Bahamas News
Commonwealth of Nations Secretary General says Grand Bahama and Abaco can be rebuilt better
#Freeport, GB, October 11, 2019 – Bahamas – Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, QC says having the opportunity to see first-hand the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian in both Abaco and Grand Bahama will assist her in accurately describing to the international community the enormity of the devastation in The Bahamas.
After visiting the island of Abaco, October 6, 2019, which was decimated by Hurricane Dorian, the Secretary General and her delegation flew to Grand Bahama on Tuesday, October 8, 2019, where they were able to see the devastation of Hurricane Dorian on the nation’s Second City.
During a drive into East End, where major damage was visible, the Secretary General noted significant destruction to the homes and to the overall landscape of the island.
“What is so heart-wrenching is that when you look through the devastated homes, you get a sense that they were once people’s beautiful homes,” the Secretary General said during a stop in High Rock. “It’s sad to see people’s possessions piled up high outside in the front of their homes.
“We have to work out how to respond better to these types of hurricanes and climatic incidences. We have to know how to prepare globally and not just as individual countries. None of us knows who will be next. We just know that there will be a next time; and it’s no longer if, it’s simply a matter of when.
“It has been tragically Bahamas’ turn this time. In 2015 it was Dominica, in 2017, it was Antigua, Barbuda, Dominica and The Bahamas – we were all affected.”
Secretary General Scotland noted that all over the world, climate change is beginning to take its toll. She pointed to heightened sea levels, drought in places like Namibia and other parts of Africa, flooding in India, cyclones in the Pacific and hurricanes in the Caribbean.
Ms. Scotland said these natural disasters were once identified by seasons, but they are no longer subjected to any specific times.
“We do not know when they start, and we are terrified about when they will end,” she added.
“This catastrophe is not something that’s a one-time event, this is the future of the world we live in. These kinds of storms are happening more and more frequently in our world and the damages are getting greater because these hurricanes are getting bigger and bigger. Some people say that Dorian should not have been called a Category 5 storm, but a Category 10 because of the size, the damage and the enormity of the damage it has caused.”
Ms. Scotland noted that the devastation on Abaco and Grand Bahama caused by Hurricane Dorian has to be seen to be believed.
She said that together the Commonwealth nations can come up with certain methods that will make the situations better. She said there have been discussions on how to rebuild Grand Bahama and Abaco, but not in the same old way.
“We have to look at how to rebuild for resilience, how do we use all of the knowledge that we have now about regenerative development so that we can make it less likely that if a Category 5 storm hits again, we will see this level of devastation?
“It’s going to take all of us, because none of us on our own can do this. But I believe together we can. In the Commonwealth we have 53 countries, that’s 2.4 billion people and sixty percent of those people are under the age of 30.
“If they are to have a tomorrow, it has to be so much better than today. I want the Bahamians to know that they are not alone. The whole Commonwealth is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with The Bahamas right now because we want The Bahamas to have a better tomorrow. A better tomorrow for The Bahamas, is a better tomorrow for all of us.
“People look at devastation like this and say this is terrible, it’s game over, but we’re saying no way, this is game on and we’ve got a good team.”
By Andrew Coakley
Release: BIS
Photo Captions:
Header: During a tour of East Grand Bahama, the Secretary General for the Commonwealth of Nations, the Rt. Hon., Patricia Scotland (centre) and her delegation stopped at the temporary hospital set up by International Medical Corps in High Rock. Accompanying the Secretary General were President of the Senate, Katherine Forbes-Smith (third from left), Captain Stephen Russell of the National Emergency Management Agency — NEMA (second from left); East End Administrator Bowe (4th from right); Captain Godfrey G. Rolle, Consultant at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (third from right) and Deborah Jamieson, Director of Head Office and Aide to the Secretary General (second from right)
Insert: Secretary General for the Commonwealth of Nations, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, QC (right); President of the Senate, Senator Katherine Forbes-Smith and East End Administrator Bowleg listen as doctors from the International Medical Corps talk about some of the work they have been doing in High Rock following devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian that ripped through Grand Bahama, during a tour in East End on Tuesday, October 8, 2019. International Medical Corps was one of the Non-Government Organizations that came into Grand Bahama to assist residents following the storm.
(BIS Photo/Lisa Davis)
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.
The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap
from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.
With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.
Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.
Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.
Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!
After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.
The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before
their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.
At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.
Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.
Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.
The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.
Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.
Bahamas News
The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed
their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.
As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.
Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole,
with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’. Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.
Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.
Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the
listening booth.
Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.
For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification
attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.
Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.
The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members. Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.
Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine. To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.
On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking
in the comfort of the chic lounge. In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.
The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.
Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.
To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.
