Transforming Baron's Drive into a more organized and economic environment community is underway

Duration: 3:42 560 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

A new initiative is currently underway to transform Baron's Drive into a more organized and economically vibrant waterfront community. This effort began with a significant gathering at the Sufra Fisheries Complex, where operators, residents, and key government representatives came together to discuss strengthening maritime tourism services, enhancing safety standards, and creating fresh economic opportunities. The meeting featured collaboration between local business owners and officials from the Sufra Crime Prevention Committee, the St. Lucia Air and Seabarts Authorities, LAPA, the Community Tourism Agency, and the Member of Parliament for Suare for Sejac, marking a unified front toward holistic community development. Central to this transformation is the role of the Community Tourism Agency (CTA), which aims to assess current offerings and formalize services provided by local operators on the water. CTA Chief Executive Officer Dalia Guard emphasized the need to work closely with residents and Zaspel to establish a dedicated Baron Drive marine services unit that improves service delivery while generating greater opportunities for locals. The agency plans to evaluate existing shops and engage with young people in the area to help them improve their services both underwater and within the community itself, ensuring that physical upgrades are matched by meaningful investments in the people who live and work there. Safety and professional certification were also major focuses of the discussion, led by Slasper maritime surveyor Peter Joseph. He explained that vessel assessments have been conducted to ensure all boats meet the necessary standards for safe operation, with guidance provided to those who need improvements to become seaworthy. Furthermore, both captains and crew members must undergo specific training courses with the marine unit to obtain a certificate of training, followed by theory and practical exams administered by the division of maritime affairs at Slasper. Successful candidates will then be issued licenses based on their demonstrated proficiencies, ensuring that all participants in the tourism industry are properly qualified and safe. This collaborative meeting marks the beginning of an ongoing partnership designed to improve maritime safety, strengthen local livelihoods, and ensure that residents play a central role in the future of Sufre's waterfront. By formalizing the services currently provided by local boat operators and integrating them into a structured framework, the initiative seeks to elevate the entire sector while supporting the community's economic growth. Janeive Gonzag from the Sufra Regional Development Foundation highlighted how this engagement signals a comprehensive approach to development, where the future of the waterfront is built on the active participation and empowerment of its residents.

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A new initiative aimed at transforming Baron's Drive into a more organized and economically vibrant waterfront community is now underway. Both operators and residents gathered at the Sufra Fisheries Complex for discussions focused on strengthening maritime tourism services, improving safety standards, and creating new economic opportunities for the community. The meeting brought together both operators from Baron Drive alongside representatives from the Sufra Crime Prevention Committee, the St. Lucia Air and Seabarts Authorities, LAPA, the Community Tourism Agency, CTA, and the Member of Parliament for Suare for Sejac. Honorable Emma Hippolit said the engagement signals a holistic approach to community development, ensuring that physical upgrades are matched by investments in the people who live and work in Baron Drive. We felt that we needed to work with the CTA to help improve assess what is being offered at balance drive now. Um look at the shops try to see how best we can improve the services look at the young people that are there how we can work with them so that they can improve their services both underwater and in bars drive itself. So today we're bringing them in. CTA is helping us assess. They've done some assessment. I think two days Slasper will be here as well, assess the quality of the boat, speak to them and take it from there. >> The Community Tourism Agency outlined plans to help organize and strengthen tourism services within the community. Chief Executive Officer Dalia Guard said the CTA will work alongside Zaspel and residents to establish a Baron Drive marine services unit designed to improve service delivery while creating greater opportunities for local operators. community tourism with will meet the residents as it pertains to um you know community tourism initiatives and ideas that we can help them develop so they can benefit. And we also have today um joining us today will be Slasper. Um Slasper is here as it pertains to the development of um the Baron's Drive Marine Services. So we want to also formalize um the the the services that the the boys currently provide on the water. So you're talking about when the yachties and the boats coming provisioning etc. >> Slasper maritime surveyor Peter Joseph explained that vessel assessments were carried out to determine whether boats met the standards required to operate safely. Operators whose vessels fell below the required standard will receive guidance on the improvements needed to make them seaorthy allowing them to participate more effectively in the tourism industry. Both captain and crew must be certified. Right now what I want to say is that generally a lot of them they do the course with the marine unit. They get a certificate of training from the marine. They believe that this is the certificate they need. After they've done that training with the marine unit, they need to come to the division of maritime affairs at Slaspa and then they will be subjected to a theory exam, a practical exam and then upon successful passing of that exam then they will be given a license based on their proficiencies. The meeting marked the beginning of an ongoing collaboration aimed at improving maritime safety, strengthening local livelihoods, and ensuring Baron's Drive residents play a central role in the future of Sufre's waterfront. From the Sufra Regional Development Foundation, I am Janeive Gonzag.