Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw Memorial Park on 3.5 acres of cane land in St. Paul's, St. Kitts and Nevis' Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas said that as son of the soil and a son of St. Paul's Village, it is only fitting that the Nation's First National Hero, The Rt. Excellent Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw, should have his presence felt and seen, and that his legacy to the nation is soundly embedded in the hearts of the people of St. Paul's who he loved so dearly.

"Bradshaw worked tirelessly to bring hope and a brighter future for our children, and he was a man who shared a vision of self-determination. He worked hard. Maybe if he had not worked that hard, he would have lived a little longer. He fought many battles, and above all he stood firmly in the corner of the disadvantaged masses."

Dr. Douglas said that Bradshaw, who served as Chief Minister and Premier of the State of St. Kitts-Nevis and Anguilla and Minister of Finance in the defunct West Indies Federation also made "his mark in the processes of Caribbean integration, because he believed very strongly of a Caribbean people speaking with one voice against the oppressors wherever they were."

Prime Minister Douglas said it was important that the people of St. Kitts and Nevis do not forget their contemporary history and the enormous sacrifice that men like Sir Robert endured on behalf of the masses. "Too often, today, many of us take our social and economic progress for granted," said the St. Kitts and Nevis leader, who like Bradshaw, was also born in St. Paul's.

St. Kitts and Nevis' Prime Minister and Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Six (Newton Ground to Harris') Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas Photos by Erasmus Williams

"I want to make it clear today that none of our achievements today would have been possible if it were not for men like Sir Robert facing the uncertainties, facing the difficulties and sometimes the tremendous risks, so that we today can share in the rewards of their struggles," said Douglas, the five-term Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Six, which runs from Newton Ground to Harris".

Prime Minister Douglas said that the memorial to Bradshaw is intended to bring about greater awareness in the First National Hero. "We do honour his life and work through this memorial. In it, we seek the upliftment of our mental being. We seek for the recognition and the recognition of the importance of working together. Though it we believe that we can demonstrate that through productivity and if we were to work together in love and in harmony for peace and progress, then the future of this our proud nation will be unmatched," he said.

Dr. Douglas, who along with UNESCO Youth Path participant, Judette Pollock, officially broke the ground using red-ribbon shovels, told his cabinet colleagues, residents of St. Paul's and other areas of the constituency and invited guests that the ground breaking ceremony "is tremendously special because it brings a great sense of pride to all of us who understand our history and what it means today to be a free and independent country."

The ceremony was chaired by Ms. Mutryce Williams. The National Anthem was played by students of the Sandy Point High School. The invocation was said by Pastor Peter Paul. Remarks were said by the Director of the Physical Planning Department, Mr. Ellis Hazel, who gave an overview of the project; the President of the St. Paul's Golden Years Club, Mrs. Roslyn Grant; Club member, Mr. Theophilus Freeman and Cultural Presentations by the Golden Years Club and the St. Paul's Primary School.~~adz:Right~~