02132026 AROUND DA ISLANDS

I S around da

The daughter of the nation's most celebrated global flm icon on her plans for Cat Island's music and theatre community

By Leigh Lightbourne

WHEN

Olivia Dorsett speaks about the Regency Theatre, it is never as a building alone, but as a place where lives quietly intersect and take shape. Now, as the new president of the Freeport Players Guild, Dorsett is not a newcomer with ideas, but someone whose personal and professional life has been deeply shaped by the theatre since childhood.

“So much of my life traces back to the Regency,” she said. “Most of my adult relationships are from some connection to the theatre. I can point back to almost all of them in some way, shape, or form. That includes jobs, friendships, even babysitting. Nine out of ten of those opportunities came from relationships I built there.”

Dorsett refected on her stage role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 1998, which she said introduced her to teamwork, collaboration and the satisfaction of working toward a shared goal. Over time, her interests expanded beyond

are Freeport Players Guild Board of Directors: Paulette Russell, Sean Thompson II, Christopher Russell, Olivia Dorsett, Romez Major, Preston Knowles, Sue Lynne McCrea, Charles LaRoda, Yamease Swain, and Keva Lockhart

frustrated when things were done only for tradition’s sake. Tradition matters, but it can’t be a reason to stand still.”

Her background in technology, audio engineering and media production has already infuenced how the Guild operates. Past initiatives included moving rental forms online, eliminating unnecessary paperwork, and introducing a public-facing calendar to reduce friction for renters and volunteers alike.

“Everyone here is volunteering,” she said.

Olivia Dorsett returns to lead the Freeport Players Guild

performance to the behindthe-scenes work that keeps productions alive. “I realised I really enjoyed working on teams, and I found a lot of joy working behind the scenes, on stage, and eventually on the board,” she said.

She served as acting president in 2007 and again as president in 2011. After moving to Nassau in 2018, she felt reassured knowing the Guild was in capable hands but said that changed following the loss of Kenrick Blatch, a long-serving and deeply respected technical pillar of the theatre.

“When we lost Kenrick, I felt a strong sense of responsibility to come back and help fll that void,” she said.

“Especially from a technical standpoint, because I knew how much he meant to the theatre. Having someone reliable behind the scenes gives people confdence. I felt I needed to be present.”

While her career prevents a full-time return to Freeport, the presidency allows

Dorsett to contribute meaningfully while reconnecting with the place she still considers home. “I love having a reason to come back to Freeport,” she said. “This is a way for me to keep contributing to the theatre.”

Dorsett takes the helm at a pivotal moment. The Freeport Players Guild marks its 65th anniversary, while the Regency Theatre celebrates 55 years. Built in 1971 and opened with the Guild’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest, the theatre has hosted decades of live performance, welcomed Prince Charles in 1973, and undergone signifcant renovations, most notably in 1991 and 1992. In 1996, the auditorium was renamed in honour of Peter Aston during the theatre’s 25th anniversary celebrations. The building’s history is rich, but Dorsett is clear that tradition alone cannot sustain it. “The theatre has always needed to grow with the times,” she said. “I used to get

she said. “It’s always been my second home. I was raised by a lot of people there, and now I’ve become a mentor to many of those who are part of it today.”

The Guild’s most recent production For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf underscored Dorsett’s belief in the role of the theatre as both art and conversation.

The production at the end of January marked the third time the Guild has staged the emotionally demanding work following earlier productions in 1991 and 1996.

“You want their time to feel valued, not wasted on administrative headaches.”

Looking ahead, she plans to continue modernizing operations while preserving the theatre’s spirit. Improvements such as remote access and enhanced monitoring are intended to reduce the burden on board members while improving security and accessibility. “We’re building a place for everybody,” she said. “The people who want to be there are the people we want helping to shape change.”

Dorsett also recognises a generational shift within the arts community. “We’re at a unique milestone,” she said. “Some of the older generation from the 60’s and 70’s are fading out, and hurricanes have caused an exodus of talent. Our generation is now up to bat. It’s our turn to keep the arts alive.”

Serving alongside Dorsett on newly elected 2026 Board of Directors are Vice President Preston Knowles, Secretary Yamease Swain, Treasurer Sean Thompson II, Past President Christopher Russell, and Directors Charles LaRoda, Keva Lockhart, Paulette Russell, Romez Major and Sue Lynn McCrea. As she steps into her new role, Dorsett’s vision is rooted in balance: honouring the past, supporting the present, and preparing for what comes next. Her sense of belonging is central to her leadership philosophy. “As a quirky kid who never really felt like I ft in, the theatre was the frst place I did,”

Olivia Dorsett, President of the Freeport Players Guild

“It’s incredibly vulnerable work,” Dorsett said. “The women approached it with care, respect and honesty.” She noted the signifcance of Sue Lynn McCrea returning as director after performing in a previous production, calling it a full-circle moment during an anniversary year. More than entertainment, Dorsett said the production was a reminder of why live theatre matters. “I hope audiences can look past stronger material and understand that theatre isn’t just about coming to laugh,” she said.

“Some of these stories were written in the 1970s and they’re still very timely, especially when it comes to how women are viewed and what society considers acceptable.”

At times during the performances, members of the audience reacted with sympathy or encouragement and for Dorsett, seeing the audience response was gratifying.

“Seeing Bahamian audiences take it seriously, have hard conversations, and strike up dialogue reminds you of the power of live theatre,” she said. “You don’t get that

what’s hot this week

Welcome

...to the second edition our brand-new colour supplement, Around da Islands, free every week with Friday’s Tribune.

Each week we will shine a spotlight on Grand Bahama and di!erent Family Islands – today there’s a special focus on Cat Island.

Readers have been quick to welcome the return of a print edition newspaper, in partnership with Grand Bahama 242 News, focussing on our ‘Second City’ and the Family Islands.

Businesswoman Lisa Turnquest praised the return of a physical newspaper: “Even though I appreciate the convenience of technology, I remain a lover of the feel of paper for my reading enjoyment. As long as this publication respects the environment, I welcome its return,” she said.

Tourism consultant with DonCar Hospitality Management Services, Carmel Churchill, also welcomed the initiative. “I am so happy - it’s important that we have a print version for Grand Bahama News. Yes, you can read it online, but when you can open it like a newspaper and see it. The message resonates better with the audience who care about what’s happening in Grand Bahama. I applaud those behind the initiative and hopefully it will stay around for a long time to come. I know it’s kind of ‘old fashioned’ to the younger generation, but there are still a number of us who want to hold that paper in our hands.”

And don’t forget, this is your supplement too! Send us your story ideas, features and tips – we can’t run them all, but we’re committed to strong, fair representation from across the islands. So come along for the ride!

This WEEK in Around da IslandsBahamian News, Features & Culture

GRAND BAHAMA NEWS

Pg 4 — Cheers as Inter-American Development Bank o!ers to nance Grand Bahama airport

Pg 5 — Xquisite’s rst GB Boutique Boat Show a hit with two boats sold and more events planned

Pg 6 — $30m healthcare investment signals new era for Grand Bahama with 25-bed Doctors Hospital, Freeport, in nal stages of construction

Pg 7 — Apathy to Action Forum’ – turning political frustration into civic action

CAT ISLAND FEATURES

Pgs 8 & 9 — Pamela Poitier is dreaming big on Cat Island

Pgs 10 & 11 — Curly comes home

Pg 12 — Island Brainwaves

NEW PROVIDENCE FEATURES AND CAT ISLAND VIBES

Pg 13 — Excitement as North and South compete for the rst time in Cat Island Junkanoo

Parade Day is just the exclamation point on the true essence of Junkanoo!

Pg 14 — A look at history

GRAND BAHAMA AND CAT ISLAND NEWS

Pg 15 —New Bight Airport nears major milestones as construction pushes toward completion

British High Commissioner urges UK rms to invest in Grand Bahama

ABACO FEATURES

Pg 16 — Great Abaco’s Hole in the Wall is only hand-operated lighthouse in Bahamas

Cheers as Inter-American Development Bank o ers to nance Grand Bahama airport

By BARBARA WALKIN barbara@barefootmarketing.net

AN unex-

pected ofer to fnance a new airport was met with enthusiastic applause and cheering from the packed room at the frst Grand Bahama Economic Summit hosted by the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce (GBCC).

The summit featured a slate of speakers including Shirley Gayle, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Country Representative to The Bahamas.

Gayle acknowledged the growing concern about the lack of progress on an airport.

“Yes, there has been a lot of talk in the media of late about the Grand Bahama airport.” she said, “We haven't been approached, but I am just here to say that we would be happy to fnance that, right?”

After pausing to let the cheers and clapping die down, Gayle continued, “We have the resources. We have the know-how. We are a bank with a wide reach, not just in Latin America, but across the world, right? We can harness and access additional support and fnancing from other partners, other players, you know, we go as far as, you know, the Arab fund, you

GOWON Bowe, Group Chief Executive Offcer of Fidelity Bank and Trust International Limited, was the keynote speaker for the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce's frst Grand Bahama Economic Summit, held at the Pelican Bay Hotel.

of Fidelity Bank and Trust International Limited, was the keynote speaker and the day-long meeting also heard from the Hon. Justice Neville Adderley (retired); Edison Sumner, Principal of Sumner Strategic Partners; Dennis Deveaux, Chief Executive Ofcer of Doctors Hospital Health System; Rodney Bain of the Insurance Commission of The Bahamas; Lakeshia Anderson-Rolle, Executive Director of the Bahamas National Trust; d’Sean Smith, General Manager of Spartans Builders; and Lynne Fraino of Kelly’s Freeport, Human Resources and Marketing Director.

Photos: BARBARA WALKIN

name it, right? So, whatever you're looking for to do this airport, we can bring that to the table.”

Gayle also highlighted initiatives directly benefting Grand Bahama including approximately $7 million in public sector funding for resilient microgrids in East Grand Bahama to strengthen electricity reliability following Hurricane Dorian. The projects integrate solar photovoltaic systems and battery storage, adding renewable capacity while reducing carbon emissions. On the private sector side, the IDB has supported the country’s frst utility-scale solar farms in Grand Bahama through IDB Invest, fnancing $15 million in projects contributing 9.5 megawatts to the grid. Gayle encouraged Grand Bahama businesses to take advantage of the private sector fnancing ofers by IDB Invest

and IDB Lab’s innovation funding, as well as project preparation support available through the One Caribbean initiative.

The summit was organized by the GBCC’s Economic Development Unit under the leadership of Director Felix Bowe Jr. to bring together business leaders, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders for wide-ranging discussions on critical and strategic avenues to move Grand Bahama’s economy forward.

“Grand Bahama is in a very critical stage now of growth and new opportunities, new projects and new investments,” Bowe said, noting that the summit’s timing could not be more important.

“As the Chamber, the ofcial voice of the business community, it is our job to position opportunities such as this in terms of speakers, seminars and forums like this for our people, and for the residents of Grand Bahama to be well informed.”

GBCC President Dillon Knowles underscored that economic development remains central to the Chamber’s mandate.

SHIRLEY Gayle, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Country Representative to The Bahamas.

GBCC’S Economic Development Committee Chairman, Felix Bowe Jr.

“The Chamber’s job really is to advocate for commerce, and a major part of commerce is economic development,” Knowles said. “If we don’t develop and continue to grow, we stagnate, and when we stagnate, everybody sufers.”

Gowon Bowe, Group Chief Executive Ofcer

In his keynote address, Bowe challenged the community to think diferently about development and to move from ideas to action. He emphasised the need for a comprehensive plan, the pooling of domestic resources, and stronger collaboration between government, the private sector and citizens.

“Government must be a facilitator, not a provider,” Bowe said, urging Bahamians to become participants rather than observers in the island’s development. He called for a mindset shift that focuses on preparation, collaboration and actionable plans to take advantage of emerging opportunities.

Nikita Mullings, Grand Bahama Power Chief Operations Ofcer (COO) emphasised ongoing investments to improve reliability and capacity, noting that the company’s generation assets have been restored to optimal health and that sufcient capacity exists to support incoming developments. She stressed that increased customer demand on the grid will reduce energy costs over time.

Attendees agreed that the well-attended summit refects strong engagement from the business community and stakeholders eager to better understand investment opportunities, fnancing tools, infrastructure plans and policy reforms and left with a clearer view of how regional connectivity, energy reliability, and coordinated planning can help advance Grand Bahama’s next phase of growth.

Xquisite’s rst GB Boutique Boat Show a hit with two boats sold and more events planned

By BARBARA WALKIN barbara@ barefootmarketing.net

GRAND Bahama’s marine tourism scene

reached a sparkling new milestone February 6 – 8, as Xquisite Catamaran Center hosted its frst luxury boat show, transforming the newly renovated former Running Mon Marina into a showcase of world-class yachting, innovation and lifestyle.

For three days, a full feet of Xquisite’s most sought-after models was on display, including the Sixty Solar Power Catamaran, Sixty Solar Sail, X5 Plus, 30 SportCat and more, giving guests and prospective buyers an up-close look at some of the most advanced luxury catamarans in the world.

“This wasn’t just a boat show, it was an experience,” said Tamas Hamor, CEO of Xquisite Yachts and the Xquisite Catamaran Center.

“We had 18 boats in our marina, of which eight were part of the boat show. The show was a success, and we have sold two boats.”

As for the future, Hamor said: “We are planning to host a similar event at least twice a year.”

The boutique show ofered an opportunity for guests to step aboard vessels often described as “foating homes.” Buyers toured the yachts oneon-one with Xquisite’s expert team, explored customized cabin layouts, entertainment spaces, and learned about the brand’s signature mechanical and technological ingenuity.

With price tags in the multi-million-dollar

XQUISITE Catamaran Center hosted its frst luxury boat show on the weekend, featuring a full feet of Xquisite’s most sought-after models, including the Sixty Solar Power Catamaran, Sixty Solar Sail, X5 Plus, 30 SportCat

Photo courtesy of XQUISITE

WITH price tags in the multi-million-dollar category, each yacht is fully outftted to the owner’s specifcations, from interior fnishes and layouts to advanced solar power systems

Photo: BARBARA WALKIN

category, each yacht is fully outftted to the owner’s specifcations, from interior fnishes and layouts to advanced solar power systems refecting Xquisite’s reputation for innovation and sustainability.

Overseas guests were accommodated at Xquisite Suites, and many enjoyed dining at the popular Galley Restaurant, completing a luxury, all-in-one marine lifestyle experience.

“Around da Islands” had a guided tour aboard

the Sixty Solar Power Catamaran, where an Xquisite team member walked us through design features and customization options.

Unlike traditional boat shows held in conventional marinas, the event took place where the yachts are actually commissioned, serviced and maintained, the hands-on environment expected to give buyers confdence that the vessels are supported by world-class technical expertise right here on Grand Bahama.

breathing new life into a once-dormant waterfront and beyond the yachts, Xquisite’s longterm commitment to Grand Bahama is evident in its broader plans.

The company recently unveiled conceptual plans for a $50 million luxury development at the long-abandoned Tyne Bay property, where demolition and dredging works have already taken place.

CEO of Xquisite Yachts and the Xquisite

The multi-million-dollar Xquisite Catamaran Center facility, located on the site of the former Running Mon Marina, is

“We already have some conceptual renders of a gated community with 65 luxury condo units and docks around it because, as you can see, our marina is already full. So, we need to expand our operations,” Hamor said.

The project is currently paused as the company

seeks an investment partner, but Amor remains optimistic. Having already invested approximately $3 million, he emphasized that the vision remains intact.

“We’re looking for partners now, a developer who would be interested in partnering with us or taking it over from us in some way to move it forward. We want it to happen. It’s just that our main focus right now is boat building and the resort. We can’t do everything ourselves,” he said

As Xquisite plans to host similar showcases at least twice a year, Grand Bahama stands poised to beneft from increased visitor arrivals by a highnet-worth clientele.

$30m healthcare investment signals new era for

Grand Bahama with 25-bed Doctors Hospital, Freeport, in nal stages of construction

By BARBARA WALKIN barbara@barefootmarketing.net

DOCTORS

Hospital

Health System is pressing ahead with its most ambitious expansion in Grand Bahama to date, with construction of its new 25-bed, state-of-the-art hospital in downtown Freeport nearing completion.

At the recent Economic Summit hosted by the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, the hospital’s newly appointed Chief Executive Ofcer (CEO) Dennis Deveaux said project managers are providing fnal construction updates and there will be more details on the timeline to opening in the coming weeks.

“We’re on the ground getting our fnal updates from the project managers,” he said. “Once we have a defnitive opening date, the public will be the frst to know.”

The project represents an investment of close to $30 million over the past four years and Deveaux, formerly the organisation’s Chief Financial Ofcer (CFO), told the audience that the opening of the hospital is just the beginning with further expansion of services planned leading up to the end of the decade.

DOCTORS Hospital's new facility is expected to reduce the number of residents who must leave

CHIEF

Executive Offcer (CEO) Dennis Deveaux

Photos: BARBARA WALKIN

We want to bring the best and brightest in and around healthcare to serve the people of Grand Bahama

unavailable ofering comprehensive diagnostic imaging, including MRI and CT scanning, along with full inpatient nursing accommodation and critical care services.

“This will be a Joint Commission International-accredited facility with full diagnostic capability,” Deveaux explained. “That means patients will have access to advanced imaging and critical care right here on Grand Bahama. The sickest of the sick will be able to be managed on the island, rather than having to travel to New Providence or southern Florida for treatment.”

The hospital is expected to reduce the number of residents who must leave Grand Bahama for specialised medical care, easing emotional and fnancial burdens on families while improving health outcomes through faster access to treatment.

overall investment climate,” he said.

Addressing what he described as the “elephant in the room,” Deveaux acknowledged ongoing concerns around the afordability of healthcare. He said Doctors Hospital is pursuing creative fnancing solutions to make services more accessible to residents.

“Through our Royalty Advantage membership and other fnancing options, we intend to make healthcare not only accessible but afordable for the people of Grand Bahama,” he said. “Afordability has to be part of the conversation as we expand services.”

He noted that Doctors Hospital is also working to engage physicians and healthcare providers as partners, creating pathways for doctors and allied health professionals to access the hospital and care for their patients within the system.

“Doctors Hospital has been committed to the people of Grand Bahama in terms of the delivery of healthcare services,” Deveaux said. “As we look toward 2030, we are recasting our vision for how we serve this community and how we expand access to quality healthcare.”

While the fnal touches are being carried out on the new hospital, Doctors Hospital already operates two facilities on Grand Bahama: an urgent care clinic on West Mall Drive

and a second clinic in Eight Mile Rock that includes dialysis services. These facilities are providing much-needed access to outpatient care while the new facility in downtown Freeport will eventually be a full-service tertiary care hospital, bringing advanced medical services to the island that are currently limited or

Deveaux described healthcare investment as core national infrastructure, that improved healthcare services strengthen Grand Bahama’s value proposition as a destination for business, tourism and long-term residency, helping to create a more resilient and attractive economy.

“Strong healthcare capacity builds confdence, particularly among foreign investors who want to know what options exist if a medical emergency arises. Private healthcare options are a key part of the

As part of preparations for the hospital’s opening, Doctors Hospital will host a career fair on March 20, aimed at attracting and recruiting healthcare professionals to staf the new facility.

“We want to bring the best and brightest in and around healthcare to serve the people of Grand Bahama,” Deveaux said. “Building the physical facility is only one part of the equation; ensuring we have a strong, skilled workforce is equally important.”

‘Apathy to Action Forum’ – turning political frustration into civic action

By BARBARA WALKIN barbara@ barefootmarketing.net

THE PI Upsilon Omega & Eta Psi Omega Chapters of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. hosted their “Apathy to Action” Forum in Grand Bahama on the weekend, with one clear mission: meet people where they are, hear their concerns, and help turn political frustration into civic action.

The forum brought together voices from media, politics and the community to tackle everything from trust in leadership to the infuence of social media, engaging young voters, and how to move Bahamian politics forward, debates and all.

Panelists included former Minister for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction and journalist Pakesia Parker-Edgecombe; Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis; Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman Dr. Duane Sands; Senator D’Asante Small; and entrepreneur and media and marketing infuencer Yamease Swain.

Ramona Wells, president of the Eta Psi Omega Chapters of the Alpha Kappa in New Providence, said the forum was born out of what the sorority has been hearing on the ground.

“As we get prepared for election season, a lot of voters are telling us they don’t know what’s happening in the political realm,” Wells shared. “They don’t feel connected to it, and they feel as if there’s no point in going out to vote.”

Wells said that is why the initiative, frst launched

in New Providence, was brought to Grand Bahama.

“We wanted people to talk about why they feel a certain way,” she said, noting that the forum intentionally brought media professionals and political fgures, many of whom are members of Greek fraternities and sororities, into the same room to hear directly from residents and share ideas on how to get voters engaged again.

One practical step stood out: the Parliamentary Registration Department was on hand to register voters and answer questions.

“We thought it was necessary to remove any kind of barriers,” Wells explained. “People work through the week. So, we said, come on the weekend, there’s a captivated audience. If you haven’t registered yet, this is your opportunity to do it now.”

The session opened with the media panel, which sparked plenty of nods from the audience, especially around social media’s double-edged sword.

“What I heard from our journalists is that social media can be good and bad,” Wells said. “But you have to verify. Don’t just take the frst thing you see posted online. Check the source. Compare it with printed news and actual reports. Fact checking is going to be very important as we move forward in this election season.”

Education, especially for frst-time voters, was another major theme. Wells pointed to mock parliaments in schools and forums as safe, non-partisan spaces for young people to learn what voting actually involves, from why it matters to what documents you need to register.

PANELISTS included former Minister for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction and journalist Pakesia ParkerEdgecombe (right); Entrepreneur and media and marketing infuencer Yamease Swain (left), and Panel discussion moderator, Denise Maycock-Bowen (centre).

PANELISTS Dr. Duane Sands (left), Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman, and Iram Lewis, Coalition of Independents MP, were a part of the second panel discussion moderated by Chevonia McBride.

Photos: BARBARA WALKIN

THE PI Upsilon Omega & Eta Psi Omega Chapters of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. held its 'Apathy to Action' Forum in Grand Bahama over the weekend. Pictured are Rashema Ingraham, President, Pi Upsilon Omega Chapter, and Ramona Wells, President, Eta Psi Omega Chapter

One young man, who gave his name only as David, said the forum hit home. He admitted he has never voted, but the discussion, and the information shared, answered many of the questions he’s been carrying for years. The event, he said, had him seriously thinking about registering and fnally taking part in the process.

“Education is important because our citizenry needs to know what’s required,” she said. “So, you don’t have to go back home because you didn’t bring the right thing … you’re prepared.”

“We’re in a deep, deep, dark spot in The Bahamas right now,” Sands said.

“And if we don’t change it, there will be no Bahamas for us in the near future.”

Attendee Natasha Darville described the forum as “impactful, useful and timely,” especially the discussion on why young people feel disconnected.

“People are tired of the political parties,” she said. “They’re tired of not having a say in how a candidate is chosen. Someone gets ratifed for your area, and you don’t even know who they are. That makes people feel shut out of the process.”

Darville told Grand Bahama 242 News the story of a young man she

Dr Duane Sands didn’t sugarcoat the mood of the electorate. He believes many people feel disconnected because of broken promises, the perception that MPs have limited infuence compared to Cabinet, and what he called the growing “transactionality” of politics, people asking, “What’s in it for me?”

brought to the forum, registered since age 18 but never a voter, but now feels newly engaged after seeing a representative step away from party politics. “If parties don’t fnd a way to pivot,” she warned, “they’re going to get wiped of the face of the earth.”

For Senator D’Asante Small, the forum wasn’t just about speaking, it was about listening.

“We want our voters to be more educated, more empowered and more energized to register and turn out,” she said. “But what I really enjoyed was how the community informed us. They shared their frustrations and their hot points, why they’re voting, why they’re not, or why they’re still on the fence.”

Small echoed a line shared during the discussion: “Voter advocacy is not a strategy to surrender.” The takeaway? Engagement is work and it goes both ways.”

PAMELA POITIER

By Alesha Cadet Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net

PAMELA Poitier had always imagined a life connected to her roots, yet nothing prepared her for the moment she stepped onto Cat Island. The island’s rolling hills, the scent of sea and greenery, and its rich history spoke to something deep within her, a calling that would shape her dreams for the years to come.

S. Bowe-Kirkendall of Cat Island Photography

I S DREAMING BIG ON CAT ISLAND

At the heart of those dreams is a mission to honour her father, Sir Sidney Poitier, through education, culture, and preservation. She hopes to establish the Sir Sidney Poitier School of the Arts, Sciences and Humanities, a place where students can learn, create, and explore life in a peaceful, natural environment.

“The school represents opportunities to students to learn the art of life,” she said. “Being in a natural peaceful environment that nurtures the human being’s soul and teaches us how to create from scratch. My father’s greatest passion was education; he had a deep-seated belief in education as the greatest tool he wished every young person should have. He loved the quote ‘I am the master of my fate and I am the captain of my soul’,” said Pamela in an interview with Tribune Woman.

Her journey to Cat Island was long in the making. Born in Manhattan, she spent her early years moving across the United States with her family in search of belonging. Atlanta became home for a time, yet the pull of her ancestral land was always present.

“I landed in Atlanta where all of my family had migrated to.

One day sitting by a river I asked the spirits ‘where do I belong?’

I knew it wasn’t in the USA. My cousin Jackson Burnside called and said he was going to Cat Island for Easter. I told him I wanted to

come. He said come on, so I did. I ended up on his doorstep ready to visit Cat Island for the very frst time, home of my ancestors,” she recalled.

The connection to Cat Island was immediate. Pamela said the spirit of her paternal grandmother spoke to her and said ‘tank gawd u fnally reach.’

“She had been dead for 33 years. As we travelled in our rented car seeing the beautiful green hills, smelling the fresh tropical sea breeze, the feeling began to wash over me that I was home,” said Pamela.

Her vision extends beyond the school. She is passionate about preserving the island’s culture and history, from its role as the frst-place pineapples were grown commercially to its bush medicine traditions and historic railway line.

“Every place has a story and a narrative which makes it even more enchanting. The spirit of Cat Island is mystical and historical, frst being called Guanahani by the Arawak and Lucayan Natives, then called Saint Salvador by the Spanish from 1492 to when it was changed again to Cat Island in 1926.

“I believe we have the oldest ruins in The Bahamas and is known as the frst place commercial pineapples were grown, cotton was a crop, cascarilla bark for making of Campari still exists and sisal used for rope was put on a train terminus to bring the products to the ships on the shore. Bush medicine is a staple on Cat Island,” said Pamela.

By preserving, protecting and promoting Cat Islands' story, Pamela said it’s an honour to the island’s ancestors and locals as the keepers of a historical legacy of a beautiful, rich, and cultural Cat Island.

Her father’s early experiences on Cat Island shaped the man he became. Pamela refects on how the absence of racism on the island and the lessons he learned from his family infuenced his life abroad.

“My father being from The Bahamas and specifcally Cat Island, he thought that all men were equal. He hadn’t grown up with any racism because everyone on Cat Island was of African descent. When he went to Nassau, he saw segregation on Bay Street but it was nothing like what he

faced in the United States with the KKK in Florida.

“He believed that you treat people the way you want to be treated. He found out quickly that that’s not the way white people saw it. Which got him into trouble so he had to leave Florida and went to New York City where it was a little less dangerous,” said Pamela.

She said the legacy her father leaves behind is: when you walk with a good sense of knowing who you are and where you come from, walk with integrity and dignity.

“As he used to say, ‘I don’t just carry my name, I carry my father's name and my mother's name, and I hope to always make them proud’. Family was always very important to my father,” said Pamela. Her ambitions include rebuilding her father’s home as a museum, creating a library, and establishing a community theatre. She wants these spaces to teach younger generations traditional Bahamian building methods and to connect residents and visitors with the island’s rich musical heritage.

“I hope to build a tabby house like the one my great grandfather March Poitier built that my dad grew up in, and teach this old style

A BAHAMIAN TRAILBLAZER WHO CHANGED HOLLYWOOD

of building; using sand, limekiln, conch shells and rock - to the High School students. Many structures still standing 100 years later. I hope to keep the culture alive and to honour the architecture of the time. We don’t need steel to build a strong structure. This will give residents and visitors alike, an experience of how my dad grew up in a house with no electricity, no running water, and walls 13 inches thick. Strong enough to withstand hurricanes, cool in the summers and warm in the winters,” said Pamela. Speaking further on her hopes for a Cultural Centre, Library, Museum and Community Theatre, Pamela noted that Arthur’s

Town was once home to Bahamian indigenous music, ranging from Rake-n-Scrape and Junkanoo during the plantation era, to travelling gospel groups such as The Region Bells and The Rahming Brothers, all from Cat Island, as well as world-famous artists including the Lassie Doe Boys, Tony McKay ‘The Obeah Man’ (Exuma), Phil Stubbs and Sir Sidney Poitier. For Pamela, Cat Island is a place where history, culture, and education converge. Through her work, she ensures that her father’s life, values, and vision continue to inspire future generations while preserving the spirit of the island she has made her own.

SIR Sidney Poitier, the groundbreaking actor who shattered racial barriers in Hollywood, was born on February 20, 1927, in Miami, Florida, while his Bahamian parents were visiting from Cat Island. According to the Bahamas Film & Culture Project, he was raised in The Bahamas during his early childhood before moving to the United States as a teenager; an upbringing that would profoundly shape his worldview and quiet strength.

His path to success was far from immediate. Biography.com notes that Poitier moved to New York City as a young man, where he worked menial jobs while pursuing acting. He joined the American Negro Theatre in Harlem and, despite initially struggling with his accent and lack of formal training, steadily refned his craft and began securing stage roles that opened doors to flm opportunities.

By the 1950s and 1960s, Poitier had emerged as one of Hollywood’s most respected leading men. The Bahamas Film & Culture Project highlights his performances in flms such as Blackboard Jungle and The Defant Ones, where he portrayed intelligent, dignifed characters at a time when such roles were rarely ofered to Black actors. His presence on screen challenged long-standing stereotypes and shifted the industry’s perception of Black leading talent.

In 1964, Poitier made history. According to Biography.com, he became the frst Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Lilies of the Field. The milestone was widely regarded as a turning point in American cinema and civil rights-era representation. He later expanded his career into directing and producing, further cementing his infuence in the industry.

Beyond his groundbreaking flm career, Poitier remained a source of immense pride for The Bahamas. The Bahamas Film & Culture Project highlights his deep Bahamian roots and the global impact of his work, noting how his achievements elevated the country’s cultural presence on the world stage. According to Biography.com, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1974 and later received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Sir Sidney Poitier died on January 6, 2022, at the age of 94, leaving behind a legacy that forever changed Hollywood and inspired generations to come.

cat island features

economy, but a disconnect between capital and practical pathways for investment. “And if we can kind of put together a cohesive investment group. I know a lot of people that has money and want just some kind of ROI on their money,” he said.

His focus extends beyond hospitality into housing and morale, areas he sees as inseparable from sustainable development. He is deliberate in how he frames the conversation. “People think that government should do afordable homes. I don't call it a low-cost home. I call it an afordable home. Those are the things that we are driving,” Mr McDonald.

The businessman positions himself not as a saviour, but as a benefciary returning value to a system that endured without him. He credits those who remained on Cat Island through lean years with preserving its social fabric.

“I'm here in the community to really build on what some of the community leaders who have kept this island together, believe it or

That acknowledgement carries humility. “I mean, I'm only able to do what I've done because of what persons who stayed on this island did; struggled without the kind of exposure or the kind of fnancing,” said Mr McDonald.

From his perspective, the present moment is an opportunity to redirect advantages gained elsewhere back into local hands. “They've kept this island together real well. So I am benefting on the hard work and the sweat on the backs of those guys.” His role, as he sees it, is to translate education, networks and access into something replicable. “And so it is my pleasure to have gone of and achieved what I've achieved in terms of education, also relationship and exposure to fnancing,” he said. That translation requires transparency and example, particularly in demystifying how capital works. “And to come back and to begin to kind of have that trickled. I have to educate and show people how that they too can duplicate and have access to fund-

Mr McDonald is pragmatic about the realities of investor psychology. Idle money, he notes, is often searching for credible stewardship. “But there's a lot of people here in the universe with tons of money and have nothing to do with it. Banks don't give them the kind of return on their money that they're looking for.” Trust, therefore, becomes the currency that unlocks participation. “And so if you put together a really good concrete program, these guys will trust the process and will trust the person who have had a track record,” he said.

That emphasis on credibility is not incidental. Mr McDonald repeatedly returns to the values he believes make leadership sustainable. “And I've worked diligently to want to have integrity, principle and structure.” He sees those traits as prerequisites for broader collaboration. “And so somebody like myself, along with some others, Cat Islanders I know, can lead a charge like that to help with afordable homes and help people to lift their morale in terms of business opportunities in the country” he said.

Infrastructure, in his view, is the catalyst that turns ambition into enterprise. With airport developments and expanded services on the horizon, he anticipates a surge of openings across sectors. “Because as the infrastructure come, there are going to be so many opportunities for businesses.” His message to residents is direct. “You don't have to be working for anybody. You can own your own business, you know?”

Even traditional livelihoods, he argues, are being reframed through policy and training. “I mean, there's all kinds of opportunities. Fishing etc, the government has given scholarships to that. I'm trying to get guys motivated to do that,” said Mr McDonald.

Partnerships with service providers further broaden the landscape. “Then you have companies like BACSWN coming on board, doing all the ambulances and all the EMS.” For Mr McDonald, recognising and seizing these moments is essential. “These are the opportunities you need to take advantage of. So that's why I'm here.”

At 66, the scale of his undertaking invites questions about legacy. Mr McDonald measures success by what is normalised for the next generation. “You know what? I have three girls (daughters) and one boy (son), and I've educated all of them,” he said.

What he wants them to witness is representation that feels attainable. “I would want them to see that there are people in our community who look like them, who've gone through the struggle, and begin to see a generational wealth being handed down and carried on by the next generation,” he said.

That philosophy is already operational within his business. “So my last daughter is the operations manager of Curly's Beach Resort. She's 25.” Her deci sion to return home was intentional and symbolic. “So she came home with two master's degrees, and she refused to work for anybody,” he said.

His daugh ter’s motivation echoes his own. “She said, I came to start that generational wealth.” For Mr McDon ald, this continuity validates his broader aims. “So if I could continue that, what I want people to see is that I have built an organisation that is inclusive of family, inclusive of community spirit, because that's the community I know of,” he said.

His presence on Cat Island is meant to be catalytic rather than cer emonial. “And I'm here to inject that kind of spirit back into the community,” he said.

For Nassau residents accustomed to Curly’s restaurants, the Cat Island resort delivers familiarity without sameness. Mr McDonald is keenly aware of the expectations attached to his name. “Let me say this to you. The people are fabbergasted, the ones who actually know of Curly's in Nassau; they know of the consistency, the system, I tell you, listen, it's curlicious,” he said.

Brand language aside, what he emphasises is replication of standards across geography. “They have a curly-full time. No matter where they go, it's curlicious, it's curly-full.” Guests, he says, recognise the continuity immediately. “We have such a great product. If you go to Cable Beach, the Fish Fry, or come to Cat Island; you still get the consistency

and the structure, and that's what people see,” said Mr McDonald. What surprises many is not the food, but the discipline behind it. “And they are amazed at the fact that somebody like myself can put the kind of structure and train the kind of people to have the vision, to buy into this vision of excellence, because that's not a common word in our psyche, in our country,” he said.

Training, in his model, is bespoke and relentless. “They don't have to be educated, they just have to have the grit and the want, and I train them my way because I have a track record of success.” That approach allows him to step away without anxiety.

Operational confdence fows both ways between Nassau and Cat Island. “When I'm in Nassau, I don't worry about Cat Island.” He credits his teams explicitly. “I have two of the best chefs here in Cat Island. I have two of the best congenial hosts and waiters here, and we're training people here in Cat Island right now to run Cat Island,” he said. The same structure holds in reverse. “When I'm in Cat Island, I don't worry about Nassau.” Leadership roles there are also deliberately flled. “I got a young lady who is the head chef, a young lady who is the general manager of both Curly’s in Nassau, and we're constantly training young men and women,” he said.

That system afords him moments of stillness within motion. “And so I can stop, I stop my boat, I stop my world every day.” He is matter-of-fact about the benefts. “I get more rest than most people,” said Mr Mcdonald. Discipline, however, does not soften his standards. He repeats the line that defnes his leadership posture. “I would not accept anything other than excellence. I don't accept mediocrity.”

For Mr McDonald, excellence is non-negotiable. “I wouldn’t have it no other way. My customer service, the ambiance, and everything else should be second to none.” His promise to visitors is simple and unapologetic. “They will have a curly-full time, and everything will be curlicious.”

Balancing operations across islands requires delegation without detachment. Mr McDonald insists that rest is not the absence of work, but the product of trust. “Everybody wonders that, if I rest.” His system begins with recruitment based on desire rather than credentials. “First of all, let me say, I've hired persons who have a desire for this,” he said.

Visibility is part of that accountability. “And any day you meet me at any one of my restaurants, at the hotel, I am in the front line.” Presence, for Mr McDonald, is instructional. “The frst person people meet at my restaurant is Curly out at the front,” he said.

As the Cat Island project moves forward, he signals that the current phase is only the beginning. “All I'm gonna tell you is, Cat Island is one of the most robust economies, and we're gonna have a major announcement coming soon again.” The cadence of his ambition remains steady. “Just stand by,” he said. The horizon, he says, is already mapped. “We have another major announcement coming by in the next 60 days; our second phase. This is our frst phase and we have three more phases to go,” said Mr McDonald.

Brainwaves

Best described as a number crossword, the task in Kakuro is to fill all of the empty squares, using numbers 1 to 9, so the sum of each horizontal block equals the number to its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the number on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Kakuro increases from Monday to Sunday.

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

MICRO CROSSWORD

CHALLENGER

By CARA HUNT

Features Writer

FOR most spectators, Junkanoo is all about what happens in the wee hours of Boxing Day and New Year’s Day - those few magic moments when Bay Street comes alive with the magic of a truly Bahamian spectacle.

Parade Day is just the exclamation point on the true essence of Junkanoo!

It’s the excitement they feel when they hear that frst beat of a goat skin drum and get the frst glimpse of the costumes and trash talk in the bleachers about who bought it to Bay better.

But for those persons who meticulously plan the design and execution of the costumes, what happens on parade day is just the exclamation point on the true essence of Junkanoo.

Dr Kenny Knowles has rushed in Junkanoo for almost four decades and is closely involved in the design process for the Valley Boys.

For the past several years he has deconstructed the art of Junkanoo on social media, giving an inside view of what is involved in preparing for the Nassau parades - from the initial meetings when a theme is decided and the frst sketches are created, to the fnal creation when fans get to see the fnal product in all its glory.

“Junkanoo is in the process,” he said. “What you see on Bay represents the end of that process. It’s really the exclamation point of the Junkanoo season. But Junkanoo is really about what happens inside the shack; it’s the months and months of preparation for competition, it’s the fun times and the ups and downs that happen in the shack, and that is why you sometimes see the costumes discarded afterwards with what may seem little concern because its more about the journey.”

He added although there is a ferce competitive spirit between the

groups, the Junkanoo community - especially those involved in the design of the larger pieces is a small world within itself.

Kenny rushed for the frst time in 1982 when his mother sent him and a few other boys in the neighbourhood to the Valley Boys shack.

“It was sort of a baby sitters club,” Kenny remembers.

Not only did it keep them out of trouble, it laid the foundation for a love of the art of Junkanoo that would remain with him for life.

“I had the opportunity to learn from legends such as former leader Gus Cooper, Doyle Burrows, Ellisworth Darling , Barry Miller. A lot of them have now passed on. These men are really the godfathers of modern Junkanoo and I learnt so much from them,” he said.

Kenny went to medical school at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad, a country well known for its own festival Carnival.

“I learnt a lot about diferent forms of costume design while I was there which I also found very interesting to learn how they go about it,” he explained.

Junkanoo designs have defnitely evolved over the years and Kenny has been documenting that process on social media since 2105.

He has a YouTube channel called Junkanoo Deconstructed where he takes viewers step by step through the process of creating costumes.

“I realised that most Bahamians don’t know the process

Excitement as North and South compete for the !rst time in Cat Island Junkanoo

BY Cara Hunt Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

CAT Island will come alive on Saturday evening when two Junkanoo groups from the north and south ends of the islands compete against each other for the very frst time.

The South Island Rockers Junkanoo group has about 160 members who have been preparing for the parade since last October.

and they don’t know what it entails to complete the process. They hadn’t seen what actually happens in the shack. It takes a lot of engineering and designing and so these videos show the attention to detail and the artistry that is required to bring these pieces to life.”

Kenny spends a few months flming costume pieces in the shack usually beginning in September or October right up to the moment they line up to rush in December. The process involves outlining each section of the costume on cardboard, pasting and decorating and securing them to their framing. His videos have been enjoyed by thousands of Junkanoo fans.

Some of his personal favorites include the banner he did for the 2023 Boxing Day parade which featured a mermaid and a turtle. He also loved the costume design the Valley Boys did in 2019 when their theme was the African Serengeti.

While Kenny says he would love to see Junkanoo evolve with new design techniques, it is very important that the traditional craft of Junkanoo is not lost.

“I would like to explore different materials that we can use for the structure of the costumes to make them lighter,” he said.

He noted that while all of the groups have adopted design elements from other cultures in some form, it is important to ensure that the traditional way of pasting and decorating Junkanoo costumes is not lost as this is a cultural expression unique to Bahamians.

Group leader Dwayne Adderley says that while they have rushed before, Saturday’s parade will be diferent.

“This year is a little diferent because now the north, they come up with a group also which is called the North Scrappers. So, it’ll be more like a little competition. It puts a little more excitement into it because for the frst time, the entire island will see the north and south in action.”

He added that he is excited to sit back and watch the island’s youth perform.

“I just watch the talent, that you know, the young kids on the island, got to ofer, then how hype they is about it. And it has been a long time before we had something like this on the island.”

He added that it is important to keep the Junkanoo culture and heritage alive in the younger generation.

The group has quite a lot of young students which made the preparation hard.

“I mean, it’s a lot of hard work, where can you lose a lot of night rest. You have to be waking 24/7, you know, you go to your regular work shift, you have a job, you have to then go to the shack and you spend quality time preparing for this event. And then, you know, sometimes you have the challenge with funding. You don't have the sponsor like that.”

While the group did get seed funding from the government and from a few corporate

sponsors, he noted that it was still an expensive undertaking to get the group prepared especially when you factor in that representatives from the group had to travel to Nassau to purchase supplies

The group will be rushing under the theme - World wide ting. Explore the world.”

He welcomed everyone to come down and view the parade.

“Persons can come on down, Western Air put on an actual fight for today and Saturday. So we have instead of the one fight per day you have two fights per day now, so... I encourage all the locals to come over and, you know, share with us, celebrate with us. You know, cheer the little kids on as they go.”

Philip Johnson of the Northern Scrappers said his group is excited to be making its Junkanoo Debut.

“Our theme is, all you need is love, and we choose that because based on everything that is going on right now, we need love - the love of culture of humanity and community. We actually sat down last year in October came up with the theme and started preparing.”

Funding was a huge challenge for the group but in true Bahamian spirit, they preserved to ensure that they got what was needed to be prepared for the parade.

“We had people give us their bed sheets to make costumes, and we had children who had to share a drum at practice because we didn’t have enough drums, we had to borrow some for the actual parade, and we had concerned citizens come and ofer us support. The youth are very enthusiastic but we are going out there to have fun and enjoy ourselves.

The Junkanoo parade takes place on Saturday February 14 at the North point Regatta site at 7pm.There will also be various food vendors selling items during the evening.

Vibes

Today in History

February 13

2000

The last Peanuts comic strip was published in newspapers, just hours after the death of creator Charles Schulz.

2002

The Scottish Parliament passed the Protection of Wild Mammals Bill, which made it illegal to hunt wild mammals with dogs, efectively outlawing foxhunting in Scotland.

February 14

270 CE

Valentine's Day, is the feast day of St Valentine, a priest and physician who was martyred about in Rome, and the tradition of exchanging greetings of love on Valentine's Day is based on the legend that Valentine had signed a letter to his jailer's daughter, with whom he had fallen in love, “from your Valentine.”

1991

The psychological thriller The Silence of the Lambs was released in American theatres; widely regarded as a classic, it won fve Academy Awards, including best picture, actor (Anthony Hopkins), actress (Jodie Foster), and director (Jonathan Demme).

February 15

1933

An assassin's bullet meant for the US president-elect, Franklin D Roosevelt, wounded Mayor Anton J Cermak of Chicago, who died three weeks later.

1965

Canada ofcially adopted the Maple Leaf Flag following a royal proclamation.

New Bight Airport nears major milestones as construction pushes toward completion

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

CONSTRUC-

TION work on New Bight International Airport on Cat Island is progressing well, with general contractor Bishop Anthony Roker saying the improvements would beneft not only islanders but other communities across The Bahamas.

According to the CEO of A&M Construction, Mr Roker said they're "moving in a good timeframe" towards completion of the works. He told The Tribune that his scope of work includes the airport terminal, the fre maintenance building and landside parking.

When asked about when his scope of works would be completed, he said he couldn't give an exact time frame, but they're "looking in a few months to be out of there".

"The maintenance building is about 80 per cent, the terminal building is about 65 to 75 per cent fnished," he said.

He said installation of the terminal’s windows was nearing completion, noting that the upper windows had been underway for about two weeks, while the lower windows were completed before Christmas.

“We’re just about 75 per cent fnished putting in the

windows, and they’re so beautiful,” Mr Roker said, adding that once the structure is fully enclosed, the project will move closer to fnal completion.

He acknowledged that there had been minor delays but maintained that works were progressing steadily and within a reasonable timeframe.

Mr Roker also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead the construction efort,

British High Commissioner urges UK rms to invest in Grand Bahama

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

BRITISH High Commissioner Smita Rossetti said the United Kingdom sees strong potential for investment and partnership opportunities in Grand Bahama, encouraging British companies to explore what the island has to ofer.

While attending her frst Grand Bahama Business Outlook, Ms Rossetti said the UK sees Grand Bahama as a promising destination, highlighting the presence of a major British company as an example of existing UK engagement on the island.

Liverpool-based JAJ has redeveloped the oil storage and transshipment facility formerly known as the Burma Oil Terminal, which she has visited. She

also toured Conservation Cove with Blue Action Lab, where she saw Coral Vita, the winner of the Prince of Wales’ Earthshot Prize in 2021.

“In sum there is so much potential here and I’m really keen to encourage British companies to come here to see for themselves to invest backed by the ofer of UK export fnance,” she said during a side interview following her address.

During her address, she outlined opportunities through UK Export Finance (UKF), which ofers up to $1 billion in longterm fnancing for projects in The Bahamas, backed by the UK government’s AA-minus credit rating.

Beyond fnance, UKF connects local partners with British expertise in engineering, design and technology, while prioritizing local job creation and

describing the project as both professionally and personally meaningful.

He praised the Davis administration’s broader Family Island airport upgrade initiative, saying the improvements were long needed and would signifcantly beneft Cat Island and other communities across The Bahamas.

He said he hopes to see all the projects brought to full completion in the months ahead.

Last November, Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis said the new terminal building will accommodate multiple essential services.

“The terminal building is going to house both Immigration, Customs and the police station and, of course, the various airlines that will be occupying and fying into the island. I am so pleased with the progress,” said Mr Davis.

He stressed the importance of creating opportunities for all Bahamians, starting with

upskilling. Ms Rossetti noted that only 20 percent of project content must be UK-based, allowing 80 percent to be sourced locally.

She said she is keen to meet with local chambers of commerce across all the islands of The Bahamas to see how they can raise awareness of opportunities through trade agreements.

“In London, we have the UK Caribbean Council whose mandate is to encourage British companies to come to Bahamas into the region. So, I want to work with all these local organisations that are tapped into the right businesses to raise awareness because there is more we can do,” she said.

“There are sectors like food, maritime, creative where we should be take the better advantage of this bilateral agreement,” she said.

improving infrastructure on the Family Islands.

“We’re creating opportunities for all, and I think opportunities start with ensuring that we have proper infrastructure on the Family Islands. And we’re doing it island by island. This is not just here on Cat Island; all of the islands will see upgrades;” said Mr Davis.

He added that airports and docks are key to improving connectivity, making it easier for people to visit the islands. By upgrading these transport hubs, the Government aims to encourage travel, tourism and economic activity, using improved access as a foundation for broader opportunities.

“The airports are just the catalyst for the connectivity. And what better way to have people come into the island than by ensuring that they could get in. We do that by ensuring that you upgrade the docks and proper airports,” Mr Davis said.

Great Abaco’s Hole in the Wall is only handoperated lighthouse in Bahamas

OF NEARLY a dozen large lighthouses in the Bahamas built some 200 years ago, only Hope Town’s Elbow Cay Light is hand-operated today. Most are on completely uninhabited islands or cays – Castle Island, Great Stirrup, Great Isaac, Bird Rock, Gun Cay, Cay Sal, for example. Others, on Inagua, Paradise Island, and San Salvador are uninhabited.

Hole in the Wall Light at the extreme southeast tip of Abaco is unusual in that it is on an inhabited island, yet is roughly a 25-mile drive to Sandy Point or Crossing Rocks, and a full 50 miles by road to Marsh Harbour.

Today the light sits atop a distinct dull red tower with a white base and is unmanned and operational. Since 1995 the government has installed a plastic electric light, and the invaluable glass panes known as “First Order Fresnel lenses” after a French trafc engineer and inventor, were destroyed.

Now this lonely, yet truly awe-inspiring windswept promontory, is an observatory station for tracking marine mammals, or it was when Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organization used it. And the light doesn’t just attract moths – in 2022 the European timber-carrying ship Onego Traveler lodged there carrying corrosive chemicals and was partially salvaged.

Why choose the southern tip of Great Abaco for a lighthouse?

For ships crossing the Atlantic from Europe, or approaching from New York to Halifax, there are 160 miles of banks and reefs to the north past Walkers Cay. Only 25 miles of open water to the south is navigable until one hits North Eleuthera at Egg Island. The passage connects Northeast and Northwest Providence Channels, which lead to the Straits of Florida, then the Gulf of Mexico and points south – including western Cuba, Central and South America. Without engines and in long periods of rough seas or cloudy skies, ship masters might not get a good navigational ‘fx,’ or position, for weeks. With a large margin of error making an approach at night a 168-foot tower can make a signifcant diference in helping mariners avoid the rocks.

In 1803, a contributor to the British Naval Chronicle named “Half-Pay” wrote that Hole in the Wall was “in a

rocky point at the south end of Abaco… It is the land generally made by vessels from Europe and the American continent when bound to New Providence as well as to Havannah and the Mexican gulf, by such as prefer this passage to the ‘Old Bahama Channel.” (Rolling Harbour website, 23 May 2012)

He had also described a “very transparent” sea whose “bottom can plainly be distinguished at a considerable depth” in 1798. Rolling Harbour mapped out the earliest charts of Abaco, going back to the 1600s, in April 2012. “A map by Thompson dated 1815 provides plenty of excellent detail … Another name for Hole-in-the-Wall has crept in, shown as ‘Hole of the Rock.’”

Historian Dennis Wagner in his blog State of the Union History notes how US president Andrew Jackson felt that building a lighthouse to reduce shipwrecks between the United States and British Bahamas was a critical task in 1833.

“A negotiation … by desire of the House of Representatives, was opened … with the British Government for the erection of light houses on the Bahama ... [and] will contribute essentially to the safety of navigation,” Jackson said.

Wagner relates how “beginning in 1836, the British Imperial Lighthouse Service of London began building 11 major lighthouses in the Bahamas. …’Hole-in-the-Wall’ was built on the Abaco Islands and stands 168 feet tall. …built at a location known as "Light House Point" in 1833.”

In her wonderfully illustrated 2011 study Last Lights The Hand-Wound Lighthouses of The Bahama Islands, sailor Annie Potts shares the technical back story of this light. The “Imperial Lighthouse Service, Trinity House, London” in 1833 commissioned the lighthouse at Hole in the Wall, “on the eastern edge of the Little Bahama Bank.” (Potts, p.12) First named the “Tower of Abaco,” it was “built of local

stone and a mortar mixed with brackish water. This mixture never cured completely.” That may be due to the severe logistical constraints of reaching the spot with heavy cargoes. Ninety years later, in 1924, the tower and the mechanism for winding the light (“at the end of a catgut rope”) was deemed “feeble” and “unacceptable” by the ILS. Thus, the wooden stairwell was ripped out and replaced by steel spiral ones, with rooms at varying heights and a landing made of stone. (Potts, pp.53-54)

Improvements to the Fresnel lens were made in 1925-6 and also in 1942, after the Rene shipwreck, but at a time when more than a dozen German U-boats transited those waters to and from Florida. In the making of a Norwegian documentary there in 2013, some of the crew managed to climb to the top of the structure. And while renovations are believed to have been made, it must have still been a scary experience then.

The lighthouse and its adjoining buildings are impressive yet presented a sizeable challenge to men like Captain Everett Roberts in the lighthouse tender Firequeen, and his supervisor, Commander Ronald Langton-Jones, who served 1929-1949, was friendly with the Windsors, and wrote Silent Sentinels. (Potts p.39) Roberts hailed from Green Turtle Cay and often took his family on the long voyages to faraway lighthouses in the archipelago, most of which have been abandoned long ago. Tasked with monthly visits, “he recalls his trips to Hole in the Wall Lighthouse as downright treacherous.” (This from a fellow not given to inaction or overstatement.)

“Remarkably, no one was ever hurt, but many times machinery or full pallets of supplies fell unexpectedly into the sea.” Thereafter it was easier to land supplies at Marsh Harbour or Snake Cay and drive them an hour south. (Potts p.54)

Today there are six prominent buildings and three smaller outbuildings standing. A rough 2.5-mile dirt road stretches from the Atlantic to the bay side of Great Abaco. It’s about a mile to a junction that over a dozen miles leads to the paved road to Sandy Point--a port with a small airstrip--and to Marsh Harbour. The name “Hole in the Wall” derives from a natural arch formed .35 miles south at the actual tip of the island. Several hurricanes, including Sandy, Floyd and Dorian have transformed the arch into a gap.

An impressive quarter-mile stone path was built to enable rolling equipment to drag engineering deliveries from the water to the tower. Roughly half a mile to the west is a large white sand beach. The process of rowing equipment ashore caused much vexation due to wind and swells and caused a good deal of lighthouse equipment to fall to the seafoor where it probably remains. It was only in the early 1970s that the road was built as a workaround. That road will seem a challenge to those unaccustomed to such dirt tracks, and in the rainy season is riddled with puddles – an inconvenience ofset by the sounds of Abaco parrots overhead in the national park there.

Nearly 200 years later, there have been countless wrecks at Hole-inthe-Wall Light, from Palestina to Wisconsin Bridge to the yacht Rene with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor aboard. The crew of the frst ship sunk by a German U-boat in the Bahamas in World War II, the Norwegian O.A. Knudsen, were rescued and taken round it in March 1942 to the lumber export dock in Cross Harbour, with one crew buried there.

Hole in the Wall was the frst automated light of the original 11, and remains an important landmark to mariners today, day and night.

Among the highly knowledgeable wardens or rangers of Bahamas National Trust Abaco National Park have been Ricky Johnson (RIP), and Marcus Davis. According to Lighthouse Digest, keepers have included James Arthur Thompson, and Samuel Thompson.

“The Bahamian government has leased the keeper's quarters to the Bahamas Marine Mammal Survey [for whom] it is now the base of operations. [It is an] active aid to navigation, research station. Visitors are welcome… a high -clearance vehicle is strongly advised. …allow at least an hour and a half each way.”

From experience approaching by land and sea, readers can be assured that this light is worth the trek. Traveler Mary Wallace Chamie recommends very sturdy shoes, according the Rolling Harbour Abaco’s post of April 2012.