Carib Scope

标签： Saint Lucia

圣卢西亚

  • Agriculture Minister reacts as egg shortage hits Saint Lucia

    Agriculture Minister reacts as egg shortage hits Saint Lucia

    A persistent egg shortage that has left supermarket shelves across Saint Lucia empty for more than a month has spurred the country’s top agriculture official to call for stronger alignment and communication between the Ministry of Agriculture and local poultry producers. Speaking to reporters outside the country’s parliament on Tuesday, August 11, Agriculture Minister Lisa Jawahir publicly acknowledged the ongoing supply crunch, confirming that the ministry only reached out to egg producers after the shortage began to escalate. By the time government officials initiated contact, a number of farmers had already completed their scheduled flock replacement, a routine operational step that triggered an unexpected drop in domestic egg output that continues to impact consumers.

    In the wake of the disruption, Jawahir emphasized that the current crisis highlights a critical gap in collaboration that must be addressed as Saint Lucia pursues its long-term goal of expanding domestic food production and achieving national food self-sufficiency. When asked what policy and procedural changes would prevent similar shortages from occurring in the future, the minister pointed to consistent, open dialogue between producers and government stakeholders as the foundational solution. “We have to build closer, more transparent working relationships between the farming community and the ministry,” she noted, framing improved coordination as central to advancing the country’s food sector expansion agenda.

    Jawahir also made clear that the government of Saint Lucia has no intention of entering commercial egg production or investing directly in state-run hatcheries, noting that a robust community of large-scale private farmers already operates in the sector. Instead, she reaffirmed that the government’s core role is to create supportive policy frameworks for the agricultural industry and provide targeted assistance to producers when challenges arise.

    One key policy priority the ministry will move forward with in response to the shortage is expanding farmer registration, Jawahir revealed. Currently, a large share of the country’s egg producers are not formally registered with the Ministry of Agriculture, a gap that leaves the government unable to quickly coordinate support during supply disruptions or connect unregistered producers with existing sector incentives. The minister encouraged both active and aspiring poultry farmers to engage with the ministry’s extension officers and technical staff, who can guide producers through the registration process.

    Formal registration unlocks tangible benefits for farmers, Jawahir explained, including access to government subsidies, tax concessions, and other agricultural incentives that are only available to formally registered producers. The minister also clarified that there is no current government policy restricting farmers from selling eggs directly to supermarkets or other private distributors, noting that commercial agreements, quality standards, and inspection requirements are negotiated directly between producers and retailers. Registration becomes particularly critical during large-scale industry disruptions, she stressed, as government support will only be extended to producers that are formally documented with the ministry in the event of a widespread crisis.

  • Saint Lucia, Kalinago split tapeball openers

    Saint Lucia, Kalinago split tapeball openers

    A longstanding tradition of cross-border friendly sports rivalry has entered its latest chapter, as the 2026 tapeball cricket series between visiting teams from Saint Lucia and the host Kalinago Territory of Dominica kicked off this week at the Kalinago Playing Field. The opening round of matches ended in an even split, with each side claiming one win: Saint Lucia’s veteran squad took the opening fixture, while the Kalinago national team secured a narrow seven-run victory in the day’s senior contest.

    In the opening veterans’ match, the Kalinago side won the toss and chose to bat first, posting a competitive total of 159 runs for the loss of 9 wickets across the allocated 15 overs. Top-order batters Haynes Viville and Raymond Casimir anchored the host innings, contributing 44 and 36 runs respectively to build the challenging target. Saint Lucia’s bowling attack responded with a disciplined performance, led by Glen Eurysthee and Fendley Estephane, who each claimed three wickets to restrict Kalinago’s final score.

    Chasing 160 runs for victory, Saint Lucia lost just three wickets before crossing the finish line in the 19.5th over. All-rounder Sean Auguste delivered a standout performance, scoring 62 runs and taking one wicket to earn player-of-the-match honors, with valuable supporting contributions from Julius Simon, who added an unbeaten 56 runs to the winning total.

    Momentum shifted firmly in the hosts’ favor in the 10-over national team match that followed. Batting first, the Kalinago national side put up 120 runs for 5 wickets, with four batters reaching double figures: Jason Paris, Riyel Paris, Daren Toussaint, and player-of-the-match Neo Davis all made key contributions to the host total.

    Saint Lucia got off to a blistering start in their chase, reaching 42 runs without losing a wicket in just two opening overs, with opening batter Orey Changoo quickly notching 41 runs. However, the game turned dramatically from the third over onward, as Kalinago bowlers Fred Paris and Kevin Paris took charge, each claiming three wickets to break Saint Lucia’s opening partnership and trigger a steady collapse of the visitor’s batting order. Saint Lucia was bowled out for 113 runs in the 9.3rd over, giving Kalinago a tight seven-run win to level the series.

    The annual home-and-away tapeball series between the two sides is now a well-established regional tradition, with reciprocal tours stretching back multiple years. In 2025, it was Dominica’s turn to travel across the eastern Caribbean to compete in Saint Lucia, with the 2026 tour marking the latest installment of the friendly cross-community rivalry.

  • Telling our stories in our own voices: ‘Tiwé Listwa’ comes to life

    Telling our stories in our own voices: ‘Tiwé Listwa’ comes to life

    More than two and a half years of intentional community building and narrative reclamation has culminated in the launch of a landmark literary collection that centers underrepresented local voices from the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia.

    Titled *Tiwé Listwa: Emerging Voices from Saint Lucia*, the new anthology brings together short fiction, poetry, and personal essays from 12 up-and-coming Saint Lucian writers, and made its public debut on August 8 at the Finance Administrative Centre. The launch was intentionally scheduled as a core feature of the island’s annual Emancipation celebrations, aligning with the project’s core mission of centering local historical narratives.

    The idea that grew into this published collection traces back to early 2024, when Amanie Mathurin—founder and creative director of the Listwa Collective, as well as the anthology’s lead editor—found herself fixated on a deceptively simple question: what would unfold if emerging Saint Lucian creators were given dedicated space, mentorship, and community to nurture their craft and claim their unique narrative voices?

    That question bloomed into the organization of the inaugural three-day Tiwé Listwa Writing Retreat, held in October 2025 on the grounds of a former 19th-century slave plantation. Unlike generic writing workshops that focus solely on technical skill building, the retreat was designed to push participants to engage deeply with Saint Lucia’s layered history, distinct cultural identity, and unwritten local stories, encouraging creators to frame these narratives from their own lived perspectives rather than external interpretations.

    “At the heart of this idea was a desire to help them see writing as more than storytelling and imagination,” Mathurin explained. “I wanted them to appreciate writing as an exercise in courage and a tool of narrative justice. A means of confronting the past, making sense of the present, and imagining new possibilities for the future.”

    Over the retreat weekend, participating writers attended workshops covering everything from story structure and publishing navigation to cultural identity, oral folklore, and historical research. Activities included hands-on traditional oral storytelling sessions, deep dives into personal family lineage, and guided tours of the former plantation grounds, where participants processed the site’s complex history. Renowned Jamaican poet and author Kei Miller also joined the retreat to share his decades of experience and industry insight with the emerging creators.

    The resulting anthology features work from a diverse cohort of new writers: Tia Christopher, Monique Auguste, Petana Emilaire, Lyndell Halliday, Kerwin Eloise, Hayzan Louis, Kristina Daniel, Amanda Faye Clarke, Amanie Mathurin, Tresha Lionel, Danielle Ayla Du Bois, and Christa St Ange. Their contributions span a wide range of themes, from retellings of local folklore and explorations of colonial history to intimate personal reflections on family, community, and modern Saint Lucian identity. Mathurin notes the finished collection balances deep affection for the island with thoughtful reflection on its ongoing social and cultural challenges.

    “*Tiwé Listwa: Emerging Voices from Saint Lucia* is many things. It is at once a love letter to our homeland and an expression of quiet concern; a plea to be heard and a call to care,” Mathurin said.

    For the contributing authors, the journey from retreat brainstorm to published book has been a transformative, almost surreal experience. Christa St Ange, one of the featured writers, described the project as a one-of-a-kind opportunity for local creators.

    “It is a carefully crafted Saint Lucian writing space and experience like no other,” St Ange said. “I was able to pick at and probe so many thoughts that were triggered during our writing retreat. The outcome: A love letter to Saint Lucia posing as this impressive anthology of exceptional written works. I am immensely proud to be one of those featured.”

    Fellow contributor Hayzan Louis echoed that sentiment, noting the full emotional weight of the experience was impossible to anticipate before taking part. “Living this experience, from the retreat to the launch, honestly felt like a dream. I could have never imagined the range of emotions I would feel … from being part of such an enlightening retreat surrounded by so many inspirational people, to creating a piece of my own that could hopefully inspire others.”

    The launch event itself held a special surprise for the participating authors: none had seen the final printed volume or its cover art before the official unveiling. The original cover artwork, created by artist Jonathan Gladding, was revealed to the creators and audience for the first time that evening. Ten of the 12 contributors read excerpts from their work during the event, which also featured cultural performances from violinist Michael Fletcher, vocalist Shan Lucien, and the Youth In Arts masqueraders. The Cultural Development Foundation provided funding to support the launch event.

  • Saint Lucia women to defend volleyball title after tense wait

    Saint Lucia women to defend volleyball title after tense wait

    The 2026 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Championships are set to kick off this week at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex in Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, and for Saint Lucia’s national squads, the road to the tournament has been anything but smooth. The nation’s defending women’s champion team will step onto the court this week after weeks of uncertainty that almost kept both the women’s and men’s teams out of the competition entirely.

    Sources with direct knowledge of the Saint Lucia Volleyball Association (SLVA) confirmed to local media that up until the start of this week, program leaders for both national squads had no guarantee they would compete. Severe funding gaps left the association scrambling to cover travel costs, putting both teams at high risk of a last-minute withdrawal. In a dramatic turnaround over the 72 hours leading into the tournament, the SLVA successfully secured the full amount of funding needed to book a charter flight for both squads, clearing the final barrier to participation.

    For the defending champion women’s squad, the team brings a core of experienced veteran talent from their 2025 title-winning run. Seven players from the 2025 Final Four championship roster are returning to compete, including a host of award-winning standouts who dominated individual honors at the last tournament. Team captain Cindy Wilson, a decorated playmaker, previously earned the tournament’s Best Setter award. At the 2025 event, Tenayestigni Joseph took home two individual honors: Best Digger and Best Libero, while Amalia Louis claimed awards for Best Outside Hitter and Best Receiver. The other returning veterans include Nevaeh Wilson, Denila Prospere, Clio Phillip and Chenoa Evans.

    Head coach Kendall Charlery and team manager Khrisann Eugene have built out a 10-player roster for this year’s tournament, with three new talents joining the core group: Jemima Evans, Nyoka Nugent and Yosherbel Emmanuel. Notably absent from this year’s squad is star opposite player Lisa Casimie, who was the Most Valuable Player of the 2025 Final Four, and also took home awards for Best Opposite and Best Scorer at that event.

    Saint Lucia’s women’s program is one of the most successful in the history of the ECVA senior women’s division, with six overall championship titles to their name. Recent victories include titles in 2022, 2024, and the 2025 Final Four tournament held last September. The team also carries momentum from a recent gold medal win at the Windward Islands Schools Games just one month ago.

    Alongside the women’s squad, Saint Lucia’s men’s national team will also compete in this week’s ECVA Championships, joining the action at the Tortola venue. The men’s program enters the tournament with strong recent form: they claimed bronze at the last full-format ECVA competition and took home a silver medal at the 2025 Final Four tournament.

  • A well-deserved ‘anko’ for a calypso king

    A well-deserved ‘anko’ for a calypso king

    On a reflective Sunday at Castries City Hall, hundreds of loved ones, colleagues and cultural stakeholders came together to celebrate the extraordinary life and legacy of Pancruce McGriffin Theodore, the iconic Saint Lucian calypso artist universally known by his stage name “The Mighty Terra”. The celebration of life, dubbed an “Anko” event, was jointly organized by the Carnival Music Management Committee (CMMC) and the Folk Research Centre (FRC), drawing members of the island’s tight-knit calypso and cultural community from across the region.

    The eight-time national calypso crown holder – a record that includes seven consecutive championship wins – passed away on July 19 at the age of 86, leaving behind a decades-long imprint on Caribbean cultural life. Terra launched his historic reign at the top of Saint Lucian calypso in 1957, when he claimed his first title with the beloved track “Rock and Roll Calypso”. He would go on to dominate the local calypso scene for generations, penning enduring fan favorites including “Ban the Advocate” and “Wabeen Government”, with his final public performance taking place at the same Castries venue in 1996 with the powerful track “War”.

    Born and raised in Vieux Fort, Terra broke barriers from his earliest days in the industry. As a student at Saint Mary’s College, he defied strict school policies that discouraged student participation in calypso performance, challenging outdated stereotypes about the art form and paving the way for young Saint Lucian artists to pursue their creative passions openly. Beyond his recording and performance career, Terra made his mark far beyond the stage: he was an active leader with the Saint Lucia Arts Guild, contributed extensive public service to his home island, and built a second life as a community leader in Canada, where he studied, worked and lived for many years.

    Claude Paul, a representative of the CMMC, framed Terra as one of the foundational trailblazers that pushed Saint Lucian calypso into the respected global cultural force it is today. “He was truly a trailblazer with respect to Calypso and music, and I also learnt he was a member of the Arts Guild,” Paul shared during Sunday’s tribute. “I am very happy to learn that Terra was part of that movement as well, making Saint Lucia part of the cultural capital of the Caribbean.” Paul noted that the Arts Guild, which elevated early works from the iconic Walcott brothers and other pioneering Saint Lucian creators, was a core driver of the island’s mid-20th century cultural renaissance – a movement that benefited greatly from Terra’s participation and leadership.

    The event featured tributes from calypso tent leaders across the island, including Sean Marcelin of Fire One Tent, Mervin Wilkinson of South Tent and Kennedy “Boots” Samuel. TC Brown from the Kaiso Pros Tent honored Terra’s legacy with a special performance of his track “Where are they now?”, which explicitly references the late artist. Additional musical tributes came from performers Blaze, Haggai and Lord Jackson, accompanied by musician Martin James. Former FRC director Hilary Laforce shared personal recollections of Terra’s career, recalling the artist’s 1996 final performance and participating in the traditional Saint Lucian wake custom of sharing lighthearted “quick, quack” jokes in Kweyol. Sunday’s gathering was chaired by Calixte George Junior, Terra’s nephew, and opened with a formal blessing from Monsignor Patrick Anthony.

    While the day was filled with celebration and remembrance, one prominent calypso leader raised a urgent call to action to preserve Terra’s legacy for future generations. Cecil Charles, leader of the Take Over Tent, voiced concern over the critical lack of surviving audio recordings and formal documentation of Terra’s vast body of work. Holding up the only existing published resource connected to the artist – a book released by the FRC – Charles emphasized that preserving the pioneer’s cultural contribution must be a top priority for all calypso advocacy and preservation groups.

    The legendary calypsonian is set to be formally laid to rest on Tuesday, August 11, at the Lady of Our Rosary of Fatima Church in La Clery, bringing a close to a life that forever reshaped Saint Lucian and Caribbean culture.

  • Man dies after alleged bottle attack in Anse Ger, Micoud

    Man dies after alleged bottle attack in Anse Ger, Micoud

    A deadly violent incident has shaken the quiet community of Anse Ger in Micoud, Saint Lucia, following a Saturday homicide that left a 28-year-old local man dead, according to an official statement released by the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) this Monday.

    The tragedy unfolded when personnel from the Micoud District Police Station received an urgent report alerting them to a suspected homicide in the Anse Ger area. Upon arriving at the scene, responding officers discovered the body of Nick Daniel, a resident of nearby La Courville, Micoud, inside an unused concrete structure. An initial examination confirmed Daniel had sustained visible traumatic injuries across his face and body, consistent with the report of foul play.

    As investigators work to unpack the circumstances of the killing, law enforcement officials confirmed they have taken one person into custody who is currently cooperating with ongoing questioning. Sources close to the investigation, speaking to local outlet St. Lucia Times on background, have revealed that the detainee has a documented history of untreated mental health challenges.

    The source added that Micoud law enforcement had been called to intervene with the suspect on multiple prior occasions, following repeated public reports of threatening behavior and violent outbursts toward community members. Despite these repeated interventions, the suspect was routinely taken to a local mental wellness center for short-term care before being released back into the community after just a few days, a pattern that has left local residents questioning gaps in regional mental health support systems.

    Witness accounts have begun to piece together the moments leading up to the killing, outlining that on the morning of the incident, the suspect was engaged in a heated argument with a close family member. Daniel, who was not directly involved in the dispute, intervened in an attempt to de-escalate the conflict. In the outburst of violence that followed, the suspect struck Daniel multiple times in the head with a glass bottle, causing him to collapse at the scene.

    As the investigation moves forward, the RSLPF is issuing a public appeal for any community members with additional details about the incident, no matter how small, to come forward to assist investigators. Tips can be submitted directly to the Micoud Police Station via phone at 456-3670. For those who wish to remain anonymous, information can also be shared through the national Crime Hotline at 555, or via the official RSLPF Crime Hotline mobile application available for download on the Google Play Store.

  • She almost lost everything; now her beauty brand is thriving

    She almost lost everything; now her beauty brand is thriving

    On a bustling Saturday afternoon at Knots Box Beauty’s Rodney Bay location, the hum of constant foot traffic fills the air. At the sales counter, a first-time customer and a brand representative chat easily, like long-time friends, as they browse through the store’s collection of beauty products. This warm, welcoming atmosphere is no accident – it is the foundational value that turned a small side hustle into one of St. Lucia’s most successful locally owned beauty retailers.

    When reporters from St. Lucia Times visited the northern St. Lucia branch to sit down with founder Natalie Girard, what emerged was a story of resilience, intentionality, and actionable lessons for emerging entrepreneurs across the Caribbean. Six years after Girard launched the brand from a loan from her sister, Knots Box Beauty has grown far beyond its early roots selling virgin hair extensions. Today, it boasts two brick-and-mortar branches, distribution across 17 local retail locations, an in-house line of hair care products, and a full menu of on-site beauty services from lash extensions to styling – all while staying rooted in the core principle that shaped its survival from day one: putting people first.

    Girard’s entrepreneurial journey began with a childhood passion, rooted in frustration: as a young girl with 4C hair, her mother struggled to find products and styling that fit her needs, sparking a lifelong fascination with hair care that would eventually turn into a career. For three years before launching her own brand, she sold hair extensions independently while working as a sales representative at her sister’s business, Fashion Bloc. By 2020, she felt ready to branch out on her own. Her sister loaned her the startup capital to purchase her first bulk order of hair – a investment that would become her first, and most formative, business lesson.

    Almost immediately after purchasing the batch, Girard discovered she had skipped critical supplier research, and the entire order was low quality. It would have been enough to sink a new business, but Girard’s commitment to transparency and customer connection changed the outcome. She reached out proactively to every client who had purchased hair from the first batch, checked in about their experiences, and owned the product’s shortcomings. While most clients agreed the hair quality was poor, many told her they appreciated her responsiveness, openness, and warm personality – and promised to return once she fixed the issue. That early near-disaster taught Girard that exceptional customer service is not an add-on to a successful business, it is a core asset that can keep a brand afloat when everything else goes wrong.

    That first setback was far from the last challenge Girard would face. Building the brand, she says, has been an emotional and financial roller coaster, marked by far more lows than highs in the early years. As a young new business owner, she lacked formal financial education, and a series of missteps left her back where she started, with no capital to grow. To regroup, she took a second job at an insurance company for just over a year, saving every penny to fund new product testing and eventually secure a larger business loan. Throughout this period, she chose to stay focused on her long-term goal, tune out negative energy, and work quietly to refine her operations and find the right suppliers.

    For Girard, sustained growth has depended just as much on agility and trend awareness as it has on customer service. With social media shaping modern consumer demands more than ever, Knots Box Beauty prioritizes tracking emerging beauty trends to make sure the products customers are asking for are always on shelves, either as direct offerings or comparable alternatives that fit client needs.

    Over time, this customer-centric approach led to natural expansion: what started as a hair extension business grew to offer skincare, dental care, intimate care, and makeup products. After three years of testing and refining formulas, the brand launched its own signature line of hair care products – designed to work for both natural hair and virgin hair extensions, and gentle enough for young people to use. Even when loved ones urged her to launch the line earlier, saying it was already good enough, Girard refused to settle. “Good enough is not good enough for me,” she says of the process, a choice she has never regretted.

    Today, Knots Box Beauty has two St. Lucia locations: one in J.Q. Rodney Bay Mall and a second on Coral Street in Castries. Its products are carried by 13 Massy Stores locations, Glass Supermarket, and CPJ, with more retail partnerships on the horizon. Girard already has her next goal in sight: launching an in-house skincare line to add to the brand’s growing offerings.

    Even as the business scales, Girard says she has not strayed from the values that kept her afloat in the early days. The brand still prioritizes empathy and centers customer feedback in every decision, never losing sight of how critical local support has been to its success. “We really do care about our customers’ experience,” she explains. “We’re very grateful for every person who chooses to purchase our products and support our locally grown brand.”

  • Pierre rejects SSDF claims, says UWP completed zero audits

    Pierre rejects SSDF claims, says UWP completed zero audits

    A political controversy over missing audited financial statements at the Saint Lucia Social Development Fund (SSDF) has intensified, as Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has pushed back against opposition criticism by placing responsibility for the backlog squarely on the former United Workers Party (UWP) administration.

    Addressing reporters at Monday’s pre-cabinet press briefing, Pierre rejected accusations that his Saint Lucia Labour Party government has failed to complete any audits since returning to power in 2021, labeling the claim as a deliberate and high-level falsehood. He clarified that the only completed audits for the SSDF in recent years—covering the 2016/17 and 2017/18 fiscal periods—were only finalized in March 2023, nearly two full years after his administration took office. This timeline, Pierre emphasized, confirms that no audits of the SSDF were completed during the UWP’s 2016 to 2021 tenure.

    “All during the tenure of the present leader of the opposition as Minister of Finance, he has not prepared one set of financial statements for the SSDF,” Pierre told the briefing, referring to opposition leader Allen Chastanet.

    Pierre explained that after taking office, the current SSDF board prioritized clearing the backlog of outstanding financial reporting, but encountered significant barriers when key supporting documentation for the years under the previous administration could not be located. The absence of these critical records made it impossible to produce fully verified, unqualified statements for the backlogged period, leading the board and independent auditors to proceed with qualified financial statements instead. For context, a qualified audit indicates that auditors encountered gaps or issues that prevented them from giving a full, clean sign-off on the organization’s financial records.

    Moving forward, Pierre said the SSDF’s priority is to close out the backlogged years and work toward delivering unqualified, or clean, audits for all recent fiscal periods. A clean audit confirms that auditors have found no significant issues, and that financial statements fairly represent the organization’s financial position. Under the current plan, Pierre noted, the SSDF board aims to complete this full cleanup process by the end of 2026.

    The Prime Minister’s comments came in direct response to public criticism from Chastanet, who raised concerns about the SSDF’s financial reporting in communications sent outside of Saint Lucia. According to Pierre, Chastanet sent letters detailing his claims to foreign embassies, international development partners, and key regional entities including the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Pierre argued that this move risks undermining Saint Lucia’s international reputation and damaging the country’s long-standing collaborative relationships with global funding partners.

    “The entire world has been told that my government failed to prepare the financial statements,” Pierre said. “Here you have a gentleman who was leader of a country writing a falsity when he himself, who was Minister of Finance for five years, never prepared financial statements.”

    Pierre also took care to draw a clear distinction between the backlog of audited annual financial statements and the SSDF’s ongoing reporting to its funding partners. He confirmed that annual reports for the Basic Needs Trust Fund, one of the SSDF’s key programs, have been submitted to the CDB on schedule every year. All donors, including Taiwan, have also received detailed breakdowns showing how their contributions to the SSDF have been allocated and used, he added. “Anyone who has contributed to SSDF has got a report on how the money was used,” Pierre stated.

    The Prime Minister urged the public to approach discussions about the SSDF with care, highlighting the organization’s critical work supporting vulnerable communities across Saint Lucia, advancing poverty reduction initiatives, and delivering opportunities for young people. “I know what the SSDF means to the people of this country,” he said, describing the fund as “a very important organisation.”

    Pierre also confirmed that shortly after taking office in 2021, he commissioned an independent special investigation into the SSDF’s operations, but has chosen not to release the resulting report to the public. He explained that the decision was made out of concern that public disclosure could harm the organization’s reputation and its ability to secure critical donor funding going forward. Even so, Pierre noted that the SSDF maintains a continuous process of internal review and is implementing procedural improvements to strengthen its financial management and reporting practices.

  • Casimir touts sports record following World, CAC gains

    Casimir touts sports record following World, CAC gains

    Against the backdrop of a string of standout performances by Saint Lucian athletes at top-tier international competitions, the island nation’s Minister for Youth Development and Sports Kenson Casimir has publicly credited the current Pierre administration for building a supportive ecosystem that has driven this wave of sporting success.

    Speaking to journalists during the pre-Cabinet press briefing held on Monday, Casimir — who traveled to Santo Domingo to attend the recent Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games — drew a direct line between the government’s policy investments and the tangible results achieved by local competitors on the global stage.

    The recent run of results speaks for itself: Saint Lucia’s national netball squad claimed a bronze medal at the CAC Games, sailor Luc Chevrier secured a silver medal in his event, and rising sprinter Jady Emmanuel turned heads at the Under-20 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Emmanuel not only finished 8th in the competition but also set a new national record of 11.28 seconds in the 100-meter event, marking a new milestone for the country’s track and field program.

    Outlining the breadth of the administration’s achievements over its current term, Casimir told reporters that under this government, Saint Lucia has won medals at nearly every major global multi-sport event, with just one exception. “We can see that we have an Olympic medal too. We can see that we have CAC medals. We can see the Pan-American, Commonwealth; we have done well at every global event. I don’t think any government could boast of that level of achievement in sport in a five-year period except one,” he said.

    Despite celebrating this unprecedented winning streak, the minister stopped short of declaring the national sports sector fully developed, acknowledging that meaningful work remains to elevate competitive standards across all sports — particularly men’s and women’s football.

    “The only sport that we’ve not dominated on a global level as yet is football,” Casimir acknowledged. But he expressed cautious confidence in the long-term trajectory of the sport, noting that the current government has already committed more public and private investment to football development than any preceding administration in the country’s history. “But we will get there. You know we are putting in the work. This government has certainly invested in football more than any government has in our history, and we’re certainly expecting very soon to reap those rewards,” he added.

  • Saint Lucian surfers target World Juniors in September

    Saint Lucian surfers target World Juniors in September

    After a year of targeted preparation and growth following their 2024 championship debut, the small Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia is set to make its second appearance on one of surfing’s most prestigious global stages next month. The Saint Lucia Surfing Association (SLSA) has officially announced its three-person roster that will compete at the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Junior Championship, hosted this year at the iconic Surf City surf breaks of El Salvador.

    Running from September 4 to 13, the 2025 championship will bring together more than 400 of the world’s top young surfers, all aged 17 and under, representing over 50 nations across the globe. Athletes will test their skills across two distinct venues: La Bocana and El Sunzal, two of El Salvador’s most renowned surf spots that regularly host elite international surfing competitions. Competitors will travel from surfing powerhouses including Australia and South Africa, as well as fellow Caribbean nations, to contest age-group titles.

    The Saint Lucian delegation is built around a tight-knit core of young talent. Sebastian Rambally-Ambler will captain the squad, competing in the Under-18 division. His brother Daniel Rambally-Ambler will pull double duty, entering both the Under-16 and Under-18 categories, while William Verity rounds out the roster as the third competitor in the Under-18 division.

    This year’s tournament marks only the second time Saint Lucia has fielded a team at the global junior surfing championship. The nation made its debut at the 2024 event held in Peru, where Sebastian and Daniel Rambally-Ambler competed but were eliminated following the preliminary round. Rather than stepping back from the challenge, the SLSA doubled down on investment in its young athletes, launching an intensive development program to help the team raise their competitive level ahead of the 2025 event.

    Beyond consistent training at their home surf breaks, the team has traveled across the Americas to train at some of the hemisphere’s top surfing destinations to gain experience in varying conditions. They have logged training sessions at Oz Surf School in Jacó, Costa Rica, at Peru’s famed Tubos break in Lima, and at the legendary Trestles complex in Southern California. Under new head coach Brett Prinz, the program has expanded beyond in-water practice to add structured physical conditioning, in-depth video performance analysis, and focused skill-specific training to refine the athletes’ competitive edge.

    For the Saint Lucian surfing community, the team’s journey to El Salvador carries far more meaning than just a shot at a medal. Shaid Rambally, president of the SLSA and the team’s manager for the championship, framed the participation as a milestone for the growth of the sport on the island. “This journey represents more than competition; it is a celebration of perseverance, teamwork and the continued growth of surfing in Saint Lucia,” he said.

    Rambally added that the association is deeply proud of the young team that will carry the nation’s flag into the competition against the world’s best junior surfers. “We are incredibly proud of our national team and wish them the very best as they compete against the world’s top junior surfers while flying the Saint Lucian flag with pride,” he said. “Thank you to our coaches, families, sponsors, supporters and the entire surfing community for helping make this journey possible. Together, we continue to build the future of surfing in Saint Lucia.”

    The team’s motto, “Small Island. Big Dreams. One Team.” sums up the nation’s approach to its second appearance on the global junior surfing stage, reflecting the ambition of a small community working to build a lasting legacy in the sport.