there were ever a place, or if there was ever a meaning to the statement that low laying communities are vulnerable to climate change, then it has to be here in Canaries,” Fedee expressed. He said the development and de-silting projects intended to make communities stronger, in order to be able to resist any potential of flooding.

“Our government this year has outlined a number of infrastructure projects, and has actually chosen to focus on resilience,” he added, “and when we chose to focus on that as the theme for the budget it showed that it was communities like you that we had in mind, and the threat that you face every day, due to natural disasters. We chose to focus broadly on the theme, not just in infrastructure development, but we also chose human resilience. Resilience of the public service, so that the various agencies can better serve you... We also chose physical resilience which would cover the aspect of the budget theme that this bridge would fall under. There are many more projects

Building Resilience

we’re conceptualizing for communities like you, which will make you stronger, and more able to cope with the ever increasing threat of climate change.”

According to Infrastructure Minister, Hon. Stephenson King, this year the ministry has scheduled an ambitious Bridges and Culverts Program which includes preparatory works for the reconstruction of the Ravine Poisson Bridge and the Cul De Sac Bridge, with funding assistance from the Japanese Government through its agency, JICA.

Newly developed Canaries Bridge

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Next up in the unveiling of bridges will be the Tomazo Bridge, in June 2018. A permanent bridge in Piaye is also up for consideration, with funding to be provided by The World Bank.

Negotiations for that project are expected to be completed this year, with construction beginning in 2019. At least six additional bridges are earmarked to be reconstructed on island in the coming months.

“

There are many more projects we are conceptualizing for communities like you, which will make you stronger, and more able to cope with the ever increasing threat of climate change.”

---Hon Dominic Fedee

Project Overview

The previous Canaries Bailey Bridge was severely challenged by Hurricane Tomas in 2010. However, the Bailey bridge was washed away/ detached from the abutments following the passage of the 2013 Christmas Eve trough. The Damaged BAILEY Bridge was then replaced with a new Bailey bridge which served until this new Bridge was constructed.

This New Canaries Bridge was funded by the Caribbean Development Bank and the Government of Saint Lucia as part of the wider, Hurricane Tomas Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Project (HTRRP):

Works Undertaken: 1. Demolition of two bridge abutments and disposal of waste material P.S. Ivor Daniel

2. Construction of two bridge abutments and one centre pier, supported by pad foundations 3. Construction of a new reinforced in situ concrete deck, with two (2) clear spans of 14.4 m from centre pier 4. Construction of wing walls 5. Construction of wall for flood protection (total length = 247m) 6. Construction and repairs of gabion walls to protect river banks . New construction L = 30m 7. Construction of a temporary by – pass road, including relocation and re-use of the existing Bailey Bridge structure 8. Construction of pedestrian sidewalks, length = 200m 9. Horizontal and vertical realignment of approach roads

Anse La Raye /Canaries M.P. Hon. Dominic Fedee

10. Construction of roadside drainage 11. Installation of new electrical lines, water line and telecommunications

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Minister Vows to EQUIP Education System

I

n focus at this week’s Parliamentary Sitting was The Saint Lucia Education Quality Improvement Project (EQUIP) which is intended to improve the quality, equity, efficiency, and effectiveness of the local education system. Prior to the bill being passed in Parliament, Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender Relations, and Sustainable Development, Hon. Dr. Gale T. Rigobert, in her presentation to the House divulged details on the project which would be financed by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to the tune of sixteen million, one hundred and ninety-two thousand United States Dollars (USD 16,192,000.00.)

Rigobert opened her presentation by emphasizing that education was indeed the bedrock of society. She noted it was her government’s intention to continue with the project that had been conceptualized even before the advent of this administration, in a manner that was more aligned with her government’s vision. At the heart of the EQUIP Project, the minister said, was the need to make the education system more responsive to the needs of diverse learners.

“The public needs to understand that our approach to the education sector is one that is well thought through, contemplated, strategic, targeted . . . and when all the pieces come together, what ultimately you will see is that we in this government have lived up to our commitment to afford the children of this country a globally competitive education,” Rigobert stated.

Five main goals of EQUIP

A later press conference sought to elaborate on some of the more complex aspects of the project, from the perspective of other stakeholders in the echelons of education. The strategic goals and programmes to be implemented were shared by speakers including Education Officer for Special Education Dale St. Juste, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations Michelle Charles, Acting Chief Education Officer Rufina Charles and Acting Deputy Education Officer (Instruction) Dawson Ragunanan.

2. Enhancing Special Needs Education – Curriculum review, design and costing of a new special needs school and transitional centre, as well as continuing professional development; short term and degree level training for186 special education teachers.

“I think it has been commonly said that it is a good measure of a society how that society caters to the needs of the most disadvantaged, or persons with exceptionalities,” St. Juste started. “What is happening here... what the government has agreed to embark on speaks very well of us as a country, as a society, and of the governance of our country.”

According to the special education officer, the history of special education in Saint Lucia suggested that it had almost always been civil society leading the way in the provision and advancement of special education.

Regardless of economic circumstance, or physical or mental ability, the project would ensure that no child was left behind, something all in attendance agreed would help correct some of the still existing short comings in the education system.

1. Improving the Teaching and Learning Environment – Four schools are down for rehabilitation under the EQUIP Project including the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC), La Guerre Combined, Gordon and Walcott, and the Vide Bouteille Combined School.

3. Enhancing of Quality, Relevance, and Instructional Effectiveness – Continuous professional development, provision of training for 375 teachers in specific areas of need (short, long term, and degree courses), and the training of 25 teacher educators to facilitate sustainability of outcomes across the sector, as well as the assessment of a low performing school to determine programme and infrastructure needs to facilitate delivery of an alternative curriculum.

4. Enhancing System Leadership and Operational Effectiveness – Training and professional development for 120 principals and education officers to facilitate developing and monitoring of effective schools.

Training for 16 teachers in speciality areas (including roaming guidance counsellors and officers), training for 50 officers or teachers to facilitate curriculum review, revision, and development, and study visits for 15 education officers to enhance their capacity to manage effective systems.

5. Technical Assistance – Climate vulnerability assessments of the project schools, and development of the prototype guidelines for use in climate vulnerability assessments of schools nationally.

Building Resilience

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TVET Promoting Self Sustainability

T

echnical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has been an area of special importance for St. Lucia’s education system over the last two decades. TVET is being embraced as a means of developing the population’s knowledge and skills, which will eventually trigger economic growth. It is seen as a mechanism which will allow for both human and economic sustainability. As of 1999, the Saint Lucia Council for TVET (SLCTVET) has had the responsibility of coordinating TVET at every level of the education system.

There are varied benefits to TVET. One of its main functions is to ensure that learners receive the proper skill set for the constantly changing labour market.

It creates an opportunity for self-employment. TVET reduces dependency on large firms, the public sector and other small business for employment purposes. Instead, it promotes self-sustainability. Participants in various programs finish their training courses with the necessary technical skills to open businesses in numerous fields, and can consequently provide employment for other persons. Increasing numbers of small business creates potential economic growth, and increases St. Lucia’s ability to compete with other economies.

Alternately, where individuals with TVET qualifications do not become entrepreneurs, they become a valuable part of the labour force. Employers are attracted to the more relevant training and qualifications of TVET trained persons. It guarantees the ‘capability’ of their employees. The likelihood of promotions and career progression has been noted to be higher in employees who have recognized TVET qualifications.

Although the benefits of TVET are numerous, there is still stigma attached to it. TVET continues to be viewed as an area for underachievers or persons who cannot reach ‘academic successes’. It is a misconception purported by educators, employers, parents and even students. One of the hardest tasks for SLCTEVT is ridding this deeply embedded traditional view of TVET being of low status.

Scholarship Opportunities OAS & Galilee International Management Institute

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Galilee International Management Institute (GIMI) are offering scholarships to qualified candidates of the Americas to participate in its certificate courses. The modality of the programmes is onsite in Nahalal, Israel and the language of instruction is English.

Applicants should first apply at GIMI. Eligible participants will be asked to register for the selected course through the OAS website after registration with the GIMI. Benefits include: 100% of tuition and fees, including study materials, which will be available to 500 citizens of the Americas.

Application deadlines vary per course. http://www.oas.org/en/scholarships/

ITC-ILO Master’s Degree Programme Scholarships

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITC-ILO) are offering scholarships to qualified candidates of the Americas to participate in one of the ITC-ILO's Master's degree programmes below:

With this stigma in mind, the Ministry of Education (MoE) continues to press on to increase the number of students who enroll in TVET subjects at the secondary school level. In this way, they will be greater prepared for not just post-secondary education, but the labour market and employment opportunities. MoE has also recognized the need to institute entrepreneurship and employability skills training in secondary schools.

Recently, many students who leave secondary school and advance to the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College have been registering for technical courses at the Division of Technical Education and Management Studies (DTEMS) and the Department of Continuing Education. DTEMS offers training in building, electrical and mechanical engineering, hospitality, business and management. These courses, coupled with literary and numeracy training makes graduates of DTEMS very marketable in the working world.

TVET is one of the main functions of the National Skills and Development Center (NSDC). As a staple in St. Lucia’s TVET sector, NSDC provides skills training, job training & placements, career counseling, and Information Technology training among other necessary skills. It is a ‘holistic approach to the unemployment situation.

Although TVET courses are available at a number of institutions including SALCC, NSDC, CARE, NELU and NRDF, National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) and Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) are only available through NSDC. Gaining NVQ and CVQ at more institutions is one of the ultimate goals as relates to wholesome Technical and Vocational Education and Training in St. Lucia.

Recently, the TVET Unit within the Department of Education has been working toward the introduction of Visual Arts as a vocational subject in primary schools. It is more than creating artists, but a holistic approach toward personal development and developing identity and citizenship. This pilot project is just one way that the MoE is ensuring that TVET has strong footing in St. Lucia’s education sector.

Master in World Heritage and Cultural Projects for Development (October 15th, 2018 - October 12th, 2019); Master in Management of Development (October 15th, 2018 - October 18th, 2019); Master in Applied Labour Economics for Development (October 22nd, 2018 - October 28th, 2020).

The deadline for university admission is May 15th, 2018 and the deadline for submission of the scholarship applications through the OAS Fellowship Management System is June 1st, 2018. More information on the programmes, scholarship benefits and candidates’ responsibilities can be accessed via the OAS website.

USC Aiken Undergraduate Programmes

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the University of South Carolina, Aiken, are offering scholarships to qualified candidates of the Americas to participate in the USC Aiken undergraduate programmes which start (Fall) August 24, 2018, and (Spring) January 2019. The modality of the course is onsite in South Carolina, United States. The end date varies per program of study.

The deadline for university admission is June 15th, 2018 (FALL 2018) and September 30, 2018 (SPRING 2019); and the deadline for submission of the scholarship applications through the OAS Fellowship Management System is June 30th, 2018 (FALL 2018) and October 15th, 2018 (SPRING 2019).

For further information on the programmes, scholarship benefits and candidates' responsibilities, visit the OAS website.

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www.govt.lc

WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY More than half (50%) were exposed to second hand smoke in outdoor public places. These public spaces include parks, beaches, sidewalks and other places accessible to the general public.

World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is commemorated on May 31, every year by the World Health Organization (WHO), its member countries and other partners. The theme for this year’s observance of WNTD is ‘Tobacco and Heart Disease.’

About 27% of students are exposed to tobacco smoke at home. More than three-quarters are concerned and favour prohibiting smoking inside enclosed public spaces. They want to see smoking prohibited in outdoor public places too!

This year the WHO aims to impact people worldwide to be aware of the link between tobacco and heart conditions.

The Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat of the Department of Health and Wellness takes the opportunity on this occasion of WNTD to share information about tobacco use and its impact on all individuals in Saint Lucia. Yes YOU too are affected even if you have never put a cigarette into your mouth!!

Tobacco Control – What does this mean?

Ideally all countries need to aim to be 100% smoke free, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The right to clean air is a basic human right.

Dangers of Tobacco Use The World Health Organization declares that there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke. The harm from tobacco smoke is not limited only to the person who smokes. Persons around the smoker, once they are inhaling that smoke which is called second hand smoke, are just as affected. Think of this the next time you are standing or sitting near someone who is smoking. Your health is being negatively affected every second you inhale their smoke!

The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) is one of the monitoring tools used in countries to monitor progress among youth toward reducing tobacco use.

Saint Lucia has done four rounds of the GYTS every four years since 2001.

The last GYTS was done in 2017. In the most recent survey it was very concerning to see the high number of our youth who are being exposed to tobacco smoke regularly at home and in public places.

Results from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (2017) show that 43% of students were exposed to tobacco smoke inside enclosed public spaces.

A significant number of adults (18%) are also exposed to tobacco smoke on one or more days per week at their workplaces, and similar numbers of persons are exposed at home (STEPS data, 2012). Do you believe this number is less or more now almost six years later? We will have updated results by next year when the next round of the STEPS survey will be done. With these high numbers of people exposed to tobacco smoke it is no wonder that the rate of chronic diseases is so high in Saint Lucia, especially the high rate of cancers.

What can we do?

We need to seriously reduce the use of tobacco in Saint Lucia. The way to do this is clearly detailed in the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) which was ratified by 180 countries in 2003. This is an evidence based tobacco control strategy that contains over 30 action items which when implemented together have been shown to successfully reduce tobacco use. The WHO has further prioritized the tobacco control actions of the FCTC into six areas called MPOWER. At a country level we need to implement these six strategies.

Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies Protect people from tobacco smoke Offer help to quit tobacco use Warn about the dangers of tobacco Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship Raise taxes on tobacco

Building Resilience

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SMOKING – THE DISEASE FACTS Tobacco use is one of the main and highest risk factors for several chronic conditions, also called Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

• Tobacco smoke is noted as one of the causes for all four of the most prevalent NCDs. Have you noticed the high number of young persons who have died in the last few years, cut off prematurely due to cancers, strokes, heart disease, diabetes, or COPD? • The statistics on deaths in Saint Lucia shows that during the years 2012 to 2014 that 80 % of deaths in our country was due to NCDs. This means eight out of every ten persons, died due to a NCD. Sadly, most of these deaths were preventable, about 73%.

(Source: CMO Report, 2016)

Take our Opinion Pole The SAACS needs to know what you think about tobacco use and tobacco control. Please complete this short survey and mail to the Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat, Department of Health and Wellness, Sir Stanislas James Building, Waterfront, Castries, Saint Lucia. You can also complete this survey on our Facebook page “Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat” or you can complete also by phone 451 8990. (Please circle your response.)

1. Are you concerned about tobacco control in Saint Lucia? Yes No 2. Are you exposed to tobacco smoke on one or more days per week?

Yes No If yes, where? At home At work In Public Place 3. Do you use tobacco? Yes No 4. If yes, please indicate your age….. What do you use (cigarettes, hookah, smokeless tobacco, other) 5. Would you support a ban on tobacco smoking in workplaces and public places (including bars, beaches, parks and stadiums)?

Yes

No

Did you find this information helpful?

Yes

No Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat Department of Health and Wellness High Street, Castries Saint Lucia substance.abuse@govt.lc 1 (758) 451- 8990 • 1 (758) 453 - 0038 Facebook: https://facebook.com/Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat

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MINISTERS

on the Move

Minister Flood-Beaubrun and Minister Rigobert check out locally made craft

Minister Flood-Beaubrun on a tour of constituency speaks to CDC residents

Minister for Economic Development Guy Joseph gets the tractor rolling on the Dennery Polyclinic Prime Minister greets children from Canaries as he arrives for bridge opening

Building Resilience

Connect With Us Office of the Prime Minister -www.facebook.com/opmsaintlucia -www.instagram.com/opmsaintlucia Allen Chastanet -www.facebook.com/allenmchastanet -www.twitter.com/allenmchastanet Lenard "Spider" Montoute -www.facebook.com/lenardspidermontoute Ezechiel Joseph -www.facebook.com/ezechieljoseph758 Sarah Flood Beaubrun -www.facebook.com/sarahfloodbeaubrun758 Guy Joseph -www.facebook.com/guyejoseph Stephenson King www.facebook.com/stephensonking Mary Isaac -www.facebook.com/maryisaacslu Fortuna Belrose -www.facebook.com/fortunabelrose758 Dominic Fedee -www.facebook.com/dominic.fedee

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SAINT LUCIA WE LOVE

Did you know…

Saint Lucia is the second largest island of the Windward Islands, which is a collection of islands that includes Saint Vincent, Dominica, and Grenada. Dominica is literally the dividing line between the Windward and Leeward islands.

Former Actress Meghan Markle, now Duchesses of Sussex, wore a veil hand-embroidered with flowers representing all 53 countries of the Commonwealth, including the La Margeurite from Saint Lucia, for her wedding to Prince Harry of England on Saturday April 19, 2018.

A quick glimpse in (some) history books will find that Christopher Columbus did not in fact discover Saint Lucia, but that he simply sailed near the island. In some quarters, evidence of the discovery of the Helen of the West points to Juan de la Cosa, who once served as a navigator for Columbus.

In any case, there was no established European settlement on island, until the 1550s, by notorious buccaneer Francois le Clerc, a.k.a. Jambe de Bois, or Wooden Leg. Some famous people who have visited Saint Lucia over the years include actor Matt Damon, rapper/actor Ludacris, actor Gabriel Macht, singer/songwriter Ellie Goulding, American Idol winner Fantasia, entertainers Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, Jamaican Olympian Usain Bolt, television personality Kenya Moore and Oprah Winfrey, the latter of whom named Saint Lucia as one of the top five places to visit in a lifetime.

Marigot Bay!

Herod Stanislas -www.facebook.com/herodstanislas Bradly Felix -www.facebook.com/bradlyfelix758 Dr Gale T C Rigobert -www.facebook.com/drgalerigobert758 Edmund Estephane -www.facebook.com/edmundestephane758

Romance, rejuvenation and adventure. Three of the many reasons visitors flock from all over the world to island shores, but how much of Saint Lucia’s bounty do the people who’ve lived here all their lives really take advantage of?

Aside from the occasional trip around the island with friends and family, how aware are we of the fact that we truly reside in paradise? There’s no better way to rediscover a Saint Lucia you’ll find that you’ve always loved, than to step out of the house and explore! Marigot Bay, is a phenomenal place to start, with cozy restaurants and bars, and the perfect ambiance for a day with family, or a date night with someone special!