Connect with us

TCI News

TCI: Human Rights Commission Launches Humanitarian Awards

Published

on

#Providenciales, November 15, 2018 – Turks and Caicos – The Human Rights Commission (HRC) is set to host the first ever Humanitarian of the Year Awards 2018 to highlight the selfless acts of persons living within the Turks and Caicos Islands.

On Friday, November 9th the HRC announced that the nomination process was officially open throughout the country, allowing persons to nominate residents within two categories: The Humanitarian Award and the Young Humanitarian Award.

Residents have now until December 7th to nominate any individual or organization of the Turks and Caicos Islands whom they feel have demonstrated the spirit of humanity in a local, national or international capacity by:

  • Promoting mutual understanding, friendship, and cooperation and lasting peace among all people;
  • Contributing to the alleviation of human suffering, protection of life, or the promotion of health;
  • Educating the public on the meaning and importance of humanity and human dignity;
  • Promoting respect for all human beings.

Nominees must be a resident of the TCI and must be persons who have consistently demonstrated qualities of compassion and humanitarian values through integrity, responsibility, mutual respect, human equality, courage and moral progress.

‘When we look around us at our beautiful islands we see underserved communities, increasing crime levels, violence and division.  We need to build a better society, and this award is one way in which we can help make that society a reality.  In honouring people who work to help others, who work to rebuild communities and promote unity instead of division, we promote humanitarian behaviour.  In promoting that selfless behaviour, we hope that more people will model the humanitarians in our midst and say to themselves, ‘I can do that.’ stated Director of the TCI Human Rights Commission, Sabrina Green.

Green further remarked; “When our youth see one of their own celebrated for the good work that they do in our communities, they know that they are noticed, that they are valued and that they can make a difference.  It is only when our young people are fully engaged with our communities that we can create a society that is more unified, less crime and one where all people are treated fairly.  After all, you cannot change a society by changing its old men, you change it by teaching its children.’

Once nominations are closed, a shortlist of nominees will be created from individuals with the most nominations following which a Selection Committee will be tasked with selecting the winners based on the pre-set criteria’s. The winner of the Humanitarian of the Year and the Young Humanitarian Award will be revealed during an awards celebration slated for Saturday, December 15th at the Shore Club Resort.

The HRC is also encouraging persons to make advance purchase of tickets as space is limited.

Green said: ‘There are some remarkable people in our communities who put the quality of life of others above their own, who diligently work with people less fortunate than themselves, who spend their lives working to create a fairer, more secure society for our children to inherit.  This is an opportunity for the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands to come together and celebrate the best of us, our brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, our neighbours and community leaders, an opportunity to say thank you to individuals who work to make everyone’s lives better, so come out and vote, because it matters!’

Residents who wish to cast their nominations can do so by accessing any of the ballot boxes which can be found at the locations below;

 

Grand Turk

  • Fortis
  • Cockpit Lounge

 

Salt Cay

  • District Commissioners Office

 

Providenciales

  • Human Rights Commission, Graceway Plaza, Leeward Highway
  • IGA Graceway Plaza
  • Smart IGA, Downtown
  • Gilley’s at Providenciales International Airport
  • Fortis, Leeward Highway
  • PTV, Stubbs Diamond Plaza, The Bight

 

North Caicos

  • District Commissioners Office

 

Middle Caicos

  • District Commissioners Office

 

South Caicos

  • District Commissioners Office

 

The Turks and Caicos Islands Humanitarian of the Year and the Young Humanitarian of the Year Awards will be presented each year. Each recipient will receive an award certificate, crystal emblem of the HRC in addition to other prizes and will be honored at the Humanitarian of the Year Awards Ceremony in December of each year.

 

Release: TCI Human Rights Commission Humanitarian Awards Committee

News

Joyful Collaboration between 2 Regional Foundations Uplifts Tourism Professionals in Turks & Caicos

Published

on

CHTA Education Foundation & Sandals Foundation Training Celebration with TCHTA in Providenciales 20 October 2026. Front Row, L to R: Suzanne & Louise CHTAEF Trainers, Wesley Clerveau, PS Ministry of Tourism, Deryck Meany for Sandals Foundation, TCHTA team: Stacy-Ann Wharton, VP – Nicholette Thomas Operations Manager - Omega Simmons Board Member

Turks and Caicos – Caribbean Supercharged Service, Learning & Leadership workshops were enjoyed by professionals from Grace Bay Car Rentals, a local sponsor, alongside a Heavy Machinery Rental Company, a Paint retailer, 8 resorts, a luxury villa management enterprise and 3 TCHTA sponsored junior chefs, including Team TCI Junior Chef 2026, Zaliya Dickenson, who will complete at the Taste of the Caribbean in November for her country.

These workshops were the result of the longstanding partnership between the CHTA Education Foundation and their sponsor, Sandals Foundation, who support the Caribbean Supercharged programme on a different island every year. This year, the Turks & Caicos Hotel & Tourism Association (TCHTA) hosted the initiative to the delight of its members.

The workshops targeted new team members, seasoned professionals, managers and supervisors. Topics included Foundations & Finesse within Customer Interactions, Delivering Clear Expectations for Service Consistency and Making Memorable Moments.

Sandals Foundation was pleased to also sponsor chefs, cooks, stewards, warehouse & purchasing staff from 7 resorts and 2 high schools for an intensive HACCP Preparation & Pre-Requisites informational day, including international coursebooks, team training booklets and each person’s international assessment fee. The course is approved by the Royal Society for Public Health UK, earns Continuing Professional Development Credits, and is recognized globally as the leading Food Safety Management System.

Deryk Meany, General Manager, Beaches TCI, represented Heidi Clarke, Executive Director, Sandals Foundation at the 20 October Celebration with energy and passion for professional development and life-long learning in tourism to ever uplift and grow ourselves. He asked participants to ‘never stop learning! Today is a step upwards in your personal growth and that of the industry. We are never too old to learn, to share our experiences within training and grow”

Wesley Clerveau, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, gave spirited, positive inspiration and congratulations to the participants “Stayover arrivals in TCI have increased by 6% between January & June this year, we are hot! The place visitors wish to be, and your time, application and learning in each workshop is invaluable to us as a destination and to you as citizens and residents. I urge you to put what you have gained into practice immediately and keep applying yourselves; the more you upgrade, the more service elevates, the more we all succeed”

Karolin Troubetzkoy, Chairwoman, CHTA Education Foundation commented “Congratulations to everyone who participated in this year’s workshops, thank you for being fully engaged and making the most of your opportunity.

Special mention to the 8 past participants that we reunited with and are now working in leadership positions, BRAVO! We are delighted for you and encourage you to stay focused and keep shining and growing upwards.

It has been the Education Foundations honor to work closely with our sponsor Sandals Foundation and partner with TCHTA again to create Caribbean Supercharged positivity within each of you”.

Stacey-Ann Wharton, Vice President TCHTA, congratulated everyone present and stressed the TCHTA ongoing commitment to learning and development of members teams and management, along with special TCHTA scholarships for the HACCP session for 3 Junior Chefs, showing the Associations commitment to nurturing talent from High School upwards.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

First Insert: Wesley Clerveau, PS, Ministry of Tourism

Second Insert: Deryck Meany, GM Beaches TCI representing Sandals Foundation

Third Insert: Stacy-Ann Wharton, Vice President, TCHTA

Continue Reading

News

Multi-Agency Enforcement Exercise Targets Illegal Occupation of Crown Land in Five Cays

Published

on

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: The Crown Land Unit, with coordination and support from the Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), conducted a multi-agency enforcement exercise in the Five Cays area on Thursday, September 17, 2026, as part of ongoing efforts to address the illegal occupation and unauthorised use of Crown land.

The exercise brought together representatives from the Crown Land Unit, ISU and the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force. Security for the exercise was provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. Inspections were conducted across several parcels of Crown land throughout Five Cays, where instances of illegal occupation and unauthorised use had been identified.

During the exercise, a total of forty (40) Section 22 Notices of Unauthorised Occupation were served in accordance with the provisions of the Crown Land Ordinance. The notices related to various forms of unauthorised occupation and use of Crown land, including incomplete structures, shipping containers, derelict vehicles, trailer chassis, building materials and other items.

Where persons were not present, notices were affixed to the relevant structures or items. The exercise forms part of the Crown Land Unit’s continuing efforts to prevent squatting and encroachment on Crown land and to ensure that identified instances of unauthorised occupation are appropriately addressed.

The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands reminds the public that Crown land must not be occupied, developed or otherwise used without lawful authority.

The Crown Land Unit, supported by the ISU and its other partner agencies, will continue to identify and address instances of illegal occupation of Crown land across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Persons affected by notices issued during enforcement exercises are encouraged to comply with the requirements outlined and to seek guidance from the relevant authorities where necessary.

Continue Reading

News

BermudAir Launches Service to the Turks and Caicos Islands on October 26th, Expanding Air Connectivity Ahead of Winter Season

Published

on

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (October 22nd, 2026) – The Turks and Caicos Islands welcomes BermudAir as the airline begins its service to the destination on Monday, October 26th, marking the start of a wider expansion that will connect us with additional cities across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.

BermudAir’s service will begin with a new nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Providenciales. The flight will depart from the Howard Hamilton International Airport at 8 am on Monday morning and arrives at 7.40 pm. Aboard the inaugural flight will be a delegation from the Turks and Caicos Islands led by Experience Turks and Caicos and the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA), and will include Deputy Governor, Her Excellency Anya Williams, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, as well s representatives of the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA), the board of the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourism Authority, Invest TC and local media.

BermudAir will operate the Fort Lauderdale–Providenciales route three times weekly, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, through May 3rd, 2027. making it easier for business travellers with the schedule offering the potential for same-day return trips. The airline is also launching nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and Belize City, Belize, on the same schedule, offering travellers in South Florida direct access to both destinations.

The new service introduces BermudAir’s premium leisure inflight experience to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Flights will operate on Embraer E190 aircraft configured without middle seats, giving every passenger a window or aisle seat, alongside complimentary snacks and beverages.

Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Zhavargo Jolly, welcomed the airline’s arrival, noting the importance of expanding airlift to support the continued development of the destination’s tourism industry.

“Air connectivity remains one of the most important factors in the continued development of our tourism industry. BermudAir’s expansion represents an opportunity to strengthen our connections with key international markets while opening new doors for our sister islands. I am particularly encouraged by the planned direct service between Newark and South Caicos, which speaks directly to our vision of expanding tourism opportunities across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Our objective is to ensure that improved connectivity translates into greater economic activity, stronger local businesses and more opportunities for Turks and Caicos Islanders to participate in and benefit from tourism.” said Minister Jolly.

Commenting on the significance of the new route for the country’s development, the Honourable Arlington Musgrove, Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development (PPID), stated: “The introduction of BermudAir’s new service is a testament to the continued growth and development of our aviation sector. The Ministry of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, alongside the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority, remains dedicated to enhancing our airport infrastructure to accommodate increased airlift. We are committed to working to ensure that our facilities provide a seamless, world-class experience for all incoming passengers and we warmly welcome BermudAir to our shores.”

The Fort Lauderdale launch is the first of several new services BermudAir plans to introduce to the Turks and Caicos Islands for the 2026–2027 winter season. Additional connections to Providenciales are scheduled from:

  • Bermuda to TCI and Grand Cayman: Beginning December 18th, 2026
  • Anguilla: Beginning December 19th, 2026
  • Boston, Massachusetts: Beginning December 19th, 2026
  • Toronto, Canada: Beginning December 19th, 2026
  • Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina: Beginning December 20th, 2026
  • Newark, New Jersey to South Caicos: Beginning December 20th, 2026
  • St. Petersburg/Tampa, Florida: Beginning December 21st, 2026
  • Baltimore-Washington: Beginning December 24th, 2026

The expansion will give travellers more options for reaching the destination during the winter travel season, while broadening access from established and developing source markets. The additional routes also create opportunities for tourism stakeholders to reach new audiences and encourage visitors to explore more of the islands.

For flight schedules and bookings, visit www.flybermudair.com.

Continue Reading

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

TRENDING