Minister of Tourism, The Hon. Lindsay Grant, celebrates with the McKnight On The Rise community group, along with contributors to the clean-up project.
BASSETERRE (9th July, 2016): The McKnight on the Rise Community Group in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism recently completed the beautification of an abandoned site in the McKnight area.
After weeks of clean-up efforts the site, situated on Central Street between Durant and Malone Avenues – and which was once filled with overgrown vegetation and garbage, has been transformed into a mini park, with benches and plants.
Recently the Ministry of Tourism hosted a ceremony to mark the official opening of the McKnight on the Rise Community Garden.
The abandoned site BEFORE the clean up had begun.
AFTER the beautification was completed.
Community Tourism Officer in the Ministry of Tourism, Shaline Welcome, who was the lead on the project, said the idea was presented by the McKnight on the Rise Community Group, whose goal was to improve their surroundings. The Ministry of Tourism assisted the group with various resources and technical guidance to complete the project.
Welcome confirmed that the property was over grown with bushes, filled with garbage and contained a collapsed and deteriorated structure. Garbage removed from the site filled more than four dumpsters. Additionally, five tractor loads of bigger pieces of debris and garbage were removed from the site.
Community Tourism Officer in the Ministry of Tourism, Shaline Welcome.
“The beautification of this site is just the start,” Welcome said. “McKnight is not a traditional tourist area, however there are a lot of historic and cultural spots waiting to be developed. With the help of the Community, we can begin to transform McKnight and develop a number of sites to the benefit of the McKnight residents. It is up to the residents to be creative and innovative, to work together to maintain their community to attract locals and tourists, on an ongoing basis.”
In fact, it is the hope of the Ministry of Tourism that other communities will see the value in the “McKnight on the Rise Project” and soon mobilise their residents to engage in initiatives that protect the natural environment while offering scope for sustainable economic development.
Minister of Tourism, The Hon. Lindsay Grant shares a moment with staff of the Ministry of the Tourism, which included the Permanent Secretary, Carlene Henry-Morton.
Minister of Tourism, The Hon. Lindsay Grant, said that meaningful and effective participation by local communities in tourism has been identified as a key ingredient in sustaining the tourism industry.
“Community Tourism initiatives in general and the “McKnight on the Rise”project in particular, are part of my Ministry’s Pro-people Pro-plant agenda,” Minister Grant said. “We recognize that caring for the natural environment goes beyond policy development and designating “protected areas.” Environmental Conservation must be embedded into the values of the people of the Federation – our communities.”
Minister Grant said it was critical that local individuals and organizations take concrete steps to adopt a culture of environmental awareness and protection.
At the ceremony Minister Grant took the opportunity to thank Gloria Fraser for permission to beautify the property. Fraser is the caretaker of the property, which is owned by her family.
Also Minister Grant participated in recognizing those who contributed towards the clean-up efforts, as listed below:
· Hon. Marcella Liburd
· Ambassdaor Jonel Powell
· Mr. Denzil Crooke
· Solid Waste Management
· Mr. Karim Maynard
· Mr. Joseph Hendrickson
· Parks & Beaches Unit
· Mr. Willaim Bassue
· Cynthia Phillip
· Dr. Retna Walwyn
· Pastor Eugene Rawlins
· Mr. Ingle Liburd
· Mr. Loftus Bridgewater
· Mr. Clive Liddie
· Mr. Romeo Parris
· JM Plumbing
· Mr. Stanley Franks
· Mr. Curtly Logan
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