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George V Park Gets Deserved Facelift

Image: Renovation works underway at George V Park. [PHOTO: Stan Bishop]
Renovation works underway at George V Park. [PHOTO: Stan Bishop]
THE George V Park in downtown Castries seems to finally be receiving the infrastructural upgrade it has needed for years now.

For the past few weeks, about a dozen workmen have been seen undertaking restorative works at the popular city recreational park. These works include road improvement and drainage to the park which is situated between Darling Road and Chaussee Road.

Rehabilitative works began in earnest after a tree fell and damaged a Route 1A bus on Darling Road. Castries Mayor, Shirley Lewis, visited the area a day after that incident and the cutting down of several trees followed due to insects burrowing in their trunks.

The main walkway leading from the park’s Darling Road entrance to the bust of Charles Eugene Gabriel de la Croix (Marquis de Castries) in the centre of the park was later repaved.

When The VOICE visited the park yesterday, about a dozen workmen were seen digging drains and pouring cement as they continue works near the roundabout and the walkway leading to the park’s Chaussee Road end.

A few years ago, a plan by the Castries Constituency Council (CCC) and the Saint Lucia Archaeological and Historical Society was formulated to bring relief to the area. However, both agencies told The VOICE yesterday that they were not responsible for the works now in progress.

An unrelated source told The VOICE that the project is being sponsored by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and that Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony and a team of project officials toured the site last week.

Over the years, George V Park has blew in a state of disrepair, falling prey to vagrants and misuse of the facilities, such as motorists parking their vehicles in the park. Even the benches became dilapidated, forcing many people to use George V Park as a shortcut.

Some years ago, there was a heated debate as to whether the park should be transformed into a central bus terminal, thereby freeing up the city which is home to several bus stands. But with the new life now being breathed into the George V Park, it seems likely that the area would in some measure be restored to its glory days.

Stan Bishop began his career in journalism in March 2008 writing freelance for The VOICE newspaper for six weeks before being hired as a part-time journalist there when one of the company’s journalists was overseas on assignment.

Although he was initially told that the job would last only two weeks, he was able to demonstrate such high quality work that the company offered him a permanent job before that fortnight was over. Read full bio...

2 Comments

  1. who the hell is George the V. ?
    it is long overdue for all those European names we have all over the country to be change.
    let us used some of our own hero’s name.
    change George the V to PROPHET Dr. OPTICAL STROLL lol.

  2. /

    Dr. OPTICAL is absolutely correct. Are you Lucians stuck, marooned in 1492 ? Thank Allah the recreational facilities at Marchand is now named after the Great Mindoo Phillip, but you pathetic, fawning Negro-Mentally-Enslaved-Self-hating-Africans, can look at Dr. OPTICAL and tell him that you can find NONE of your own citizens more deserving to be commemorated than this Criminal Pirate George the Fifth?

    I can hear you Negroes saying, “I am not African !”(I’m not talking about your Nationality) while fulfilling the stereotype that you are an Inferior, Immoral, highly Emotional, Cork-Sepan-carrying, habitual gambler, shooting “Gwen-Deux” and Roll & Tumble, Innately Lazy, Drunkard, bumptious, and lacking in civic consciousness.

    Then as if this were not bad enough, you ignorant, miseducated folk name your Hospital after the World’s biggest DRUG DEALER, Queen Victoria – look up the “Jesus Opium” to honor a woman responsible for the deaths of millions – I know you Negroes are insane praying to a naked Caucasian nailed to a post, and Dead crazies like Mother Teresa, but when will you people stop destroying the minds of your children just to please your Masters??

    Colossians 3:22:

    Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.

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