News
GET UP! TURKS & CAICOS NEEDS WORK, NOT WORDS
By Deandrea Hamilton
GRAND TURK, Turks and Caicos Islands — One of the most stirring moments of the 2026 Right Excellent J.A.G.S. McCartney Memorial and Wreath Laying Ceremony came not from a veteran politician or government leader, but from a young Turks and Caicos Islander whose message landed with conviction, urgency and unmistakable patriotism.
National Youth Parliamentarian, Howard University scholar, CARIFTA medalist and Turks and Caicos Society of Young Leaders founder Antwon Walkin delivered a speech that challenged citizens to move beyond rhetoric and recommit themselves to the difficult work of nation-building. Walkin, one of the twin grandsons of former Deputy Chief Minister Hon. Hilly Ewing, was among the featured speakers at the J.A.G.S. McCartney Memorial observance.
Speaking under the theme, “Honouring Our Pioneers, Advancing the Nation,” Walkin reminded listeners that the two ideas cannot
be separated.
“To honour our pioneers is not to freeze them in history or reduce them to symbols,” he said. “It is to take responsibility for what they left behind.”
Walkin’s address formed a highlight of the ceremony held at the J.A.G.S. McCartney Memorial Site in Grand Turk and streamed live across the islands.
Drawing inspiration from the children’s choir’s rendition of We Are Out to Build the Turks and Caicos, Walkin focused on a warning contained within the song itself — that anger and selfishness can spoil the nation.
“The greatest threats to our nation are not always external,” he said. “We tend to look so far away for the enemy, but sometimes they are right beside us.”
The grandson of former Deputy Chief Minister Hon. Hilly Ewing, Walkin spoke passionately about the lessons handed down by his grandfather, who taught him that nothing was more important than God, family and country.
But family, he explained, extends beyond bloodlines.
“In the Turks and Caicos Islands, family is much broader than we sometimes realize,” he said, arguing that national progress depends on citizens seeing one another as partners in a shared future rather than rivals divided by politics, personal interests or island loyalties.
Repeatedly, Walkin returned to a central theme: the country’s future cannot be built through speeches, slogans or ceremonial observances alone.
“Today is not a day for despair. It is a day for decision,” he declared.
“The future cannot be built on symbolism alone. It must be built on action.”
The young leader challenged listeners to confront what he described as barriers that continue to slow national progress, including inefficiency, division and a culture that too often settles for less than its potential.
“I’ve seen so much potential delayed by process, so many dreams deferred by inefficiency and so many young people disconnected from systems that should inspire them,” Walkin said.
Then came one of the speech’s most memorable lines.
“I will not be part of the generation that watched decline. I will be part of the generation that interrupted it.”
The declaration drew visible reactions from the audience and underscored the energy that has helped make Walkin one of the country’s emerging young voices.
Throughout his remarks, he highlighted the achievements of Turks and Caicos Islanders who have excelled on regional and international
stages, arguing that excellence is already embedded in the nation’s DNA.
He pointed to citizens who have distinguished themselves in business, aviation, sports, public service and international leadership, saying their accomplishments prove that success is not foreign to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Walkin also challenged citizens to think differently about prayer and national development.
Referencing Jamaica’s National Anthem, he noted that the anthem is more than a song — it is a prayer for wisdom, justice, truth and vision.
“The Turks and Caicos Islands needs to reclaim vision,” he said.
He questioned whether citizens are merely praying for relief from challenges or actively working toward the future they hope to see.
“My mother always told me you can’t pray for something you’re not willing to work for,” Walkin said.
It was perhaps the clearest expression of the message woven throughout his address: faith must be matched by effort.
As the ceremony honoring National Hero J.A.G.S. McCartney drew to a close, Walkin urged citizens not to surrender the promise of the nation to mediocrity, doubt or selfishness.
“Nation-building has never been for the timid,” he said.
“It has always belonged to those bold enough to imagine more, brave enough to demand more and disciplined enough to build more.”
For many in attendance, it was a speech worthy of the occasion — one that honored the legacy of the country’s first Chief Minister while issuing a direct challenge to the generation now entrusted with carrying that legacy forward.
Developed by Deandrea Hamilton • with ChatGPT (AI) • edited by Magnetic Media.
SALT CAY — Residents say Salt Cay’s prolonged water shortage remains unresolved, with no visible activity or relief from the measures Government said would be advanced last week.
The crisis began in June after a critical filter failed at the island’s reverse osmosis plant, severely disrupting local water production.
Residents told Magnetic Media Tuesday morning that neither the replacement filter nor the promised bulk shipment of emergency water appeared to have arrived.
Minister of Innovation, Technology and Energy E. Jay Saunders, however, said the filter is already on Salt Cay.
“The RO filter is on Salt Cay and it’s being installed,” Saunders told Magnetic Media.
The large emergency water shipment has not materialised. Saunders said transporting more than 1,000 gallons in a single container requires a barge, and officials are still attempting to source one.
Government had previously indicated that it would try to deliver up to 2,500 gallons to partially replenish Salt Cay’s depleted storage tanks while repairs continued.
Saunders had initially projected that the RO plant would be fully operational by August 19. He now says the system is expected to return to full operation “in a few days.”
For residents, however, the immediate reality remains unchanged: the shortage continues, the bulk water has not arrived and the promised relief is not yet flowing.
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: — Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort recently collaborated with the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force and the Department of Social Services to support a youth camp hosted at the Oseta Jolly Primary School, underscoring the resort’s ongoing commitment to youth development in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The camp, which brought together security forces, government agencies and private sector entities, focused on equipping young participants
with practical life skills and character-building tools. A team from Beaches Turks and Caicos’ leadership and training departments joined the programme to deliver sessions on basic table etiquette, dining mannerisms, polite demeanour and public speaking fundamentals, all designed to help the students present themselves confidently in formal and professional settings.
General Manager of Beaches Turks and Caicos, Deryk Meany, said the resort views national development as an integral part of its corporate social responsibility. “We are always happy to be supporters in the development of the youth of the Turks and Caicos Islands. We continue to commit our team to help in creating the next generation of leaders who will provide support to the islands and help in its development,” Meany noted.
The initiative also received strong endorsement from the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Community Development, which has been championing holistic programmes aimed at building well-rounded young citizens. Minister Rachel Taylor highlighted the importance of collaborations like the camp in helping youth access structured guidance and mentorship. “We are happy to join in celebrating the growth and development of our youth here in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Beaches Turks and Caicos continues to be one of our primary supporters in helping to develop well rounded individuals. This commitment from this resort has grown with the vision of the youth ministry to help in their overall development,” she said.
Taylor further emphasized that the camp’s timing was especially significant, coming as youth across the islands seek positive outlets and
constructive engagement. “This camp came at the most ideal time for our adolescents. With the support of our governor, the security forces, the social services along with Beaches Turks and Caicos, we are confident that the training needed for them to improve is on the right track,” she added.
Beaches Turks and Caicos Public Relations Manager, Orville Morgan, described the collaboration as an exemplary model of cross-sector partnership. “To be able to join with the security forces to provide support for the youth of the Turks and Caicos Islands is exceptional. We are happy to provide the necessary support to equip them to grow into being productive citizens of these islands,” Morgan said.
He noted that the resort team focused on practical etiquette and hospitality-driven skills that can be carried into the youths’ future experiences. “As a team, we were able to share in the basic table setting and dining etiquette for them, skills we are sure that they will be able to use in their next fine dining experience,” Morgan added.
Organizers expressed optimism that the camp’s blend of discipline, mentorship and soft skills training will have a lasting impact on participants. With stakeholders pledging continued support, the Beaches Turks and Caicos team and their partners aim to expand similar initiatives, further investing in the personal and professional growth of the next generation of Turks and Caicos Islanders.
TCIG knew from April that fuel factor could surge almost 80%; Minister says $500 cost-of-living payment was part of Government’s response
PROVIDENCIALES — The Turks and Caicos Government knew months before July’s shocking electricity bills that consumers faced a potentially massive increase in the fuel factor.
Minister of Information Technology and Energy E. Jay Saunders revealed Friday that Pelican Energy warned his Ministry in April that generation fuel costs were projected to rise from $3.09 per gallon in May to $4.79 in June and July.
That translated into a projected fuel factor jump from about 17.5 cents to 31 cents per kilowatt-hour — an increase of almost 80%.
Saunders said he personally advised Cabinet of the projected increase and presented options for cushioning the impact.
He characterised Government’s $500 cost-of-living payment as its “initial response” to rising fuel costs, before a separate fuel-factor subsidy was approved.
Cabinet records show Government agreed on June 24 to provide funding to mitigate the fuel-factor impact, with the relief programme approved July 8.
Eligible residential customers — those averaging less than $1,500 monthly over the previous three bills — are capped at 22 cents per kWh from July through October.
Pelican confirmed Friday that Government’s contribution was already applied to July bills, meaning the bills now triggering widespread public outrage would have been even higher without the subsidy.
Saunders did not disclose the programme’s total cost.
His admission that Government knew since April, however, raises another question amid the backlash: why were consumers not directly warned by Government about the scale of the approaching increase?
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