MEMBER of Parliament (MP) for Anse La Raye / Canaries Wayne Girard said that the relaunching of the once popular Anse La Raye ‘Fish Fry’ Friday is intended to spur economic and social activity in the constituency.
This quaint fishing village is well known for its servings of sea food and also has vibrant cultural roots and ethnicity that has produced the likes of Herb Black, Walleigh, the late Petronilla Deterville and the St Cecilian Rays among others.
And now, Girard wants to revive that artistic flavour and accommodate patrons to come and also savour the spicy-tropical sea food on offer. He disclosed that the revamped community festival is due to be launched this Friday (February 23).
“We will be relaunching the ‘Fish Fry’ Friday, it has been on a bit of a break for some time. There were some challenges with the way it was operated previously and we wanted to make the point that this time around, we will do it correctly,” Girard told reporters, at Monday’s media briefing.
He said training sessions were conducted for vendors in various aspects, including identifying with good customer service and affordable pricing.
“We also want to add a bit of culture to that,” Girard added.
Girard said that while Gros Islet is renowned for its weekly Friday night street party, the Anse La Raye constituency wants to serve up a ‘treat with a difference’, and woo visitors to its shores where the festival is held, and so, “we need to find ways to differentiate ourselves.”
Towards this cause, he said, a building has been acquired to erect a Mini Théâtre, to host theatrical presentations. “So, when you come to Anse La Raye on a Friday, you can take in a bit of the show and then wander off to get your food afterwards, in the village. It’s really a holistic approach to what we are trying to do,” declared Girard.
The parliamentary representative acknowledged the input of the Community Tourism Agency for being “very supportive” of the venture, and for appreciating the “significance of the activity”.
In relation to the cultural and artistic displays, he added: “We have culture, we have art and entertainment, and the ‘tastiest fish’ that you would get on the island”.
Referring to sea travel as an optional route for visitors to Anse La Raye, he reported that work has been completed on the jetty “and we awaiting some final works (to accommodate) the bigger vessels on the jetty.”