Minister Hopes For Mid–Nov, Finish.
ANOTHER sporting facility will be commissioned in the coming days in St. Lucia, according to Parliamentary Representative for Dennery North and Minister for Youth Development and Sports Shawn Edward.
Edward was speaking during a tour of the La Ressource Playing Field last Sunday.
To date over EC $1.1 million has been spent on the project.
Edward said, “From very early we had to aquire land adjacent to the then playing field to give us additional space and that was done very successfully. We have utilized the services of the best curator on the island in the person of Kent Crafton and his staff at the Beausejour Cricket Ground to do the surface. As we speak we are awaiting the completion of the grand stand to officially unveil the playing field.
“The project has been delayed by a couple of months, that is due to the fault of nobody, but circumstances beyond the control of those concerned, but what is most important, we have a surface I believe that is second to none in the country. Like I said in the next couple weeks the grand stand will be completed. The dressing rooms are being worked on. We have a seating capacity of about 900, but there are individuals who believe the grand stand can hold a lot more.
Edward said he hoped that everybody in the Valley would be a custodian for this facility given the amount of resources we have pump into it.
He added “We have spent well over EC$600, 000.00 to install lights. This was one of the playing fields that was been earmarked in the first cycle of the electrification programme funded by the Taiwanese. I mention the grand stand, the surface, the acquisition of the adjacent parcels of land, so it is a substantial investment and there is no better way for persons here to show appreciation for the government investment in such a facility, but by taking ownership of it and ensuring everybody sees the need to police it and not leave it to the administrators of sports in the community and by extension the government”.
Edward said the only delay at the moment, was that the pre fabricated material that will form the roofing component that is coming out of Suriname. We are in touch with our partners in Suriname on a weekly basis and I am hoping everything will be here on time and the project will be completed to facilitate the finals of the Shawn Edward tournament in mid November,” he said.
