Bahamas News
BAHAMAS: DW Davis Honour Students Encouraged to be Positive Leaders
#Bahamas, February 11, 2018 – Nassau – While speaking at the D.W. Davis Junior High School Honours Assembly on Monday, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture the Hon. Michael Pintard told the more than 50 Honour Roll students recognized that they were more than just the future leaders of The Bahamas: they were the leaders of today.
“The truth of the matter is that a student in grade seven through nine standing where I am standing, saying anything similar to what I am saying, has more influence on your peers than I ever could,” Minister Pintard said. “You are influential right now.
“Every day, the things that you do and say are influencing your peers; and, so, I would like to say to all of you that leading is a choice that you must make.”
Among those taking part in the special assembly were Chairman of the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation (AMMC) and Member of Parliament Reece Chipman, District Superintendent Dorothy Anderson, District Education Officer Franklin Lightbourne and Principal Nicolette Brown.
Minister Pintard pointed out to the honourees that they were being recognized because they had done ‘something remarkable’: “The truth of the matter is that you are setting the standard; and we are asking you not to rest on your laurels. We are asking you to set new goals – to take us, your family, your community, to new heights.”
Minister Pintard said that those present were proud of them and of all that they had accomplished. To the students who did not make the Honour Roll, he encouraged them by reminding them that where they started out was not as important as where they end up.
“So, we are asking you to redouble your efforts,” he said.
Minister Pintard noted that it is better to start on a path of achievement in grade seven than try to figure it out in grade 11 and 12. He added that, although ninth-grade students might “run things” at their current school, the next step would be to enter senior high school and be the “new kids on the block”.
“All of you must take with you the principals learned, the lessons learned, the discipline learned in this environment and to make sure that the ‘royalty’ that you are today – you continue to demonstrate that in high school, university, wherever life may take you,” Minister Pintard said.
Minister Pintard said that all those present want honourees to be pacesetters and he gave them a few anecdotal points of advice, including setting their standards high and pursuing them with vigor and discipline. He pointed out that, even though it is great to dream, it will only remain a dream until one begins to attach a timetable to it, making it into a goal.
“In every aspect of your life, it is important to set high goals,” Minister Pintard said.
He noted that they are guaranteed to miss 100 per cent of the goals they do not set. Minister Pintard told the students that it was important to have the right set of persons in their lives as their network.
“If you are not surrounded by the right set of people, if you are not sharing those dreams, your imagination, with the right set of people, you will find that much of the dreams you have will be strangled and they will die on the vine,” Minister Pintard suggested. “It is important to have the right crowd.”
Minister Pintard also spoke on the importance of having high standards, pointing out what position they might obtain in life is not as important as how they behave in that position. He noted to the students present that education gives them options and choices for the their future.
“Every time you are discouraged or you are not interested in studying what is placed before you, remember you are limiting your options,” Minister Pintard said. “You are limiting your choices; so it is important to learn all you can – while you can – because it is going to open up options to you.”
Minister Pintard pointed out that, even though being academically smart is important, be smart in their morals was even more important.
“What we are saying to you is that we are proud of your accomplishments, we want you to continue to do well; but we are also saying to you that, in much the same way you are brilliant in academics, we want you to be brilliant in all areas of your life,” he said.
Minister Pintard said that the source of his strength and their strength is God and stated that every bad decision he had ever made in his life was when he “walked from under the covering of salvation.”
“When I thought I was smart enough to run things in my life, that was when my mistakes started to pile up – when I felt that maybe academics would help me solve a problem — that was truly a problem that needed God’s intervention.”
“The message I want to leave with you is in all the things that you get, take seriously the prayers that you pray in assembly and in class, and recognize that the source of your strength, ultimately, is God,” he said.
Minister Pintard encouraged the male students to rise up and make a difference at their school, in the homes and community. “You could be world changers,” he stated. “You have the ability to be the difference-maker.”
To the female students, he noted that they have shown that they are already showing their leadership abilities and will continue to rise up. However, he cautioned them to not let a relationship with a person without a vision for their own life or goals for their family rob them of the “beautiful future they have inside of them”.
“Decide that you are going to continue to demonstrate that God has given you gifts and you are going to manifest them in what you do every day – in school, in university, in the jobs that you will get,” he said.
“We are proud of you, we love you, and it’s been an honour to talk to you and God bless you.”
By: Eric Rose (BIS)
Photo Caption: Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture the Hon. Michael Pintard with education stakeholders, and most of the more than 50 students who made Honour Roll during summer and fall semesters 2017 – at the D.W. Davis Junior High School Honours Assembly, February 5, 2018. Pictured seated (from left): District Education Officer Franklin Lightbourne, Principal Nicolette Brown, Minister Pintard, and District Superintendent Dorothy Anderson.
(BIS Photo/Eric Rose)
Bahamas News
Dredging Is Not Just About Size — It Is About What Is Being Destroyed, Warns Save Exuma Alliance Regarding Yntegra’s Proposed Rosewood Resort
Save Exuma Alliance (SEA) — a coalition of Central Exuma business owners, tour operators and residents — has warned that the issue of dredging in the North Bay of Sampson Cay, Exuma, is not just about the number of acres being dredged – but what exists within the proposed dredge area. SEA describes the site as an ecological treasure trove filled with seagrass, coral, turtles and abundant marine life.
This comes after foreign developer Yntegra agreed to reduce the scope of its dredging following government warnings that it would impact
The Bahamas carbon credit status, which shows the importance of the marine habitat.
“It is easy to point to other developments and say they are dredging more, but that is not comparing like with like,” SEA said in response to comparisons made by Yntegra. “If one area is largely sand with little marine life, that is very different from what we have in North Bay. Anyone who has spent time there can tell you it is filled with turtles, fish, and — critically — the seagrass and coral that provide essential habitat.”
Miami-based investment group Yntegra is seeking to construct a large-scale Rosewood-branded resort on Sampson Cay. Since its announcement, the project has generated environmental, social and economic concerns among residents and business operators in Central Exuma.
The proposed development includes dredging in North Bay, construction of a substantial seawall that would alter natural water flow, more than 100 structures, two mega yacht marinas, and an industrial dock serviced by fuel and supply ships in an area currently used by swimmers. Opponents argue that the scale and design of Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project are incompatible with the fragile ecosystem and cultural character of the Central Exumas.
SEA noted that the government’s Climate Change Unit has also raised concerns about the environmental cost of dredging associated with Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project.
“The government has acknowledged that this is an area of significant importance,” SEA said. “While the financial implications are serious, for us here in Exuma this is about more than money. It underscores how valuable this marine ecosystem is — the seagrass, coral and marine life that make Exuma exceptional. This is what attracts visitors from around the world. We should not minimize the concern by comparing this bay to areas that do not have the same remarkable underwater ecosystem. It is simply not the same.”
Experienced boat captain Tito Baldwin also questioned the feasibility of the marine infrastructure proposed as part of this plan. He warned
that the dredging currently outlined would not be sufficient to accommodate the vessels required to service the project.
“It’s going to have to be at least four times larger than what has been proposed,” Baldwin said. “As designed, it is beyond possibility.”
He explained that vessels supplying fuel, construction materials and provisions for a projected 300-person workforce would require significantly greater depth and maneuvering space.
“For supply vessels delivering hundreds of thousands of gallons of diesel, you’re looking at ships with a 10-foot draft,” Baldwin said. “To operate safely, you would need at least 13 feet of depth. That means dredging far deeper than what has been proposed. With currents running east and west in that area, you would also need a much wider turning basin to maneuver safely. As it stands, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.”
SEA is urging individuals concerned about the environmental impact of dredging connected to Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project to visit www.saveexumaalliance.org for more information. A petition calling for a halt to approvals is also available on the site, with more than 7,100 signatures collected to date.
PM: Project delivers on promise and invests in youth, sports and national development
GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas — Calling it the fulfillment of a major commitment to the island, Prime Minister Philip Davis led the official groundbreaking for the Grand Bahama Aquatic Centre, a facility the government says will transform sports development and create new opportunities for young athletes.
Speaking at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex on February 12, the Prime Minister said the project represents more than bricks and mortar
— it is an investment in people, national pride and long-term economic activity. The planned complex will feature a modern 50-metre competition pool, designed to meet international standards for training and regional and global swim meets. Davis said the facility will give Bahamian swimmers a home capable of producing world-class performance while also providing a space for community recreation, learn-to-swim programmes and water safety training.
He noted that Grand Bahama has long produced outstanding athletes despite limited infrastructure and said the new centre is intended to correct that imbalance, positioning the island as a hub for aquatic sports and sports tourism.
The Prime Minister also linked the development to the broader national recovery and revitalisation of Grand Bahama, describing the project as part of a strategy to expand opportunities for young people, create jobs during construction and stimulate activity for small businesses once operational.
The Aquatic Centre, he said, stands as proof that promises made to Grand Bahama are being delivered.
The project is expected to support athlete development, attract competitions, and provide a safe, modern environment for residents to access swimming and water-based programmes for generations to come.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
The Bahamas, February 15, 2026 – For the better part of three years, Bahamians have been told that major Afreximbank financing would help transform access to capital, rebuild infrastructure and unlock economic growth across the islands. The headline figures are large. The signing ceremonies are high profile. The language is ambitious. What remains far harder to see is the measurable impact in the daily lives of the people those announcements are meant to serve.
The Government’s push to secure up to $100 million from Afreximbank for roughly 200 miles of Family Island roads dates back to 2025. In
its February 11 disclosure, the bank outlined a receivables-discounting facility — a structure that allows a contractor to be paid early once work is completed, certified and invoiced, with the Government settling the bill later. It is not cash placed into the economy upfront. It does not, by itself, build a single mile of road. Every dollar depends on work first being delivered and approved.
The wider framework has been described as support for “climate-resilient and trade-enhancing infrastructure,” a phrase that, in practical terms, should mean projects that lower the cost of doing business, move people and goods faster, and keep the economy functioning. But for communities, that promise becomes real only when the projects are named, the standards are defined and a clear timeline is given for when work will begin — and when it will be finished.
Bahamians have seen this moment before.
In 2023, a $30 million Afreximbank facility for the Bahamas Development Bank was hailed as a breakthrough that would expand access to financing for local enterprise. It worked in one immediate and measurable way: it encouraged businesses to apply. Established, revenue-generating Bahamian companies responded to the call, prepared plans, and entered a process they believed had been capitalised to support growth. The unanswered question is how much of that capital has reached the private sector in a form that allowed those businesses to expand, hire and generate new economic activity.
Because development is not measured in the size of announcements.
It is measured in loans disbursed, projects completed and businesses expanded.
The pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. In June 2024, when Afreximbank held its inaugural Caribbean Annual Meetings in Nassau,
Grand Bahama was presented as the future home of an Afro-Caribbean marketplace said to carry tens of millions of dollars in investment. What was confirmed at that stage was a $1.86 million project-preparation facility — funding for studies and planning to make the development bankable, not construction financing. The larger build-out remains dependent on additional approvals, land acquisition and further capital.
This distinction — between financing announced and financing that produces visible, measurable outcomes — is now at the centre of the national conversation.
Because while the numbers grow larger on paper, entrepreneurs still describe access to capital as out of reach, and communities across the Family Islands are still waiting to see where the work will start.
And in an economy where stalled growth translates into lost opportunity, rising frustration and real social consequences, the gap between promise and delivery is no longer a communications issue.
It is an inability to convert announcements into outcomes.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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