Caribbean News
Jamaica Pays Tribute to Veterans on Remembrance Day
#Kingston, Jamaica, November 14, 2022 – The sacrifices of veterans of World Wars I and II were recognised on Friday (November 11) at a National Memorial Service to mark Remembrance Day 2022.
Held at National Heroes Park in Kingston, the commemoration included a parade by uniformed groups and sentries,
and the laying of floral tributes in memory of those who died in the wars while serving the country.
The ceremony began with meditation led by officiating Minister, Chairman of the Jamaica Umbrella Groups of Churches and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kingston, His Grace the Most Rev. Kenneth Richards, followed by the observance of a two-minute silence at precisely 11:00 a.m.
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, is the exact time when the fighting ceased in 1918 during World War I and has universally become associated with the remembrance of those who died in the war.
The National Memorial Service featured the customary laying of wreaths by the nation’s leaders, led by Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen.
He was followed by Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Hon. Robert Morgan, representing Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness; Member of Parliament for Kingston East and Port Royal, Phillip
Paulwell, representing Leader of the Opposition, Mark Golding; Justice Lorna Shelly-Williams, representing Chief Justice, Hon. Bryan Sykes and representatives of the Chief of Defence Staff, Commissioner of Police, and the Mayor of Kingston.
Also laying floral tributes were Dean of the Consular Corps, Commissioner of Corrections, Deputy Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, President of the Royal Air Forces Association Jamaica (580) Branch, Chairman of the Jamaica Legion, and representatives of St. John Ambulance Brigade and the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force.
An official inspection of the ex-service members and the contingent of the Jamaica Legion and the Royal Air Forces Association Jamaica (580) Branch was also carried out by the Governor General.
Retired Warrant Officer, Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), Collin Petgrave, who spoke to JIS News about the significance of the event, said: “To come and remember those persons who gave their lives for their nation is really an honour. What they did for us is the reason why we turn out and remember them on this occasion.”
Former JDF Captain, Clifton Conroy Lumsden, pointed out that “If the men and women from Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean did not go to the United Kingdom (UK) under very difficult circumstances, on boats across the
Atlantic to assist with staving off the attacks from the Germans, then today, we would either be speaking German or wouldn’t be standing here”.
“And for that sacrifice, that those men and women made for us in those World Wars, we are eternally indebted,” he added.
Remembrance Day is an opportunity to recognise soldiers who fought bravely alongside servicemen from other countries during the two most noted global conflicts of all time – World War I (1914 to 1918) and World War II (1939 to 1945).
Contact: Mickella Anderson
Release: JIS
Dave Reid photos
Photo Captions:
Header: Governor General, His Excellency, the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen (right), inspects ex-service members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), during the National Memorial Service to mark Remembrance Day, held on Friday (November 11), at the National Heroes Park in Kingston.
1st insert: Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen (left), makes his way to lay a wreath in honour of those who died in the World Wars while serving the country. Occasion was the National Memorial Service to mark Remembrance Day, at the National Heroes Park in Kingston on Friday (November 11).
2nd insert: Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Information, Hon. Robert Morgan, representing Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, participates in the wreath-laying during the National Memorial Service to mark Remembrance Day, at National Heroes Park in Kingston on Friday (November.11).
3rd insert: Wife of the Governor General, Her Excellency the Most Hon. Lady Allen (centre), is being pinned with a poppy by army veteran, Peter Williams (right), while Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Information, Hon. Robert Morgan, looks on. Occasion was the National Memorial Service to mark Remembrance Day, held at National Heroes Park in Kingston on Friday (November 11).
KINGSTON, Jamaica, October 6, 2024 – A mural symbolising the theme ‘Tourism and Peace: Out of Many, One Love’ was unveiled by the Ministry of Tourism on Peters Lane in downtown Kingston on Friday (September 27).
The mural was created by lead artist, Sheldon Blake, and assistant artist, Rohan Cargill, for Tourism Awareness Week 2024.
It depicts various Jamaican music genres and fruits, highlights craft vendors and popular tourist spots, including Devon House and Rio Grande rafting.
Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, in a message read by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Jennifer Griffith, said the mural will be a visual representation of how tourism brings people together – breaking down barriers, healing divides and celebrating the beauty of diversity.
“It speaks to the enduring strength of Jamaica’s tourism product and our role in promoting peace, both locally and globally. Sheldon’s work reminds us that our history, culture and people are the foundation upon which our thriving tourism industry is built,” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, Ms. Griffith said preliminary figures show that since the start of the year, Jamaica has welcomed some three million stopover and cruise visitors to the island, earning approximately US$3 billion.
“So despite various challenges relating to travel advisories, Hurricane Beryl and tightness in relation to airlift, we are marginally ahead of last year’s performance and remain on track to achieve our target of securing five million visitors and US$5 billion in earnings by 2025,” she shared.
Ms. Griffiths underscored that these remarkable achievements highlight the strength and sustained recovery of the tourism sector, demonstrating once again that Jamaica remains a premier global destination.
“Tourism is not just an economic driver; it is a bridge to peace, understanding and collaboration. Jamaica’s tourism agenda remains steadfast in ensuring that our industry grows, while protecting the natural and cultural treasures that make us truly unique,” Ms. Griffith said.
For her part, Deputy Director of Kingston Creative, Janet Crick, said the mural is a beautiful addition to the more than 100 in the downtown district.
“These streets have now become a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. Spaces which persons once shied away from have now become a viable attraction and a veritable outdoor gathering, offering beautiful and vibrant depictions of our rich Jamaican history, heritage and culture. It is, therefore, most fitting that tourism, one of the country’s largest income earners, should have a mural in this space – paying tribute to the industry and to its importance to our island,” she said.
CONTACT: JUDANA MURPHY
Release: JIS
MORANT BAY, Jamaica, October 6, 2024 – Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, says that a long-term approach to dealing with coffee farm roads must be taken, to propel the nation’s coffee farmers by granting easier access to their farms.
“What I have said to the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) team [is that] we have to take the coffee road programme out of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) farm road programme, because the small fixes, they help, but we
need some big fixes,” said Mr. Green, at the handover of fertilisers and herbicides to coffee farmers in the Buff Bay Valley area of Portland, recently.
He explained that for the short-term approach using resources already available, at least six roads in the coffee belt will be dealt with every year. In this financial year, this will include roads such as Wakefield to Mahoe and Bangor Ridge to Mahoe in Portland, as well as others in St. Thomas and parts of St. Andrew.
Mr. Green pointed out that he has asked JACRA to work with the National Works Agency and do a comprehensive assessment of how much money it is going to cost to fix the coffee roads once and for all.
“Because one of the things that we know, if we are able to fix access to the farms, you will produce more. And if you produce more, the country will make more money from coffee. So, the reality is that the investment in coffee will pay back for itself. So, we have to fix the infrastructure,” the Minister emphasised.
CONTACT: MICKELLA ANDERSON-GORDON
JIS REGIONAL OFFICE
MORANT BAY
Caribbean News
Turks and Caicos Islands Ranked in Top Ten Caribbean Islands in Condé Nast Traveler’s Reader’s Choice Awards
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS (October 3rd, 2024) –The Turks and Caicos Islands has been voted among the Top Ten Islands in the Caribbean and The Atlantic in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2024.
The Turks and Caicos Islands was ranked seventh in the Caribbean according to the votes.
The results of the voting were announced on October 1st, 2024.
A staggering 575,048 people voted in the annual Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards, rating their travel experiences across the globe to offer a comprehensive look at the places they enjoyed and recommend to others.
The Readers’ Choice Awards, with its unparalleled legacy as the travel industry’s longest-running and most prestigious accolades, remain the ultimate symbol and acknowledgment of excellence within the travel sector.
“We are honoured once again to be recognised as a top island within Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards,” said Hon. Josephine
Connolly, Minister of Tourism for the Turks and Caicos Islands. “The Turks and Caicos Islands remain a staple on this prestigious list which speaks to the quality experiences our visitors enjoy. These votes are determined by them which makes it all the more special.”
Experience Turks and Caicos congratulates our hotel partners who have also been voted among the Top Resorts in the Bahamas, Bermuda and The Atlantic:
- Sailrock – #2
- Beach Enclave – #3
- Amanyara – #3
- Ambergris Cay – #9
- Seven Stars Resort – #10
- Wymara Resort and Villas – #11
- Como Parrot Cay – #14
This honour is the latest among the accolades that the Turks and Caicos Islands has received in 2024 such as:
- TripAdvisor Best of the Best Reader’s Choice Awards: Grace Bay, #1 Beach in the Caribbean and Best of the Best for 2024, # 5 among the Top 25 Best of the Best Beaches in the world.
- USA Today 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards – Best Caribbean Beaches: #2 Bambarra Beach, #9 Grace Bay Beach
- World’s 50 Best Beaches: Grace Bay #1 in the Caribbean, #25 in the world
- World Travel Awards: Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination, Caribbean’s Leading Romance Destination
- World MICE Awards: Caribbean’s Best Incentive Destination (Providenciales)
The 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards are published on Condé Nast Traveler’s website at https://www.cntraveler.com/story/top-islands-readers-choice-awards-2020
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