Spotlight on the Community: Penal

Spotlight on the Community

PENAL

The Heart of the Town – The Triangle at the Dial

Penal is a town in south Trinidad, with a population of 12,281. It lies to the south of San Fernando, Princes Town, and Debe, and north of Moruga, Morne Diablo and Siparia.

Penal saw its inception as a village in the very early years of the 20th century, when ex-indentured East Indian labourers turned away from the cane fields of County Victoria, moved south into the swamplands of the Oropouche Lagoon. They were attracted to this area which offered a new life – a life of cultivating rice, cocoa and other food crops. A part of the area was above swamp level, the sort of area in a swamp that in Spanish carries a geographical name pronounced “pengyal, “and spelt “peñal.” In the first decade of the century Penal began developing to take on the outlook of a village.

The 1920s met Penal not only with its vast fields of lagoon rice, bodi, tomatoes and cucumbers – and above all watermelons, which made this district so famous, but is also met with extensive cocoa fields, especially in its north-eastern areas. It was beginning

Tulsa Trace Picnic Site

to be sought after even then for its open road-side vegetable market, in the same place in which it is to be found today and spread a little southward. This is the triangle enclosed by the SS Erin Main Road, Clarke Street and the first few yards of the Rock Road.

Following the 1940s this agricultural community was eyed by oil prospectors, and this was not surprising seeing that both Barrackpore, on the east; and Fyzabad on the west; had several oilfields. Penal was not to become a place of oil development, although Shell did develop a producing field there in the 1950s. In recent times there has been a move towards wholesale and retail trade, construction, and the provision of services. The economy of the region can be described as transitioning. Agriculture is seen as essentially as fading and future growth of the region lies in the retail and service sector which will be supported by tourists and residents.

The heart of Penal today, contains many businesses while the outskirts focus on agricultural development. Penal has a market, police station, three bank branches namely, Scotiabank, Republic Bank and First Citizens; health facilities, grocery stores, convenience stores, bars, fast food restaurants, service stations, restaurants, puja stores, an Indian expo, and clothing stores.

Penal plays a major role in the energy supply to the nation. Heritage Petroleum has a major administration complex comprising the Technical and Commercial Buildings, and other sub-units in Clarke Road. The predecessor of Heritage Petroleum, Petrotrin, established the Penal site as a major operating and administrative hub comprising a Staff Club, Recreational Grounds and Housing areas for employees. Other energy sector operators such as The National Gas Company has gas lines running through Penal that links the gas fields of the Southeast Coast and the industrial estates. One of the countries three major power generating plants owned by Powergen Ltd. is located at Syne Village in Penal.

Penal has also produced and been home to several notable persons including: • The Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar –

Seventh Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and the first female Prime Minister of Trinidad and

Tobago • Drupatee Ramgoonai – Chutney and Chutney

Soca singer • David Williams – Former National Cricketer and

Coach • Winsford Devine - Notable songwriter known for crafting some of Trinidad and Tobago’s bestknown calypsoes, including Sparrow’s "Marajhin", "Saltfish", "Philip, My Dear", Baron’s "Feeling It" and

King Austin’s "Progress".

References:

HISTORY – Penal Debe Regional Corporation (pdrc.gov.tt) Penal - Wikipedia Towns and Villages of Trinidad & Tobago authored by Michael Anthony