RESOLVED TO LIFT TOWN OUT OF SQUALOR

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] unintentionally missed much of the election campaign of 2016 leading up to the June 6 poll. It was the first time in forty-plus years that I was not at the centre of such an activity. I missed the banter and excitement. Above all, I missed helping the UWP in the two constituencies that had voted me into parliament, each on two occasions. Electors who read my weekly column appreciated my support and active promotion of Allen Chastanet and his UWP. I do so with more confidence and enthusiasm today, having learned some of what passed for governance under the previous regime, and seeing Allen’s efforts at job creation and his regular dialogue with the media.

Allen Chastanet won the political leadership of the UWP fair and square, on three successive occasions. At the time, I was sufficiently close to him to know that in order to secure victory he had tried very hard to bring together the different shades of opinions within the drifting party. I have watched and listened as the same persons who failed the people of Vieux Fort and Saint Lucia by their do-nothing development projects, began to act as if the voters did not know what they did on June 6, 2016. All of a sudden, opposition elements that had lost their tongues whilst in government began to carp as if their father’s real estate had been taken away. These losers feel threatened by the many development projects which the Allen Chastanet government has announced for the south of the island.

I have previously indicated that more attention must be paid to the western part of Vieux Fort town, better known as Coco Dan. The build-up of sedimentation at the mouth of the Vieux Fort River has been exacerbated by sea sand which blocks the river’s exit to the sea. This situation has been allowed to go unattended for much too long. Remedial works, including the reconstruction of a bridge linking Bridge Street to Coco Dan, plus another road link nearer the shore to Coco Dan, must be urgently undertaken. That river problem should be rectified before or during the construction of a new terminal building at Hewanorra international Airport. It is the largest income earner in the south of the island. The Vieux Fort River is a threat, that generates no income, to the airport, which is the lifeblood of the town. This neglect of the past twenty years cannot be allowed to continue. It should be priority number one, in support of the drive to increase tourist arrivals.

The prime minister needs to have that river taken care of. A new bridge to replace the old one that was knocked down to build a small public toilet at the end of the road-link to the bridge needs constructing. That public toilet has remained unused for the past ten to eleven years and its fenced premises have been taken over by sheep and other ruminants. The insult to the residents and people of Vieux Fort cannot be missed, even by those who sometimes behave like dumb driven cattle, and/or the three wise monkeys.

The prime minister and his government must therefore move with haste to clear the mouth of the Vieux Fort River, back-fill the west bank and place large culverts at the sea end to secure the free flow of water. He must ensure that the last three hundred meters or so of the river going to the sea is cleared of all debris and plastics. It bears repeating that it would be short-sighted to construct a new airport terminal without at the same time making certain that the Vieux Fort River is properly cleared and allowed to flow unobstructed to the sea. There is nothing some weird idiots would like more than to see Hewanorra under water.

The other matter which cries out for attention at Vieux Fort is the old and disused public market. That old structure needs to be demolished and a new market built at a different location. The Mayor, her Councillors and their advisors will better direct the government where this new public market should be built.

I shed a tear for the memory of Bruce Williams (Daddy Bruce) when I saw the dilapidated condition of the house he once called home. The roof has become a verdant pasture of shrubs and vines. I wondered why that place has been allowed to deteriorate so badly. It adds insult to injury when an unplanned happy-go-lucky part of the town was named Bruce Ville, even as Bruce William’s home stood in mockery of the well loved former MP for Vieux Fort South.

Another matter which needs the prime minister’s urgent attention at Vieux Fort, is the provision of affordable housing at Coco Dan and at the south-eastern end of the town, near Bruce Ville. This should include three or four CDC-type structures with shops and living quarters for at least one hundred or more families, to start with.

There is also need for a new seaport. New Dock is still called that, even past its eightieth year. The finger pier is unstable and needs to be replaced. Thankfully, there is space nearby for the loading and discharge of cargo. Sadly, very little happens at port Vieux Fort and the town is now a shadow of its former self. It may be time for Rick Wayne to return with his camera and helicopter to film the town, as he did in 1997 when he was smitten by a cunning smile and a hug. Of course, there is more that Rick can do to bring the plight of Vieux Fort to those with eyes to see, as he does today.    

The opposition tactic of focusing on DSH and its original concept, rather than on the planned amendments, or on other more urgent problems facing Vieux Fort, will not fool anyone. Only those who wish to be fooled will be misled. And using Allen’s name as a loincloth to cover the past neglect of the town will not work either. The people who shout the loudest against DSH have no love for Vieux Fort; neither do they respect the environment, as they claim.   

The town of Vieux Fort is groaning under past oppression. It’s time to rescue it. It’s time to return life to the Vieux Fort we knew and loved. The prime minister can give to Vieux Fort the self-confidence it needs to pick itself up, and surge forward in progress, leaving its misery behind. His government must be resolved to help Vieux Fort rise.