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Mr. Richard "Ricky" Skerritt delivering the Feature Address at the Requieim Mass celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the death of Former St. Kitts and Nevis Chief Minister and Premier, Hon. C.A. Paul Southwell. |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (JUNE 1ST 2004) – Kittitian Rhode Scholar, Mr. Richard “Ricky” Skerritt, has lauded former St. Kitts and Nevis Chief Minister and Premier, the late Hon. C. A. Paul Southwell for the vision which facilitated the development of tourism and manufacturing in the twin-island Federation.
He told a packed congregation at the annual Requiem Mass at the St. Paul’s Anglican Church, which pays tribute to former Labour Party stalwarts and on this occasion, celebrating, the 25th Anniversary of the death of Mr. Southwell, that it was well-known that the Frigate Bay Development project was Mr. Southwell’s initiative.
“The current generation may not realize that the entire south eastern peninsular of St. Kitts was previously privately owned and, without public roads, was out of bounds for most of the population. The best beaches on the island were there and Paul led the fight to acquire Frigate Bay for both the free use of the people of St. Kitts and for Tourism development. By so doing he started the nation on its way to a more significant tourism economy but also opened up a quality of recreation never before enjoyed by Kittitians and Nevisians,” said Mr. Skerritt, who pointed out that most Kittitians, before the 1970’s, never swam at Frigate Bay as children.
“The popular Sunday beach outing at that time was at Conaree beach, and it was probably at one of his weekly Sunday afternoon Conaree picnic trips with his kids that Paul developed his vision for more public beach access in Frigate Bay,” said Mr. Skerritt.
According to Mr. Skerritt with more and more economic activity developing on Frigate Bay and the Peninsula beaches today, he urges that in Mr. Southwell’s memory, the “appropriate authorities protect as much public picnic space on our coastline as possible.”
He said Paul Southwell was always Mr. Bradshaw’s front-line on matters of investment and the private sector and understood the motives and workings of private enterprise and was able to fight with local business when necessary without losing their respect and cooperation.
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His Excellency the Governor General's Deputy Mr. Edmund Lawrence (l) and St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Denzil L. Douglas among the congregation. |
“It is no surprise therefore that Paul is credited with the vision for facilitating the development of both the Pond’s and Sandy Point industrial estates. Getting the funding to put down the required infrastructure was difficult enough, but getting investors to start up productive business on these estates would have been even more difficult,” said Mr. Skerritt, who pointed out that the first two investment projects were actually joint ventures between local and regional investors and Government.
Skerritt said the former Caribbean Shoe Manufacturers and Calypso Garments were projects fashioned by Paul Southwell “pulling business decision makers together and, amidst much opposition from his critics, convincing his Cabinet of the need to become an investor as well.”
“Our local pioneer electronics manufacturer John Mallalieu tells the story of Paul Southwell personally traveling to Trinidad to encourage him to move his Trinidad plant to St Kitts, which he did in 1975. Without a ready factory shell for John and his small business, Paul and his Permanent secretary, George Ward, were able to convince the Department of Agriculture to make their newly constructed Fisheries building temporarily available to John for the start up of his manufacturing operation,” said Skerritt, who added: “It is interesting to note that the first factory building constructed for Mr. Mallalieu was actually in Sandy Point.”
“This move jump-started the Sandy Point industrial estate. John Mallalieu describes Paul as always helpful to business, concerned about the well being of employees, and the ideal role model politician for our Federation,” said Mr. Skerritt.
He said that the Mercantile Act, which ushered in an era of tourism-oriented duty-free shopping, was also launched in Paul Southwell’s time when he became convinced that there was a real future for tourism.
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A section of the large congregation at the Requiem Mass. |
“Times change and people forget. So in many ways this special service today is more significant than ever before. For the more culturally and economically diverse our nation becomes, the more important it is for us to share a common ideal of what we believe in and are devoted to here and now,” said Mr. Skerritt.
He said that in giving thanks for the spirit that those inspiring pioneers planted in St. Kitts and Nevis and for the bountiful opportunities as a result of their pioneering, “Paul Southwell was one such shining star who came along to give light to an otherwise dark sky”
“And how clearly we see that light now. We have known other great men in our time, in other countries and in our own. Yet there was a spark in Paul so special, that even 25 years after his passing we still remember him well. His work and his memory must not be lost. As we reflect today on the service to our Nation of Paul Southwell and his colleagues, let us be reminded both of our debt to a heroic past and our duty to build constructively together for generations to come,” concluded Skerritt.
