St James gearing up for impactful Labour Day

WESTERN BUREAU:

With Labour Day 2025 looming, Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon says the Charles Gordon Market will be the main parish project for the St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC), albeit noting that councillors will undertake smaller initiatives in communities across their divisions.

Vernon, who made the announcement at Thursday’s monthly meeting of the StJMC, emphasised the importance and timeliness of this year’s Labour Day theme, ‘Protect the Environment: Our Land, Our Duty, Our Future’.

“Councillors are expected to engage the communities in implementing impactful environmental projects that will promote cleanliness and climate action. Last year, we experienced aggressive weather systems in the form of a storm surge and Hurricane Beryl. Experts continue to forecast even more aggressive systems if we do not take collective measures to safeguard the environment. As such, this year’s theme is befitting and timely within the context,” he said.

Vernon further stated that the parish project will bring transformation to the current state of the Charles Gordon Market. He also pointed out that that project will coincide with the work being done under the MoBay Step-Up Programme, which he said has resulted in significant improvements to the city in an effort to promote environmentally friendly practices and a cleaner appearance.

THEME

“Coincidentally, the theme further reinforces the MoBay Step-Up Programme striving towards environmental protection and urban preservation, which has delivered tremendous results over the past year, such as the removal of over 200 truckloads of bulky waste, 50 derelict vehicles, street washing, over 200 pounds of plastic bottles recycled, and consistent maintenance of bridges and critical drains across the city of Montego Bay,” said Vernon.

“The programme led to at least one fully eradicated illegal dumpsite, over 20 business operators acquiring solid waste contracts, and at least two illegal garages operating in residential areas closed. This year, we intend to ramp up operations at least two-fold. At a recent press conference, I advised our citizens that vendors would return to Charles Gordon Market soon. In an effort to assist with this venture, the market district will be the site of our Parish Project for Labour Day, and work to restore the main building will commence by the 18th of May,” he added.

Vernon explained that the project will include the rehabilitation of roadways leading to the market, “as well as the installation of sidewalks and directional signs, thorough drain cleaning, grating repairs, and extensive washing of the district will accompany this intervention”. In the meantime, the mayor is asking volunteers to come and serve for the greater good of the market district.

“The step-up drive will focus on the city core, and I invite all vendors and community members to come out and participate in this exercise, especially on Labour Day. Vendors are also urged to remove their wares from the public space, as items left along the roadways will be retrieved as waste,” he said.

“No one will deter the municipal corporation from stepping up Montego Bay. It’s our duty. Cleanliness and order were not designed for the small man, we shall all abide. And, to those who continue to market our city to the worms, I encourage you to meditate on Proverbs 23 verse 7, which says, ‘As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he’. The words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts must align with a progressive city,” said Vernon.