Carib Scope

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  • Government hands over 16 new homes in Woodford Hill, with titles to follow

    Government hands over 16 new homes in Woodford Hill, with titles to follow

    In a landmark handover ceremony held earlier this week, 16 residents of Dominica’s Woodford Hill community took possession of new, climate-resilient homes, with government officials confirming that official property titles will be issued to the beneficiaries in the near future.

    Speaking at the event, Housing Minister Melissa Poponne-Skerrit urged the new homeowners to build collaborative, thriving communities in their updated neighborhood, while highlighting the robust engineering behind the units. Each home is built to withstand Category 5 hurricanes, designed to hold up against the intensifying extreme weather events driven by climate change. Poponne-Skerrit noted that unlike many older structures across the hurricane-prone island, these new homes will eliminate the constant fear of storm damage for residents, allowing them to remain safe and secure even as severe weather passes through the region.

    Beyond immediate shelter, the minister emphasized that the homes represent far more than just a place to live. Each property is currently valued at approximately $450,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars, and is expected to appreciate in value over time, creating a lasting tangible asset for beneficiary families. This asset can also be inherited by future generations, creating intergenerational wealth stability that extends far beyond the current group of homeowners.
    Acting Prime Minister Roland Royer used the handover ceremony as an opportunity to tie the local housing initiative to Dominica’s largest ever infrastructure investment: the construction of a new international airport in nearby Wesley. Royer explained that the housing development in Woodford Hill, Wesley and surrounding communities is intentionally aligned with the airport project, which is set to bring widespread economic opportunity to the entire region once operational.

    When the airport opens, Royer said it will require hundreds of full- and part-time workers to support daily operations, spanning a wide range of roles. These include on-airport positions such as customer service representatives, security officers, baggage handlers, ground crew, cleaning staff, maintenance technicians, firefighters, drivers, administrative staff, IT specialists and traffic management personnel. Off-airport opportunities will also boom, he added, with growing demand for taxi drivers to transport visitors, local farmers to supply fresh produce to expanding hotels and restaurants, and fishers to supply fresh seafood to local hospitality businesses.

    The Woodford Hill housing project falls under the Dominican government’s national resilient housing initiative, which carries the slogan “Building Homes, Strengthening Communities and Transforming Lives.” The broader program is a core component of the country’s long-term climate adaptation and post-disaster recovery strategy, with an overarching goal of delivering 5,000 hurricane-resilient homes to families across the island by the completion of the initiative.

  • GTA announces 5th Annual Dive and Conservation Festival

    GTA announces 5th Annual Dive and Conservation Festival

    Grenada’s marine tourism and conservation community is gearing up for the 5th iteration of its landmark Dive and Conservation Festival, scheduled to run from October 26 to November 1, 2026, the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) has officially announced.

    Over its first four editions, the festival has evolved into one of the most anticipated annual events on Grenada’s national tourism calendar, uniting a diverse cross-section of stakeholders including local dive operators, marine science researchers, environmental conservation nonprofits, and tourism partners across the country’s tri-island territory. This year’s milestone 5th festival, anchored by the theme “Sustainable Legacy,” expands on years of cross-sector collaboration while cementing Grenada’s global reputation as a forward-thinking travel destination where adventure tourism, marine recreation, and proactive environmental stewardship go hand in hand.

    Kirl Grant-Hoschtialek, GTA’s Chief of Operations and Acting Chief Executive Officer, emphasized that the festival’s steady growth reflects the central role Grenada’s pristine natural ecosystems play in shaping the country’s unique visitor experience. “Our natural environment is one of Grenada’s most defining and valuable assets,” Grant-Hoschtialek noted. “The continued expansion of this festival makes clear how critical these ecosystems are to both our tourism economy and everyday community life. The Dive and Conservation Festival creates intentional, meaningful spaces for dive industry and conservation partners to connect with both visitors and local residents, share evidence-based knowledge about marine protection, and foster deeper collective appreciation for the ocean environments that sustain us all.”

    The 2026 festival will roll out a full slate of programming across both Grenada island and Carriacou, with guided diving excursions, conservation-focused public education, and community-led engagement activities taking center stage. Attendees will gain access to guided explorations of Grenada’s world-famous underwater dive sites, hands-on learning opportunities focused on coral propagation and reef rehabilitation, and the chance to directly participate in ongoing initiatives aimed at safeguarding the country’s unique coastal and marine biodiversity.

    One of the festival’s flagship components this year will be the “Conservation Conversations” series, an outreach program tailored to connect local students with leading marine and environmental experts from across the Caribbean and beyond. The series is designed to build long-term conservation literacy among young Grenadians and expand understanding of ecosystem protection challenges and solutions across the tri-island state. Beyond diving and educational programming, the 2026 festival will also include guided birdwatching excursions, island-wide community coastal clean-up drives, and other immersive activities designed to encourage deeper, more responsible engagement with both Grenada’s terrestrial and marine natural landscapes.

    Shanai St Bernard, GTA’s Nautical Development Manager, called the 5th edition a key milestone for Grenada’s fast-growing dive and marine tourism sector. “This festival has grown into a can’t-miss event for both visitors and locals, giving everyone a chance to connect firsthand with Grenada’s incredible marine life while reinforcing the shared responsibility we all have to protect it,” St Bernard explained. “This intentional balance between exploration, public education, and active conservation is the core of sustainable tourism, and it has remained the central mission of this festival from its launch.”

    As Grenada works to build a more resilient, sustainable tourism economy for the long term, the annual Dive and Conservation Festival stands as a model for how intentional event planning can deliver both economic and environmental benefits. By centering collective action and intergenerational stewardship, the festival reinforces a simple but powerful truth: the travel experiences we design and protect today will lay the foundation for a thriving, vibrant destination for future generations to enjoy.

  • Trans Guyana Airways plane runs off interior airstrip

    Trans Guyana Airways plane runs off interior airstrip

    On Thursday morning, September 17, 2026, an incident involving a Trans Guyana Airways (TGA) aircraft unfolded at Guyana’s Mabaruma airstrip when the plane veered off the runway during landing, multiple on-scene sources have confirmed.

    The aircraft involved in the incident is registered under the markings 8R-GCC. Thankfully, all passengers and crew on board escaped without injury, emergency authorities confirmed shortly after the event.

    As of initial reports, investigators have not yet pinpointed the exact root cause of the runway excursion. Early preliminary speculation among aviation sources points to strong gusty winds as a potential contributing factor, but this hypothesis has not been verified through official inspection.

    First responder teams, including local firefighting units, were immediately dispatched to the airstrip as a standard precautionary measure. Upon arrival, crews confirmed there was no smoke, fire, or other hazardous conditions at the site, reducing the overall risk level of the incident. Further updates on the official investigation into the incident are expected to be released by TGA and Guyana’s civil aviation authority in the coming days.

  • Good Hope Swimming Pool for Grenfin Invitational Swim Meet 2026

    Good Hope Swimming Pool for Grenfin Invitational Swim Meet 2026

    One of the most anticipated annual swimming competitions in the Eastern Caribbean is making its comeback next year, with the Grenfin Swim Club Invitational Meet set to take over Good Hope Swimming Pool in St. Paul’s from September 24 to 27, 2026. Organizers have confirmed that long-standing partner LUCOZADE, Huggins Grenada will return as the event’s title sponsor for the 10th year in a row, marking a decade of consistent support for regional competitive swimming.

    As a staple fixture on the national swimming calendar, this four-day competition carries dual significance for the local swimming community. Beyond being Grenfin Swim Club’s largest annual fundraising initiative, the invitational also serves as the official selection trial for the OECS National Swim Team. Local swimmers across all categories have spent months ramping up their training regimens, putting in grueling daily practice sessions to compete for one of just 34 coveted spots on the regional squad. The athletes that earn selection will go on to represent the tri-island state of Grenada at the 34th OECS Swimming Championships, scheduled to run from November 6 to 8, 2026 at St. Lucia’s Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre.

    Heading into the selection trials and subsequent regional championships, Grenada enters the competition cycle as the defending overall titleholder, putting a target on their back as they prepare to face off against the top competitive swimmers from every OECS member nation.

    Organizers have released the full daily schedule for the 2026 invitational meet to help spectators and participants plan their attendance. On the opening two days, September 24 and 25, warm-up sessions will begin at 4:00 p.m., with the first races kicking off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, September 26 will start earlier, with warm-ups commencing at 7:30 a.m., competition getting underway at 9:30 a.m., and the event’s official opening ceremony scheduled for 10:00 a.m. The final day of competition on Sunday, September 27 will see warm-ups begin at 8:00 a.m., with racing resuming at the same 9:30 a.m. start time as Saturday.

    Grenfin Swim Club has expressed excitement for the upcoming event, noting that the 2026 Invitational Meet is on track to deliver four days of electrifying racing, standout athletic performances, and exemplary sportsmanship from every competing athlete. Local swimming fans and community members are encouraged to attend the event at Good Hope Swimming Pool to cheer on emerging regional talent.

  • ‘Repatriation’ proposal before CARICOM reparations conference

    ‘Repatriation’ proposal before CARICOM reparations conference

    Nearly 400 years after enslaved African ancestors were forcibly transported across the Atlantic to toil on Caribbean sugar plantations, a groundbreaking initiative to turn the long-held dream of diaspora repatriation to Africa into official policy is set to be tabled this week. On Thursday, delegates and civil society representatives at the Third CARICOM Regional Conference on Reparations, hosted in Barbados, will review a pilot resettlement scheme jointly developed for Jamaica and Ethiopia that prioritizes Rastafarian and other Caribbean diaspora communities seeking to relocate.

    The proposal, crafted by the Ethio-Africa Diaspora Union Millennium Council (EADUMC) alongside regional partner organizations, lays out a structured, actionable framework designed to move repatriation from abstract conversation to government-endorsed reparatory justice policy. At its core is the Jamaica-Ethiopia Pilot Programme, developed in close collaboration with the Jamaica Rastafari Development Community, which will act as a real-world test case for future large-scale resettlement efforts.

    The pilot is designed to connect Caribbean diaspora members with the long-established Rastafari community already based in Shashamane, Ethiopia. To ensure relocated people can build stable, self-sufficient new lives, the initiative will draw additional financial and community support from aligned diaspora groups in the United States and United Kingdom.

    Organizers of the proposal frame this submission as the logical next step following the foundational discussions held at the first two CARICOM reparations conferences, held in 2013 and 2014. They are calling on Caribbean regional leaders to move past symbolic recognition of the need for reparations and implement concrete, measurable progress aligned with CARICOM’s updated 10-point reparations plan.

    In EADUMC’s official submission to the conference, the organization emphasized: “Repatriation is the central implementation issue. The third conference can now establish the legal, institutional, financial and community-governance pathway needed to move from recognition to a measurable Jamaica–Ethiopia Pilot.”

    To launch the pilot, advocates have outlined a 12-month planning phase focused on addressing practical barriers to relocation. During this period, organizers will work to guarantee secure legal status, access to land, and viable livelihood opportunities for all volunteers who choose to relocate. The framework also prioritizes cross-regional technology and skills sharing, and mandates transparent, accountable tracking of all program funding to prevent mismanagement.

    Barbadian Rastafarian community representative Paul Ras Simba Rock will serve as the official spokesperson for the proposal, leading advocacy for the plan during civil society sessions and roundtable discussions across the conference, centering Caribbean voices in the diplomatic push for action.

    EADUMC has laid out four clear demands for CARICOM leaders ahead of the conference. First, the organization asks delegates to formally approve its framework as the official blueprint for repatriation. Second, it calls for a technical review of the Jamaica-Ethiopia Pilot to be completed within 90 days of the conference. Third, it advocates for the creation of a joint working group bringing together CARICOM and the African Union to oversee all resettlement activities, with a permanent voting seat reserved for Rastafari community representatives at the table. Finally, the group is pushing for the pilot to be formally incorporated into CARICOM’s 2027–2031 regional Action Plan.

    The architects of the framework have stressed that the entire process must prioritize safety and ethical governance, with strict protections for Rastafari cultural rights and guarantees that community members will retain genuine decision-making power over the program’s operations, rather than being treated as symbolic tokens of reparations.

    The full proposal was developed under the leadership of EADUMC General Secretary Prophet Greg and Intellectual Property Consultant Maxine Stowe. Stowe, who has spearheaded much of the policy design work, has been nominated to fill the post of Cultural Ambassador to the Reparatory Justice Framework, a position previously held by legendary Jamaican reggae icon Bunny Wailer, who passed away in 2021. For advocates gathered in Bridgetown, this proposal marks the beginning of a new era for reparatory action, turning a centuries-old dream of return into tangible, structured progress.

  • Free rabies vaccination clinics for dogs

    Free rabies vaccination clinics for dogs

    Grenada is set to launch a coordinated public health and animal welfare initiative this coming September, as St George’s University (SGU) School of Veterinary Medicine partners with two national government agencies to deliver free rabies protection for dogs across the country. Scheduled to take place on Saturday, 26 September 2026, the multi-clinic event is organized to mark World Rabies Day, a global observance focused on raising awareness of rabies prevention and eliminating deaths from the preventable viral disease.

    Dubbed an island-wide outreach effort, the campaign centers on proactive community engagement and preventive veterinary care to reduce local rabies transmission risk. Rabies, a zoonotic disease that spreads from animals to humans, remains a persistent public health concern in many tropical regions, and mass dog vaccination is widely recognized by global health authorities as one of the most cost-effective and impactful strategies to curb the spread of the virus and protect human populations.

    Leading the on-the-ground delivery of services will be trained veterinary faculty and veterinary students from SGU, who will team up with staff from Grenada’s Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Health, alongside local community partner organizations. Together, the collaborative group will administer free rabies vaccinations at pre-designated clinic sites scattered across every parish of Grenada. To maximize accessibility for dog owners across the island, vaccination services will be offered during both morning and afternoon sessions at each location, making it easier for residents with varying work and personal schedules to bring their pets in for protection.

  • Knight Riders complete remarkable turnaround

    Knight Riders complete remarkable turnaround

    In one of the most dramatic resurgences in recent Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) history, the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) have written an extraordinary underdog story, transforming from a winless 2025 campaign to become the first side to lock in a spot in the 2026 tournament’s championship decider. This Thursday at Bridgetown’s iconic Kensington Oval, Dottin’s squad will clash with the Guyana Amazon Warriors for the title, with captain and veteran all-rounder Deandra Dottin crediting a fundamental shift in team mindset for their stunning reversal of form.

    Looking back at the disappointment of 2025, Dottin explained that last year’s squad struggled with overpressure and forced play, a mistake the group has avoided this season. “Last year we were trying to force it a bit too much, but this year we’re just actually letting it come to us,” the skipper said. “We’re sticking to the basics and we’re doing the one percenters right.”

    Beyond tactical adjustments, Dottin highlighted the incredible team cohesion the group has built in a remarkably short timeframe, a chemistry rooted in mutual support and shared enjoyment of the game. “Our plans are actually coming together and I really like how we have gelled in such a short space of time, while supporting each other and enjoying each other’s company,” she added.

    For Dottin and the entire squad, lifting the WCPL trophy this Thursday would carry far more meaning than a standard championship, coming off a full season without a single victory in 2025. “That would be a really good feeling, probably a feeling that you can’t express. Following last year to be the first team to qualify in the playoffs and going straight to the final, I mean like it’s a really good feeling to be honest,” she admitted.

    Even through 2025’s winless slump, Dottin never lost her belief, crediting her faith as a core anchor that kept her outlook positive. She said her confidence grew even further once she saw the 2026 squad assembled, a balanced roster that blends power, experience, and exciting young homegrown talent.

    “After we came together and picked the squad…I mean like we have a really good squad. We have some power hitters, we have some experienced players as well and also the regional and local players that are actually in the squad who are young and are actually playing good cricket as well,” Dottin explained. “After having a couple of training sessions before the start of the tournament, you have that feeling that something good is gonna happen. But, it’s just a matter of cricket being played on the day and sticking to the basics consistently.”

    TKR’s 2026 campaign has already backed up that pre-tournament optimism: they opened their run with a 21-run upset over three-time champions Barbados Tridents, followed by a dominant nine-wicket win over Jamaica Empress Women. Their only defeat so far came at the hands of Thursday’s opponent, the Guyana Amazon Warriors, who defeated TKR by 25 runs on September 12.

    If TKR can reverse that result and claim the title, Dottin says she wants the team’s never-say-die attitude to be their lasting legacy for fans. “I mean there are other teams that would have actually probably given up, but we as TKR women’s team, we just always try to push. It’s a never say never situation where we always have a chance, we always have an opportunity, by the grace of God and the help and strength that he’s given us to play in this tournament,” the captain said.

  • Milieu- en gezondheidstesten voortaan in Suriname uitgevoerd

    Milieu- en gezondheidstesten voortaan in Suriname uitgevoerd

    In the wake of a high-profile pollution incident that exposed critical gaps in Suriname’s domestic testing infrastructure, the South American nation’s government has announced an ambitious plan to expand national laboratory capacity, aiming to conduct nearly all required environmental and public health tests within the country by the end of 2027. The catalyst for this policy push came after the contamination of the Saramacca River, when officials were forced to send key analytical samples overseas for testing because no domestic facility could complete the work – a delay that underscored the urgent need for local capability building.

    On Wednesday, Suriname’s President Jennifer Simons convened a meeting with leaders from the country’s leading research and testing institutions to map current capabilities and identify unmet needs. Attendees included representatives from the Central Laboratory of the Public Health Bureau (BOG), the Veterinary Laboratory, the Fish Inspection Institute (VKI), the Medical Scientific Institute (MWI), and the Anton de Kom University of Suriname (AdeKUS), each presenting details of their existing analytical workflows and testing limits.

    “Our goal is to be able to carry out every test required to guarantee the safety of our people here at home, whether that means analyzing water samples, testing fish for contaminants, or conducting health screenings for exposed communities,” Simons stated during the gathering held at the President’s Cabinet.

    According to Patrick Brunings, Minister of Oil, Gas and Environment, the government first will conduct a nationwide inventory of existing equipment, technical expertise, and expansion opportunities across all domestic laboratories. This baseline assessment will clarify which tests currently require international support, and what investments are needed to bring those capabilities to Suriname. Priority areas for expansion include testing for cyanide and mercury contamination in water, animal tissue, and other environmental samples, as well as routine analysis of national air quality. A key focus of air quality testing will be measuring mercury vapor exposure for workers and communities near gold purchasing operations, a common point of risk in Suriname’s active mining sector.

    Simons projected that significant expansion of national capacity will be completed as early as 2026, with full deployment of all required testing capabilities targeted for the end of 2027. Beyond strengthening laboratory infrastructure, the government’s broader response to environmental and mining challenges includes a new nationwide survey of gold mining operations led by the National Environment Authority (NMA), designed to create a comprehensive baseline for regulating the sector and mitigating its environmental impacts.

  • CBH Warns Used Oil Dumping Can Lead to EC$5,000 Fine

    CBH Warns Used Oil Dumping Can Lead to EC$5,000 Fine

    Antigua’s Central Board of Health (CBH) has issued a critical public advisory urging local residents to stop pouring used cooking and automotive oil down household and municipal drains, highlighting a cascade of environmental, infrastructural and public health risks tied to this illegal disposal practice. The agency explains that used oil does not break down easily in drainage networks, and instead coats pipe walls, accumulates over time, and creates stubborn, persistent blockages that restrict the free flow of stormwater. During periods of intense or prolonged rainfall, these blocked drains cannot carry excess water away from populated areas quickly enough, significantly elevating the risk of dangerous and destructive flash flooding across residential and commercial communities. Beyond infrastructure damage and flood risks, improper oil disposal creates secondary public health hazards that impact both residents and local business owners. Discarded oil that lingers in drainage systems acts as a powerful attractant for pest populations including rats and cockroaches, which can spread disease, contaminate food supplies, and create unsanitary living and working conditions. Even more concerning for the island’s ecosystem is the long-term environmental damage caused by oil that makes its way through drains and out into surrounding coastal and marine waters. Once introduced to oceans, bays and nearshore habitats, oil disrupts the marine food chain, contaminates the living spaces of wild fish, coral and other aquatic organisms, and threatens the long-term survival of vulnerable marine populations native to the region. To mitigate these risks, CBH is calling on all residents to adopt safe disposal habits: store any used oil in firmly sealed, leak-proof containers that can be transported to authorized waste collection facilities for proper processing. The agency also reminded the public that illegal dumping of used oil through drains or other unapproved channels carries legal penalties, including a maximum fine of 5,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars. In closing, CBH encouraged collective action across the island, urging every resident to take simple, responsible steps to keep Antigua’s communities, public streets and natural waterways clean, safe and ecologically healthy for current and future generations.

  • Spicemas 2026: 20% increase in visitor arrivals

    Spicemas 2026: 20% increase in visitor arrivals

    The Caribbean island nation of Grenada is celebrating a landmark year for its signature cultural festival, Spicemas, after official tourism data revealed a 20% year-over-year jump in total visitor arrivals during the 2026 10-day event. Held from August 2 to 11 this year, the annual celebration drew 11,299 total visitors to the island, up from 9,448 recorded over the same window in 2025. The growth is even more pronounced when compared to 2024’s 10-day arrival count of 7,970, marking two consecutive years of sustained expansion for the festival.

    Non-national tourist arrivals led the upward trend, climbing 24% from 8,040 in 2025 to 9,958 in 2026. This sharp increase confirms Spicemas’s growing reputation as a bucket-list cultural tourism destination for international travelers across the Caribbean region and beyond.

    Adrian Thomas, Grenada’s Minister for Tourism, Creative Economy and Culture, emphasized that the rising visitor numbers reflect Spicemas’s dual role as a beloved national tradition and a key economic engine for the country. “Culture has always been one of Grenada’s greatest assets, and Spicemas continues to prove its power as a core pillar of our national tourism development,” Thomas said. “This growth in arrivals speaks directly to the unique appeal of our people, our creativity, our vibrant music, and the authentic experiences that both international visitors and returning Grenadian nationals seek out when they travel to our shores. We remain fully committed to investing in product development, preserving our irreplaceable cultural heritage, and strengthening events that create tangible economic opportunities for local communities and deliver widespread benefits across the entire country.”

    Randall Dolland, Chairman of the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA), noted that the strong 2026 numbers validate the GTA’s intentional strategy to position Spicemas as a flagship experience on Grenada’s annual destination calendar. “These results are incredibly encouraging: they prove that Spicemas is resonating with audiences far beyond our borders, and that Grenada is successfully turning our unique cultural strength into measurable, long-term tourism value,” Dolland explained. The GTA has backed this positioning with targeted investments in global public relations, expanded digital visibility for the festival, deepened engagement with the international travel trade, and collaborative partnerships with cross-sector stakeholders that help bring the annual celebration to life. “Our focus now is to build on this momentum, refine the overall visitor experience, and ensure that Spicemas grows in a way that delivers lasting benefits to all three of Grenada’s main islands: Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique,” he added.

    The 2026 visitor surge translated directly into widespread activity across Grenada’s tourism ecosystem. Local accommodations, transportation providers, restaurants, entertainment venues, tour operators, street vendors, and other tourism-linked businesses all reported strong demand during the festival period, underscoring the event’s far-reaching positive economic impact across the island.

    Kirt Ross, Chairman of the Spicemas Corporation, which organizes the annual event, credited this year’s success to the coordinated effort of hundreds of contributors across the island. “Spicemas 2026 showcased the incredible strength of Grenada’s festival product, and the level of collective work it takes to deliver an experience of this scale and quality,” Ross said. “Every year, our goal is to build on the foundation laid by the previous season: we work to strengthen core events, improve the experience for all attendees, and collaborate closely with our public and private partners to keep Spicemas positioned as one of the Caribbean’s most distinct cultural celebrations. This year’s outstanding results are a direct testament to the coordination, creativity, and unwavering commitment of everyone who helped put this celebration together.”

    In a post-festival statement, the GTA extended formal appreciation to every group and individual that contributed to 2026’s success, including the Spicemas Corporation, the Royal Grenada Police Force, all tourism industry stakeholders, cultural practitioners, event organizers, media personnel, local service providers, visiting guests, returning nationals, and the wider people of Grenada. Moving forward, the GTA will continue partnering with public and private sector allies to drive sustainable, inclusive visitor growth that benefits both the tourism sector and local communities across the nation.