News
PDM All Island Men: Return of Raids, New Roads, Traffic Lights and Bigger budget for Scholarships & Grants for Youth
Deandrea Hamilton
Editor
Turks and Caicos, January 26, 2024 – When men of the People’s Democratic Movement sat down to speak to the party’s national chairman in a live streamed show on January 20, there were several solutions put forth, with the early part of the two hour production focused on illegal migration, traffic congestion, development of the education system and allotting millions more for youth development through scholarships and grants.
Ezra Taylor, PDM National Chairman led the discussion which featured: Edwin Astwood, PDM Party Leader and incumbent for ED2; Robert Been, PDM Deputy Party Leader and All Island Candidate; Sean Astwood, All Island Candidate; Dwayne Taylor, All Islands Candidate; Ralph Higgs, All Island Candidate; Temard Butterfield, All Island Candidate and Alvin Garland, All Island Candidate.
ILLEGAL MIGRATION
“Our borders are weak, our resources are overwhelmed and we are stretched thin.”
Alvin Garland, who served as a PDM appointed member to the House of Assembly is now running at large. He believes a modernised system will improve detection.
“This is a very serious topic for the Turks and Caicos Islands, and we have seen illegal sloops continue to frequent our borders without being able to be detected. Illegal migration is not just an immigration issue, it is a national security issue, it is an economic issue and it is a community issue.”
The PDM wants “a biometric system, whereby we can detect or have a record of every individual that comes into the Turks and Caicos Islands. We will also be introducing what we will need to stop the illegal trafficking.”
A former immigration minister, Sean Astwood, who will run for one of nine at large or all island seats had some insightful comments.
“We’re taking a serious approach. We’re no longer waiting on the British Government to protect our borders for us, while we will continue to liaise with them and get assistance from them, the Turks and Caicos Islands for the first time is going to be taking a progressive approach where we own the situation and we put the resources behind it.”
Astwood said the posture of the PDM will move away from dependency to autonomy on the issue, with resources firmly committed.
“It is time we as a country, we say we want to be a nation, we want to determine where we go as a country, it’s time that we take responsibility and protect our borders. We will spare no expense. We are going to be putting in a full marine base, like we say, with the new technology, we want to increase the radar coverage, we’re going to make sure everyone in this country, we know who they are through fingerprinting.”
Mass raids are also coming with the help of a dedicated team of officers. Under the PDM, there will be a return of SPICE or a squad with that function.
“We are gonna conduct mass raids. We are gonna make sure that we comb this country, that everybody who is here, is supposed to be here and is here legally,” said Sean Astwood.
While Mr. Garland pointed to areas like construction sites, where unskilled illegal migrants are benefitting from the jobs created due to the current boom in the industry, he was tasked with talking about the action the PDM plans to take about jobs being doled out “illegally” in the corporate space.
“We will reform the current policy to better the interest of our people. When you are renewing a work permit, particularly for skilled workers in the corporate sector or applying for a new work permit, you will first have to submit it to the Labour department six weeks prior, that will give the Labour Department some time to identify a qualified applicant.”
The PDM plans to phase out the policy which only required proof that the position had been advertised.
Garland, who is an attorney, said Islanders no longer have faith in the current process and therefore no longer apply for the advertised jobs, suspecting that the position has already been assigned to someone else who is often an expat worker.
Ralph Higgs, another former member of parliament and former tourism minister for the Turks and Caicos Islands, also wants to introduce the technology which will flag individuals who overstay in the islands.
TRAFFIC CONGESTION
Alternative roads, traffic lights and traffic cops all factor into the PDM’s plan to end the gridlock motorists face in their morning and afternoon commutes on the main island of Providenciales.
Sean Astwood is an all-island candidate in the upcoming General Elections and he said the party will also focus on public transportation.
“We are going to tackle the illegal jitney problem. To make sure we put in place public transportation where our citizens are going to be carried back and forth – from home to work, school – through safe transportation methods that will decrease the amount of vehicles on the street and help to reduce traffic congestion.”
The PDM’s men participating in the fireside chat expressed deep concern about the danger of the illegal jitney system, with reports of sexual assaults escalating last year which resulted in the launch of two safety campaigns aimed at ensuring residents of and guests to the islands avoid the use of the unlicensed cars.
“We will tackle this seriously, it will not only create businesses for our people but we have already looked at alternative roads especially out of Blue Hills and Wheeland that can get straight down town, straight to the airport,” said Edwin Astwood, the party’s leader and ED 2 incumbent.
The plans, he said, also extend to the eastern end of Providenciales.
EDUCATION & YOUTH
When it comes to Education, the PDM wants to assess the current systems.
“First of all we need to review our curricula, to ensure that we are meeting the national needs of our countries dn providing our students with the best education there is. We want to prepare them to be national leaders in our country and in doing so, we want to ensure that we add elements of financial literacy and other skills based training that will promote them and propel them into being model citizens in our country,” said Temard Butterfield, All Island Candidate.
Butterfield, an educator himself, pointed to qualified certifications at a Technical and Vocational school, and reminded that “special needs
is at the core and the heart of our manifesto and our agenda”.
Sports is important to the PDM Agenda, offered Mr. Butterfield, with a focus on upgrading and expanding sporting facilities. Scholarships was another area the PDM believes needs attention.
“Expand scholarship opportunities. We cannot forget that. If you have a dream, if our Turks and Caicos Islands Community College is not offering it – and yes we want to ensure that we upgrade our college so that we can have our first Turks and Caicos Islands National University – but we want to ensure that we provide our young men and our young women with all the opportunities to qualify themselves and to be model citizens of this country.”
Youth development is also central to the PDM, explained Robert Been, an all-island contender and the PDM’s Deputy Party Leader.
“We intend to initiate a youth development fund geared toward those young entrepreneurs that want to get that exposure to get those business start ups off the ground. For Youths that want to invest in careers that’s outside the curriculum. So that fund will be a different fund from the current scholarship fund…” said Been.
Piggy-backing on his deputy’s comments about the increase in scholarship funding to $12 million, Edwin Astwood agreed there is a need to double the allotment.
“That is four times the current level. Within that $12 million, as the deputy pointed out for those of you who do not want to follow the scholar’s way, you want to leave high school and go straight into a business, so you can get a grant right out of high school.”
The grant will support training for those school leavers for the best possible outcomes, said the leader.
By Deandrea Hamilton
The Cassandra I remember never backed down from a fight.
She had an effervescent personality and was fiercely committed to her family—and that included her church and her friends. She deeply
appreciated the people God had given her, drawing on their love and support to push through circumstances no child, no teenager, should have to face.
Today, voters in a country far from where she grew up have trusted her to champion more accessible communities and better responses to people facing mental health and developmental challenges.
It speaks volumes about what happens when we believe in our children. When we refuse to set limits on who they can become, regardless of how they started. When we recognize God’s hand on their lives and support their ability to contribute and make an impact, wherever He places them.
Cassandra Toussaint is now councilwoman-elect for Ward 1 in Avon, Indiana, after defeating Republican Doug Elmore in the November 3 election. She ran as a Democrat. (youarecurrent.com)
Of Haitian heritage, she grew up in Turks and Caicos, attending Oseta Jolly, briefly Maranatha, and then TCIPS.
Her connections remain strong: friends, family and Lady Turks Gift Shop, a boutique venture she created with her best friend, Novie, from an idea they shared as teenagers.
Her family includes her father, Eliezer Toussaint, and her brother, Stoycov Toussaint, who graduated from Indiana University. Stephane Ambroise is playing basketball in Canada. Her mother, Ertha Etienne, died when Cassandra and her siblings were children.
In Turks and Caicos, her cousins Brenda, Steven, Lendcy and Sarah Cenary are, she says, successful and passionate about helping young
people and giving back to their community. Their mother, her aunt Rose Philomene Cenary, has worked in the Islands’ hotel industry for years and holds a special place in Cassandra’s heart.
“My aunt is the glue of my family,” Cassandra said, describing her love for the family and how she has always done her best to support them all.
A registered behavior technician, Toussaint says her childhood experiences inspired her to advocate for children who feel misunderstood.
Her campaign priorities included improved roads, accessible parks and facilities, and police training to better recognize and respond to autism and intellectual disabilities.
With limited money and little preparation time, she took her campaign directly to residents, knocking on doors and connecting at community events.
“Every resident deserves to be met with understanding,” she wrote.
The young woman I remember is preparing to bring that conviction into public office.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (November 6th, 2026) – The Turks and Caicos Islands welcomes Porter Airlines as it begins its service to the destination with its inaugural Toronto (YYZ) to Providenciales (PLS) route on Friday, November 6th. The airline will service the route five times weekly from the Toronto Pearson International Airport.
On December 17th, Porter will launch its Ottawa to PLS flight, a new route for the Turks and Caicos Islands. That route will be serviced twice weekly from Ottawa International Airport (YOW).
Minister of Tourism, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly said the expansion of air service from Canada reflects the growing strength of that market to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“Canada is showing strong and growing interest in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and we are pleased to see that reflected in the expansion of air service from the market. Porter Airlines’ new nonstop flights from Toronto and Ottawa strengthen our connectivity with Canada and give travellers more convenient options for reaching our islands. Canadians have always shown a genuine appreciation for the culture, heritage, natural beauty and, of course, the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Perhaps it is that shared warmth and friendliness that keeps bringing them back, and our partnership with Porter will simply make it easier for Canadians to continue showing their love for our Beautiful by Nature islands. Toronto builds on an important existing market for us, while Ottawa opens an entirely new gateway to the Turks and Caicos Islands. This increased access will make it easier for more Canadians to discover and enjoy our destination, while supporting the continued growth of this important market.”
Hon. Arlington Musgrove, minister responsible for aviation, Turks and Caicos commended his team at the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) for developing this relationship with Porter.
“The launch of Porter Airlines’ new services from Toronto and Ottawa to the Turks and Caicos Islands is another important milestone in strengthening our connectivity with the Canadian market. Canada remains an important source market for our tourism industry, and these new routes will give Canadians more choice and easier access to the warmth, beauty, and hospitality of the Turks and Caicos Islands. I
commend the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority for leading this initiative and for its continued efforts to develop air service and build strong relationships with our airline partners. I also extend our sincere appreciation to Porter Airlines for its confidence in the Turks and Caicos Islands and for choosing our destination as part of its growing network of sun destinations. We warmly welcome Porter, its passengers and crew to our shores and look forward to a successful and lasting partnership,” he said.
To celebrate and promote the new flights, Experience Turks and Caicos hosted a reception in Ottawa for travel advisors and media. Organised by VoX International, our marketing agency in Canada, the event featured remarks by Market Intelligence Manager, Sharissa Lightbourne and Chairman of the TCIAA, Dwayne Gardiner. Nikeva Ariza, Director of Corporate Affairs, Communications and Public Engagement was also in attendance.
The new flights are operated by Porter’s 132-seat Embraer E195-E2. The aircraft features a two-by-two seating configuration, meaning no middle seats for any passenger. Porter’s elevated onboard experience includes complimentary beer and wine served in glassware, premium Canadian snacks, and free, fast WiFi for every passenger.
To book your flight, visit www.flyporter.com.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (November 4th, 2026) – The Turks and Caicos Islands recorded its highest number of stayover arrivals for the third quarter of the year, with approximately 130,000 visitors welcomed between July and September, representing a three percent increase over the same period in 2025.
Preliminary figures from Experience Turks and Caicos show that the destination recorded 514,670 stayover arrivals for the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 25,048 visitors, or five percent, compared with the same period last year. Growth was recorded in every month from January through September, underscoring the destination’s continued appeal among travellers and the sustained demand for its tourism product.
Stay Over Arrivals by Quarter (2025/2026)
September closed the quarter on a positive note, with 20,204 stayover arrivals, seven percent more than the 18,795 recorded in September 2025. The year-to-date total of 514,670 is the highest number of stayover arrivals ever recorded for the January-to-September period.
Commenting on the record stayover arrivals, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly said: “These record arrivals are an encouraging achievement for the Turks and Caicos Islands and a reflection of the continued confidence visitors have in our destination. However, I’ve always maintained that the true measure of tourism’s success cannot simply be the number of visitors arriving on our shores. It must also be measured by the opportunities we create for our people.”
“Our vision is to build a stronger, higher-value tourism industry where Turks and Caicos Islanders are not simply employees, but entrepreneurs, business owners and active participants in the economic opportunities tourism creates. This is why our recent Community Connect meetings across the sister islands were so important. We want to engage directly with our communities, understand their challenges and ensure that as our tourism industry grows, the opportunities for our people grow alongside it. Ultimately, tourism must do more than bring people to our shores. It must improve the lives of the people who call these islands home.”
Cruise arrivals reflect return to regular itineraries
Cruise passenger arrivals at the Grand Turk Cruise Port followed a different trend during the first nine months of 2026, with figures reflecting a return to more typical cruise itineraries following an unusually strong period in 2025.
Last year, cruise lines added Grand Turk to their itineraries, resulting in exceptionally high passenger volumes and cruise calls. With itineraries returning to more regular patterns this year, cruise passenger arrivals declined year over year throughout the first nine months.
The destination received 62,095 cruise passengers in September, a 22 percent decrease from the 79,341 recorded in September 2025. From January through September, total cruise passenger arrivals stood at 838,533, compared with 1,016,532 during the same period last year, representing an 18 percent decline.
Cruise Arrivals by Quarter (2025/2026)
While the cruise figures reflect a normalisation from last year’s elevated numbers, the continued growth in stayover arrivals provides a positive indicator of the destination’s performance in its overnight visitor market.
It is projected that the month-on-month increases in stayover arrivals will continue into the upcoming winter season, especially with the additional airlift expected from new and existing gateways in Canada and the US.
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