Tribute to Sir John George Melvin Compton

From Sam Juke Bois Flood

Father of The Nation Would Have Been 100 Today – Outstanding Evidence of His Legacy There For All to See

If Sir John George Melvin Compton was alive, we would have been celebrating his one hundredth (100^th) birthday. Father of the Nation, as he is aptly called, would have been a century not out. Unfortunately, this is a century, but he’s out. While he’s out physically, he can never be out of mind.

Sir John has left a legacy which Saint Lucians and visitors to our shores are enjoying daily from the strategic implementation of aspects of the developmental plans which he had envisioned for Fair Helen. A few of these highlights include:

Linking of Pigeon Island to the mainland, resulting in the Pigeon Island causeway and the Pigeon Island National Park, now a renowned location for the Jazz Festival.
The era of Green Gold, which saw a transformation in the Banana Industry and the lives of banana farmers and their families.
Redevelopment of Port Castries with Point Seraphine providing additional berthing space.
The creation of the Rodney Bay Marina.
The establishment of a number of middle and low-income housing schemes, beginning with Sans Souci, Reduit Park, Reduit Orchard, Sunbilt, Independence City in Castries, as well as in Soufriere and Vieux Fort.
The beginnings of Tourism in Vieux Fort with the construction of Halcyon Days within the New Frontier of Vieux Fort.
The introduction of the National Provident Fund, now the National Insurance Corporation.
The opening of WINERA and Windward Leeward Brewery; the establishment of the Beausejour Farm; and in the emerging infrastructural landscape, the Hewanorra Industrial Zone, out of which operated so many factories shipping goods to the United States.
The Copra Factory in Soufriere, from which we produced soaps and coconut oil, coconut meal, and even dishwashing Liquid.
The Jalousie Hotel in Soufriere which is now Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Hotel.
Education upliftment saw the building of the HESS Schools as well as the Castries Comprehensive Secondary School.
He ushered us into Statehood in 1977 and Independence in 1979.