As the 2025 hurricane season intensifies, the people of Piaye and Roblot in Choiseul-Saltibus, along with residents of Bexon in Castries South East, remain locked out of their newly constructed community centres—facilities completed nearly two years ago and designed as vital hubs for community development and hurricane safety. Despite their readiness, these centres remain closed, leaving vulnerable communities exposed during a time when protection is most critical.
These community centres were constructed under the Saint Lucia Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (DVRP), a World Bank-supported initiative launched in 2014 to measurably reduce the country’s vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change. The DVRP aimed to build hurricane-resilient infrastructure, including community centres intended to serve as safe shelters during storms, alongside improvements to critical infrastructure and enhanced disaster risk management capacities. Nearly two years after their completion, however, the government has kept these centres closed, denying communities the very protection the project was designed to provide.
In Choiseul, the government claims the centres remain shuttered because it lacks funds to insure the buildings. To the people of Piaye and Roblot, this excuse is insulting. “We have been waiting for years to use this centre, especially during hurricane season. Now, with storms coming, we are left with nowhere safe to go,” lamented Marie Joseph, a community elder in Piaye. The reality, many believe, is far more troubling: these closures are political tactics aimed at punishing communities represented by opposition Parliamentary Representative Hon. Bradly Felix. By denying access, the government seeks to undermine his credibility and score cheap political points at the expense of public safety.
The situation in Bexon raises even more troubling questions. The Bexon Community Centre, completed alongside those in Choiseul nearly two years ago, remains closed despite official claims that the closure is for mold remediation—a process that has dragged on far too long. Castries South East, which includes Bexon, was once a stronghold of the opposition United Workers Party, represented by Hon. Guy Joseph. However, in the 2021 general election, Hon. Joachim Henry of the Saint Lucia Labour Party defeated Joseph and now holds the seat. Given that Henry is also Minister of Equity and heads the ministry responsible for community facilities, why has the Bexon centre not been reopened? Is this prolonged closure truly about maintenance, or is it a deliberate political tactic to deny vital infrastructure to an area that was once opposition territory? Could this be a case of dirty politics, where the government keeps the centre closed to undermine any lingering support for the opposition and to consolidate power ahead of the upcoming elections?
Saint Lucia faces a 48% chance of hurricane impact this season, with meteorological authorities warning of above-average storm activity. To keep hurricane-resilient shelters closed in such a climate is reckless and endangers lives.
As Franklin D. Roosevelt might say if he saw this situation today: “Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not to play politics with their lives.” This government has failed spectacularly on both counts.
The closure of these centres is not mere neglect—it is a calculated act of political victimization that undermines democracy and endangers the very people the government is sworn to protect. Communities are forced to hold events in open fields and sub-standard venues, exposed to the elements, while safe, modern facilities paid for by the taxpayers stand unused.
Saint Lucians deserve a government that puts people before politics. The Philip J. Pierre administration must immediately insure and open these community centres in Piaye, Roblot, and Bexon. The time for excuses and political gamesmanship has long passed—urgent action is required to protect lives and restore trust.