What began as a simple overgrowth clearing initiative on a quiet Saturday in January has transformed into a beloved new tourist attraction in the coastal community of Mon Repos, Trinidad, drawing hundreds of local and international visitors after the installation of a custom ‘I Love Mon Repos’ landmark sign. Spearheaded by local councillor Nigel Couttier, the project kicked off with a small core team of 10 dedicated volunteers, who gathered every weekend from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. to restore an unmaintained empty plot of land located just steps from the Mon Repos Police Station along the busy Naparima/Mayaro Road. As word of the grassroots initiative spread, more community members stepped up to join the effort: residents living in the apartment buildings directly opposite the site signed on to help, and a professional landscaper from nearby Pleasantville offered his skills entirely for free, drawn by the project’s mission of collective community improvement. After weeks of clearing debris, pulling weeds, and leveling the ground, Couttier felt the newly refreshed space was missing a defining centerpiece. Inspired by his personal affection for the Mon Repos area, he landed on the idea of a signature ‘I Love’ community sign. The custom sign, marked by a unique solid red heart to set it apart from identical signs in other regions of Trinidad and Tobago, was crafted pro bono by a local artisan, costing the project virtually nothing. The outpouring of community support extended far beyond labor: local residents and project supporters donated a wide range of materials, including backfill for landscaping, ornamental plants, paint, and even two decorative water features. Just one month ago, a team of volunteers pulled an all-nighter to lay lush lawn grass across the entire plot, turning the once overgrown lot into a welcoming green public space. Today, the project has already delivered far more than a new public spot — it has restored a shared sense of community pride among Mon Repos residents, Couttier says. For the local councilor, the initiative is also proof of what can be achieved when a group of people comes together with a shared goal to lift up their neighborhood. This sign marks the first ‘I Love’ community landmark in Trinidad’s southern region, a distinction that has helped turn it into an unexpected hit with travelers. Since the project was completed, the site has seen daily visits from sightseers across the country and international tourists. Just last weekend, a full busload of foreign travelers stopped to visit the spot, and visitors regularly flock to the area to snap photos in front of the iconic sign. ‘It’s really amazing,’ Couttier said. ‘That’s exactly what we set out to achieve — to create something that brings people together and makes our community shine.’ While limited funding remains a small hurdle for the next phase of development, the team plans to continue upgrading the space, adding restored public benches and a new concrete gathering area in the coming weeks. When asked about the risk of vandalism to the community space, Couttier said he remains unconcerned. ‘When you do something from the goodness of your heart, you leave everything up to God,’ he explained. Local residents have already embraced the new landmark, with one long-time resident praising the project for encouraging greater social connection among local young people. ‘It is a fresh project… it looking good and feeling good and we enjoying it,’ the resident said. Couttier aims to wrap up all remaining upgrades by the end of the current month, when the community will host an official opening ceremony to celebrate the new public space.