We are happy to report that on 22nd November 2019 we emailed the petition and our Open Letter to the Government and Nation, to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, The DCA, Commissioner of Crown Lands, National Conservation Authority, Permanent Sectretaries of Planning, Tourism and Sustainable Development, Dir. Invest Saint Lucia, Mayor of Gros Islet and subsequently to the SLHTA - management and key Board members and to Cabot Saint Lucia. Hard copies were also delivered to the first list of persons.

To date, the only response we have had from local agencies is an email acknowledgement from the NCA. We did receive an invite to meet with two members of the Cabot Team, this was organized by their unofficial local contact. Three of the advocacy team met with them - namely Laurent JeanPierre, Calixte George Jr and Finola Jennings Clark. We met with Jules Cowan-Dewar, VP Sales & Marketing and George Punoose, one of the Principals. 

The meeting was frank and during the 90 +/- minutes, we spoke about our concerns, including the limitation of the planning controls in Saint Lucia, the history of blatent disregard for the same and the reality of not one single incidence where a foreign tourism development could be cited as having set a good example. 

We spoke about the importance of the coastal area of the proposed development in terms of vital local recreational usage, educational, micro-business and as a unique ecosystem. When asked what we believed should be done, we stated that the entire Queen's Chain in this area needs to be left alone, the development pushed back and full and free access for existing uses maintained.

We spoke also of the disconnect between what our international stance on Sustainable Development is and the reality on the ground in Saint Lucia where government and related agencies' actions pay lip-service to our committments and more often make a mockery of treaties and protocols we have signed on to. Where local interests are never genuinely fully involved in the process and where traditional uses and access is disregarded with exclusion being the usual outcome. 

The Cabot team did commit to handling the archaeological burial site with respect. We advised that we could not indicate exactly what should be done and that this would have to be discussed with the SLAHA and the Indigenouse People's organization as well as the SLNT. We advised that the developers should regard the entire area as a potential source of further finds and commit to ensuring as clearance is undertaken, that any finds should auto-halt work until the relevant expert can assess. 

At the end we were asked if we could extend our trust to Cabot that they will do better and have genuine interest in doing their best to do right by the issues we raised. While our meeting was indeed frank and open, we all responded that unfortunately we could not, as past experiences where developers had offered to be considerate had all resulted in actions contradicting promises with devastating results for Saint Lucia's environment and the livelihoods that rely on it, and similar losses for archaeological heritage. 

We explained that for a small island like Saint Lucia the impacts of each loss - like the ones already caused at the Cabot site through clearance for 'surveying and design' - are many times more detrimental than a similar situation would be in Canada or larger countries: As a percentage of the natural and all other resources, each loss is of exponentially greater impact due to our size. 

We left the meeting with our team urging the Cabot team to undertake, of their own accord, to do better than they are required to or urged to do by our government and to be independently aware that what they are told they can do, may not bear any relation to what they should do, and that as a private business, of course, they are entirely free to do better. Ms. Cowan-Dewar asked if she could keep in touch with us directly and we all agreed. She indicated she would be returning to Canada the next day and would present our concerns to the wider team for consideration.

ARTSVOCACY
On National Day, we held an intimate session with spoken word artists and concerned citizens at Cas en Bas. We spoke about why we are advocating for this area and shared insights into the rich heritage that the area holds for Saint Lucia taking some of the group on a walk of the coast and others to enjoy performances by Ras Isley, George Goddard, Glenn Charlery and Kensley Peter Charlemagne to round-off the day, drawing in a crowd from Marjorie's and the kite-surfing businesses and those just enjoying the beach. 
All who took part agreed that we must keep up the advocacy for better sharing of our resources and heritage in the light of increasing occupation and exclusion by the tourism industry - seek to find a better balance between the benefits of the industry and the cost to quality of life and the sustainability of the environment and local communities.

Today's Photo is of one of four community fishermen we met while walking, who come to Donkey Beach regularly to fish. Photo Finola Jennings Clark