A fire on the night of March 25, 2018 flattened the Folk Research Centre’s Mount Pleasant headquarters. Faced with the mammoth task of rebuilding, the organisation on Thursday officially introduced its new Executive Director Ms. Louise Victor, who takes over from recently retired Mr. Hilary La Force. Victor is 28 years old, holds a Masters of Arts in Global Communication Management, and is a past president of the National Youth Council. She was crowned Carnival Queen in 2010, and in 2017 represented Saint Lucia at the Miss Universe Pageant. She will serve as the FRC’s Executive Director for two years.
Chairman of the FRC board Mr. Embert Charles said that Victor will take on the charge to lead the rebuilding of the Folk Research Centre, and that the intention is to rebuild at Mount Pleasant. Victor will ensure that the FRC not only develops an expanded young membership, but that the youth also understand the role of culture in national development.
For her part, Victor said: “I feel very honoured to have assumed this position as a young and passionate Saint Lucian.” The FRC’s mission, she added, is to be the vanguard of promoting the role of culture at the centre of national development and to safeguard Saint Lucia’s intangible cultural heritage. Referencing the 1st National Bank’s 2018 Annual Report, written in English and in Creole, she said: “We want to encourage the business community to do the same. I think that will also help us to read and write Creole better.”
Concerning the rebuilding process, Embert Charles disclosed that they are presently in the process of resolving insurance claims with their broker. “Once this is settled,” he said, “it’s our intention to start reclaiming the ground and to use it immediately. We will be using the area for activities while we rebuild. Our intention is to rebuild to resist all modern vulnerabilities including tsunamis and to address issues of climate change as well as man-made disasters. So the rebuilding will take some time and we’ll do it in phases.”
A rebuilding committee will be set up and will be tasked with executing an extensive programme of fund-raising. Charles also announced the FRC’s plan to hold activities in October to celebrate the Creole Language. This will also include an initiative of Creole signage for road signs and directions.
