Carib Scope

标签： Saint Lucia

圣卢西亚

  • Saint Lucia gets access to support for resilient infrastructure

    Saint Lucia gets access to support for resilient infrastructure

    Four Eastern Caribbean nations, including Saint Lucia, are now the first beneficiaries of a newly launched regional initiative that delivers specialized technical support to help governments cut through implementation bottlenecks and complete climate-resilient infrastructure projects.

    The Caribbean Resilient Infrastructure Implementation and Skills Exchange (RIISE) Facility, which began operations following its official launch on September 14 during a side event at the Caribbean Infrastructure Forum in Miami, targets the persistent delays that often derail critical infrastructure projects across the region. Joining Saint Lucia as initial participating countries are Dominica, Grenada, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

    For Saint Lucia, eligible projects span a wide range of climate-critical sectors, from water access, sanitation, and coastal protection to transportation, renewable energy, public buildings, disaster recovery, healthcare, education, and affordable housing. The support RIISE offers covers nearly every stage of project delivery, including project management, procurement and contract administration, engineering and technical reviews, and financial oversight. It also brings specialized expertise in climate resilience planning, environmental and social risk mitigation, gender equality and social inclusion, cross-stakeholder engagement, public communications, progress monitoring and reporting, and proactive risk management.

    Participating governments have two flexible pathways to access support: short-term targeted technical advice to resolve specific, immediate challenges, or temporary on-site deployment of specialists to boost the capacity of local project teams. Ministries and public institutions in the four member countries can submit assistance requests through their appointed National Focal Points via an online portal, where they are required to outline project details, the specific implementation challenge they face, and the desired outcome. After submission, the RIISE Secretariat evaluates each request and collaborates with the requesting institution to define the exact scope of support and match it with the appropriate technical expertise.

    The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada and hosted by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), with its secretariat based in Barbados. It is governed by the participating Caribbean countries, with independent technical guidance provided by a panel of regional and global experts.

    Brenda Wills, Canadian High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, emphasized that climate-resilient infrastructure forms the backbone of long-term economic development, effective climate adaptation, and improved quality of life for Caribbean communities. “Canada is pleased to support RIISE as a regionally led facility that will help governments access the expertise and support needed to deliver priority infrastructure investments,” she stated.

    Giuseppe Mancinelli, UNOPS Caribbean Director, echoed this sentiment, noting that the organization’s core role is to fill gaps in government capacity and deliver hands-on implementation support. “Governments across the region have set a bold vision for more resilient infrastructure; our role is to help turn that ambition into results by providing national institutions with the additional capacity, expertise and implementation support they need to deliver for their people,” he explained.

    Beyond addressing immediate implementation hurdles, RIISE has a longer-term goal of building and retaining local technical expertise across the Caribbean. Over time, the facility plans to facilitate knowledge exchange between regional specialists and public sector teams, allowing countries to share lessons learned and best practices for resilient infrastructure delivery. While the initiative currently focuses on four Eastern Caribbean nations, its framework is designed to support expansion to additional Caribbean countries as new needs emerge and additional funding and partnerships are secured.

  • Catherine Edmund is Saint Lucia’s CIBC 2026 Unsung Hero

    Catherine Edmund is Saint Lucia’s CIBC 2026 Unsung Hero

    A young Saint Lucian community advocate has earned high regional honors for her quiet, consistent commitment to lifting up vulnerable children and strengthening local connections, after being named CIBC Caribbean’s 2026 Unsung Hero for the island nation.

    Thirty-one-year-old Catherine Edmund, a resident of Seaview Estate in Ciceron, is the driving force behind Birthday Fairies, a volunteer initiative she co-founded with her sister Maria in early 2023. The project addresses a simple but often overlooked need: creating meaningful, joyful birthday experiences for children whose families lack the financial resources to host celebrations.

    Working closely with school administrations across the island, Edmund transforms ordinary classrooms into custom-themed party spaces, provides sweet treats for the entire class to enjoy, and sources a personalized gift for the birthday child, using insights and preference details shared by their teachers. To date, Birthday Fairies has brought celebrations to young people at multiple local educational institutions, including Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School, Bexon Infant School, and Ciceron Primary School, with more partnerships continuing to develop.

    Edmund’s contributions to her community stretch far beyond her birthday initiative. As an active member of the Pantastic Muzik steel orchestra, she regularly takes on uncredited behind-the-scenes work: preparing meals for the group during extended rehearsal sessions and coordinating safe rides home for fellow musicians after late-night practices. She is also a core participant in the Ciceron Youth Development Group, where she lends her time to organizing local community events and supporting public outreach programs that benefit neighborhood residents.

    The official recognition of Edmund’s work took place at an intimate dinner ceremony Sunday evening, where she was joined by her family, partnering school principals, and senior executives from CIBC Caribbean.

    Nigel Ollivierre, Country Manager for CIBC Caribbean in Saint Lucia, noted that the scale of Edmund’s impact at such a young age makes her work particularly inspiring for future generations of volunteers. “There is something especially heartening about seeing a young woman of Catherine’s age already so deeply committed to giving of herself to others. It tells us that the tradition of community service is not disappearing; it is being carried forward by another generation,” Ollivierre explained.

    He added that Edmund’s work perfectly embodies the core mission of the Unsung Heroes programme, which centers on the age-old idea that it takes a village to raise a child. “Catherine is showing these children what ‘the village’ feels like. Someone who is not their parent sees them, cares enough to show up and creates a moment in which the people around them celebrate them. She is helping to keep the village alive – and that is something worth recognising,” he said.

    For her part, Edmund framed the award as recognition not just of her own efforts, but of the entire network of supporters that have helped her work grow over the past three years. “I feel extremely honoured and grateful to be recognised as a CIBC Caribbean Unsung Hero. While I am the one receiving this recognition, what I do would not be possible without God and the support of my family, friends and community, and the many people who have helped Birthday Fairies and my other community work along the way,” she said.

    She also used the moment to encourage other people to step forward to help their communities, urging them not to discount the impact of small, consistent acts of kindness. “I have seen for myself that even the smallest gestures and acts of kindness can bring the biggest smiles,” she noted.

    Edmund was selected for the national honor by a local judging panel made up of community leaders Susanna Gurley and Ronald Hinkson. As Saint Lucia’s national Unsung Hero, she receives a $5,000 USD grant to expand her ongoing philanthropic work. Her national selection also qualified her for consideration for the regional CIBC Caribbean Unsung Hero title, and organizers recently confirmed that she has advanced to the top three regional finalists. The final winner and two runners-up will be announced at a formal awards ceremony in Barbados on September 19.

    The Unsung Heroes programme is one of CIBC Caribbean’s flagship corporate social responsibility projects. First launched in 2003 and recently relaunched in 2025, the initiative highlights unrecognized individuals who carry out outstanding voluntary work across the Caribbean, spanning social support programs, environmental action, youth mentorship, and extraordinary acts of courage or compassion.

  • Creative Grant Fund gets going after year-long wait

    Creative Grant Fund gets going after year-long wait

    After a year of coordination, funding adjustments, and application screening, the Government of Saint Lucia has officially begun distribution of the long-awaited Creative Economy Grant Fund (CEGF), a initiative designed to empower local creative workers across multiple artistic disciplines. The program was first unveiled to the public in August of the previous year, when the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industries and Culture launched an open call for applications, inviting creators of all experience levels to pursue the transformative opportunity the fund offers. The program offers maximum individual grants of up to EC$10,000, aimed at helping both emerging and established creatives advance their artistic projects—from dancers and independent filmmakers to writers and visual artists, spanning nearly every major creative sector in the island nation.

    When the program was first announced, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre allocated an initial EC$350,000 to support the initiative. But government officials quickly found that the original budget was far insufficient to match the overwhelming response from creative communities across Saint Lucia. By the time applications closed, the Ministry had received more than 1,000 submissions requesting a combined total of EC$8.2 million in funding—far outstripping the initial allocation.

    At the official press launch for the fund rollout held Tuesday, Creative Industries Minister Dr Ernest Hilaire shared details of the program’s bumpy development path. Recognizing the gap between available funding and widespread demand, Hilaire approached the Prime Minister to request additional budget to support more eligible applicants. Following discussions between the minister and Prime Minister Pierre, an extra EC$1 million was secured from an undisclosed funding source to expand the program’s total budget. However, negotiating this additional allocation and finalizing administrative processes extended the waiting period for applicants.

    Speaking to assembled grant recipients, journalists, and ministry staff, Hilaire acknowledged the extended wait for early applicants, noting that the extended timeline had been frustrating for both applicants and program administrators. “In all fairness, for some individuals who applied very early, it’s been a long wait. And in the public service, our duty is to serve,” Hilaire said. “We were frustrated with the process. But sometimes we just have to understand that things take time and processes have to be followed.”

    Following the approval of the national budget in April, a total of 350 creatives were selected to receive grants, with awardees spread across categories including music, visual arts, crafts, film, design, literary arts, community creative projects, traditional folk arts, and theatre. Disbursement of grant cheques to approved applicants began in September, with the ministry working to distribute funds to as many of the 350 selected creatives as possible with the expanded budget. “It really took some time. It’s no fault of yours, it’s no fault of the ministry; we really were trying to get more money to satisfy more of the demands that we had, distributing to as many of the 350,” Hilaire explained.

    For approved applicants planning to import equipment or materials from overseas for their creative projects, formal approval of customs duty exemptions promised under the program is still pending final sign-off from the Saint Lucia Cabinet. Looking ahead, the government has announced plans to establish the CEGF as a permanent annual program to continue supporting the island’s growing creative economy into the future.

  • Flood-Beaubrun threatens legal action against Richard Frederick

    Flood-Beaubrun threatens legal action against Richard Frederick

    A high-profile political dispute has erupted in Saint Lucia, with former Castries Central MP Sarah Flood-Beaubrun confirming she is preparing potential legal action against incumbent MP Richard Frederick over controversial comments he made during a recent television appearance.

    Speaking at an official press conference hosted by the opposition United Workers Party this Tuesday, Flood-Beaubrun revealed she has already passed video clips of Frederick’s September 10 broadcast to her legal team for formal review. The clips were shared with her by members of the public who raised concerns about the content of his remarks. She noted that her next steps will be shaped entirely by the legal guidance her attorneys provide, emphasizing that any action she takes is not for personal gain, but to uphold standards of integrity for all public officeholders.

    “For those who have reached out to express their concern, I want to reassure you I will take every necessary step to protect my reputation,” Flood-Beaubrun stated. “This is not just for me – it is as a public citizen. I firmly believe integrity in public life matters.”

    While Flood-Beaubrun has not explicitly named which specific comments she is challenging, the segment in question was Frederick’s return episode of his long-running program *Can I Help You*, which aired just over a month ago. The broadcast marked his comeback to the show after a two-month hiatus, triggered by his brief detention by police over unsubstantiated criminal allegations in early July. Police ultimately announced their investigation failed to turn up enough evidence to support the claims against him.

    During the September 10 episode, Frederick repeatedly questioned the management of Synergy, a personal development training and recruitment initiative Flood-Beaubrun launched when she held the Castries Central parliamentary seat. His inquiries focused specifically on alleged public payments routed through the Saint Lucia Social Development Fund (SSDF) connected to the program. At the time, Frederick – who is currently facing his own scrutiny linked to the SSDF – openly challenged any critic who disputed his claims, issuing a bold on-air dare: “I challenge you to call me a liar.”

    Flood-Beaubrun pushed back against these unproven claims, arguing that all allegations against public officials deserve to be examined through a formal, vetted process rather than spread through public broadcasts. “If an allegation has been made, I owe it to the public interest to ensure it is properly debated and tested in the appropriate forum, which is a court of law,” she said.

    The unfolding controversy comes as Frederick remains on administrative leave from his cabinet post as Minister of Housing, Local Government and Urban Renewal, a decision made in response to separate SSDF-linked investigations. Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, leader of the ruling Saint Lucia Labour Party, has repeatedly stressed that placing Frederick on administrative leave is not a finding of guilt, but a procedural step to allow an unbiased probe to move forward.

  • Saint Lucian footballer impresses at PSG Academy camp

    Saint Lucian footballer impresses at PSG Academy camp

    A young multi-sport athlete from Saint Lucia is turning heads and making significant strides in the world of elite football, after catching the eye of top coaches at European champions Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) most selective global development program.

    Rawson Harris, who currently competes in school-level football in the United States, earned his spot in PSG’s elite development cohort through standout performances at the club’s regional summer camp held in Florida last year. A former product of Valley Soccer Academy, Central Castries, and a past member of Saint Lucia’s Under-17 men’s national squad, Harris claimed the Under-19 Most Valuable Player award at the Florida camp, a honor that punched his ticket to the exclusive PSG Academy Pro Top 44 event in Évian-les-Bains, France. This annual invitation-only training week brings together the 44 most promising young talents selected from hundreds of participants across PSG’s global network of summer camps, making it one of the most selective youth football development opportunities in the world.

    At the French camp, Harris showcased his versatility by stepping into the winger position, a role that let his natural athleticism shine. PSG’s coaching staff heaped praise on the young prospect, highlighting his sharp technical skill, advanced tactical understanding, and unwavering mental focus on the pitch. In their official player evaluation, coaches noted that Harris’s explosive pace and clinical dribbling ability make him a constant offensive threat that can change the dynamic of any match. While the feedback was largely glowing, coaches also offered constructive advice, encouraging Harris to expand his offensive repertoire by mixing up his runs — combining early passes with more incisive cuts inside the box and attacking the outside channel to keep defenses guessing.

    Beyond his on-pitch ability, Harris earned high marks for his professional demeanor and work ethic. A graduate of Saint Lucia’s St Mary’s College, Harris was described by coaches as having an “excellent” attitude throughout the week-long camp, with observers noting he consistently absorbed feedback and pushed himself in every training session with remarkable focus and motivation. Coaches ultimately summarized his performance by calling Harris “a very complete player,” a rare compliment for a young prospect at such a prestigious camp.

    In comments following the camp, Harris expressed deep gratitude for the two consecutive summer development opportunities he has earned with PSG Academy. He explained that his first experience in 2025 helped him prepare for his upcoming freshman season as a member of the McPherson Bulldogs men’s football team, and that this year’s invitation to the Top 44 camp was an even more valuable growth opportunity.

    “My experience was great,” Harris told local outlet St Lucia Times. “We did intense technical and tactical training, deep-diving video analysis sessions, focused stretching and recovery work, and so much more. I am just so grateful to have had the chance to participate in this year’s PSG Academy Pro Top 44 Experience. I hope this achievement opens the door for more opportunities in my football career moving forward.”

    What makes Harris’s achievement even more notable is that he is not just a football talent — he has also represented Saint Lucia at the international level in table tennis, cementing his status as a rising multi-sport star from the Caribbean nation.

  • Alfred expects to go faster in 2027

    Alfred expects to go faster in 2027

    After closing out the most successful competitive season of her career to date, 25-year-old Saint Lucian sprinting superstar Julien Alfred isn’t resting on her laurels—even as she prepares for a much-needed break from the track. The 2024 Paris Olympic women’s 100m gold medalist wrapped up her 2026 campaign with a string of landmark achievements that have cemented her status as one of the world’s top sprinters, including new personal bests in both the 100m and 200m events, a Diamond League title, a silver medal at the World Indoor Athletics Championships, and a second-place finish at the season-ending World Athletics Ultimate Championship held in Budapest.

    Standing on the track in Budapest after taking silver in the Ultimate Championship 100m, Alfred made clear her immediate plans: step away from competitive training and recharge back home. “I want to enjoy the offseason,” she told reporters. “I just want to go back home to Saint Lucia, spend time on the beach, spend time with loved ones, soak up everything my island has to offer, and not think about track and field at all. I’ll turn my focus to next season when it’s time to get back to work.”

    That doesn’t mean the champion isn’t already mapping out her long-term goals. Already, Alfred has her sights set on the 2027 World Athletics Championships, which will be hosted in Beijing, and she plans to return to her training base at the University of Texas to resume work under long-time coach Edrick Floréal when the offseason ends. She will train alongside a growing group of fellow Saint Lucian talents, including Naomi London and Jady Emmanuel, plus Mia Maxwell—the double World Under-20 champion—and her twin sister Mariah.

    Alfred is candid about the gaps she still aims to close in her technique, pointing to her opening sprint as a key area of focus for the next training block. “I have a lot to work on, especially the start,” she explained. “It was really inconsistent all this season, so now I know exactly what I need to improve. Having more training partners to line up against in practice will let me get the repetitions I need to lock it in, which is something I felt I was missing this year.”

    Compared to her early racing years, Alfred has drastically cut down her schedule in recent seasons to prioritize quality over quantity. In this 2026 “off year” between major championships, she raced just seven times over 100m—one fewer start than in 2025, when she centered her training on building speed endurance. For context, during her final two years of collegiate competition in 2022 and 2023, Alfred competed 30 times combined across both seasons.

    One performance in particular stands out as the highlight of her 2026 run: at the Monaco Diamond League in July, she clocked 21.51 seconds in the 200m, a time that now ranks as the fourth-fastest women’s 200m in history. Beyond the numbers, Alfred says her biggest growth this season has come off the track, in her mental approach to competition.

    “I’ve been learning how to lose and how to bounce back from disappointing results,” she shared. “I’m not the type anymore to beat myself up after a race doesn’t go how I wanted. Now I’ve become a lot more lenient on myself and give myself a lot more grace.”

    year-over-year improvement has been the throughline of Alfred’s career, a trend she attributes directly to her strengthened mental game. “As you’ve seen, every year I’ve progressed. I’ve gotten better every single time I line up, and that’s because my mental game has gotten a lot stronger,” she said. “Now I am a lot more grateful for where I’m at. I know I get a chance to represent an island, a tiny island of only 238 square miles, and that’s always a proud moment for me. I just focus on the positive things in life.”

    For Alfred, one of the most meaningful parts of her success is the representation it brings to her home country. She says it means everything that young people in Saint Lucia get to see their nation’s flag raised on the world’s biggest athletic stages. This season even brought a special personal milestone: several members of her family got to watch her compete in person for the first time in Budapest. Now that her 2026 season is complete, she’s most looking forward to extending that precious time with family back home.

    “There’s so much more to be grateful for,” she said.

  • Pierre echoes need for stronger regional trade as Panama Canal disruption threatens import costs

    Pierre echoes need for stronger regional trade as Panama Canal disruption threatens import costs

    Unprecedented drought conditions amplified by the El Niño weather pattern have thrown operations at the Panama Canal into disarray, sending global shipping costs soaring and triggering urgent warnings across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) over threatened import supplies. Regional leaders and private sector organizations are now pushing for localized, intra-regional strategies to buffer Caribbean economies from cascading cost increases that threaten to push higher prices onto everyday consumers.

    The crisis stems from far lower than average rainfall across the Panama Canal watershed between May and August 2026, with climate scientists projecting El Niño will further intensify dry conditions through the 2027 dry season. Low water levels have crippled the canal’s core lock operation system, which relies on sufficient water reserves to raise and lower vessels between different elevation levels. To conserve remaining water supplies, canal authorities have already cut the number of daily allowed vessel transits from 32 down from the usual 32, down from the original 34 slots.

    Water level restrictions have also forced ships to cut their maximum cargo loads to navigate shallower channels, while competition for the limited available transit slots has sent priority access prices skyrocketing. Reports confirm one shipping line recently paid a record-breaking $5.3 million to secure a priority passage slot. For carriers unable to secure a slot, the only alternative is rerouting around South America, a change that adds thousands of miles to voyages and drives up fuel, labor, and overall operating costs dramatically.

    Patrick Antoine, CEO and Technical Director of the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation (CPSO), explained that none of these added costs will be absorbed by shipping companies. “Auction premiums and low-water surcharges do not stay on the carriers’ books,” Antoine noted. “They are passed down the chain to importers, to distributors, and ultimately to the Caribbean consumer.”

    The CPSO first sounded the alarm over this growing crisis at the CARICOM Heads of Government Breakfast Meeting held in Saint Lucia back in July 2026, where it unveiled a comprehensive strategic plan titled Derisking CSME Imports. The plan outlines a clear framework for expanding intra-regional production and developing alternative regional supply corridors that can replace the long-haul imports that currently rely on the Panama Canal and are now facing major vulnerabilities.

    As the current Chair of CARICOM, Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has responded to the crisis by calling on all Caribbean nations to prioritize homegrown, regional solutions rather than relying on global supply chains that are increasingly exposed to climate-related disruptions. Speaking at a pre-Cabinet press briefing on Monday, in response to questions from the St. Lucia Times, Pierre emphasized that while Caribbean nations have no control over drought conditions or operations at the Panama Canal, they can take immediate action to strengthen regional trade ties that will reduce reliance on vulnerable external supply lines.

    “We need to get a ferry to move our food from one island to another; that’s the first step,” Pierre said, outlining his top priority for regional action. The prime minister laid out additional targeted steps for small island nations like Saint Lucia, which already struggles with low domestic agricultural output and persistent food security challenges. He added, “We have to increase our production and we have to strengthen the linkages between agriculture and tourism; that’s where the private sector must get together with the government in terms of creating these linkages, in terms of buying local, and in terms of getting our manufacturers to produce things so that they can sell.”

    Despite the significant risks posed by the ongoing Panama Canal crisis, Pierre expressed measured confidence that the Caribbean region has enough existing productive capacity to replace a sizable share of food imports through expanded intra-regional trade. “The first stage is seeing whether we can get this inter-island ferry going so that we can trade between ourselves because the region has some capacity to trade within itself,” he explained.

    Alongside long-term calls for expanded regional production and connectivity, the CPSO is urging Caribbean importers to take immediate short-term action to prepare for coming disruptions. The organization is advising importers to proactively engage with carriers and logistics providers now to plan for alternative routes, potential surcharges, and inventory adjustments for the remainder of 2026 and the 2027 dry season, when conditions are projected to worsen.

  • Gender Affairs Minister calls for renewed action on violence against women

    Gender Affairs Minister calls for renewed action on violence against women

    A gruesome new discovery has reignited calls for urgent, unified action to counter a rising tide of violence against women in Saint Lucia. After the body of a young woman was found along the Millennium Highway, Gender Affairs Minister Emma Hippolyte has demanded a renewed national commitment to tackling this ongoing public safety crisis.

    In an official statement released Monday by the country’s Department of Equity, Social Justice, Gender and Older Persons, authorities confirmed the latest killing is a source of profound national alarm. The incident comes on the heels of a troubling upward trend in missing person reports, with women disproportionately represented among those unaccounted for, and the murder of another young mother, Joy St Omer, just four months prior.
    Minister Hippolyte emphasized that growing public outcry over the apparent escalation of gender-based violence makes clear that existing national strategies to eliminate these harmful acts are falling short of what communities need. Many Saint Lucians, she noted, are now calling for entirely new approaches to address the crisis.

    “A country simply cannot prosper when its people live in fear of harm,” Hippolyte said. “Equally, we cannot make progress when we are divided in our response to this crisis.”
    The minister has urged all Saint Lucians to reaffirm their shared commitment to eradicating violence in every form, from street harassment to fatal gender-based attacks. She stressed that meaningful change demands both honest individual self-reflection and coordinated collective action: stakeholders must examine how individual behaviors and systemic gaps contribute to the crisis, and build targeted solutions that work across individual, community, and institutional levels.

    The Department of Equity, Social Justice, Gender and Older Persons holds responsibility for coordinating cross-sector social interventions, partnering with stakeholders across national security, public health, justice, and education, as well as grassroots civil society organizations. Hippolyte confirmed the department will ramp up its collaborative work with relevant agencies, members of the public, families impacted by violence, and non-governmental organizations working on the frontlines of the crisis.

    “As Minister, I want to reassure the public that the department is intensifying every effort to work with all relevant agencies and community members to reverse this troubling trend,” Hippolyte said. “We will deepen our engagement with families of violence victims and the NGOs that support them, and we will center their perspectives as we shape responses that meet their needs and concerns.”
    Hippolyte also issued a cross-sector appeal for all Saint Lucian institutions and community members to join the effort to build safer public spaces, prioritizing the safety of children, women, older persons, and other structurally vulnerable groups across the country.

    “I am therefore calling on every sector to stand alongside the social sector in this work,” she said. “Together, we must demand and build safer spaces for all people, especially those who face the greatest risk of harm in our society.”
    Ending violence against women and all forms of pervasive community violence is a shared responsibility, Hippolyte added, closing with a call for all residents to speak out against abuse, take targeted action to protect vulnerable community members, and stand in solidarity with one another to create lasting change.

  • Vieux Fort stay top of SPFL after narrow win over Soufriere

    Vieux Fort stay top of SPFL after narrow win over Soufriere

    Halfway through the 2026 Saint Lucia Semi-Professional Football League Tier 1 season, the competition for the championship title remains tightly contested, with Vieux Fort South (VFS) clinging to its position at the top of the league table following a full slate of matches across four consecutive match days at Gros Islet’s Francis Baba Lastic Grounds.

    The action kicked off on Thursday with one of the biggest upsets of the campaign to date, as underdog Central Castries secured a shock 1-0 victory over title-chasing Dennery. The match’s only goal came just nine minutes after kickoff, when striker Benerrero Wellington found the back of the net. The result blocked Dennery’s chance to climb into first place and shook up the already competitive title race, leaving the title contenders still lurking just outside the top two.

    Three days later, Saturday’s main fixture saw VFS edge out Soufriere by a narrow 1-0 scoreline to preserve their pole position. The defining moment of the match came in the 55th minute, when a powerful free kick from VFS’s Trent Alexander was inadvertently deflected into Soufriere’s own net by defender Mahvy Rismay. Tensions ran high late in the game: in the 73rd minute, VFS head coach Jamil Joseph received a caution from match officials for vocal dissent against a call, as the side fought hard to hold onto their slim lead and collect all three full points.

    In Saturday’s early kickoff, defending league champions La Clery picked up a 3-1 win over Mabouya Valley to keep their title defense hopes alive. La Clery got off to a blistering start, with Ronham Cooper putting the side ahead just 60 seconds into the match. Mabouya Valley held firm through the rest of the first half, however, and earned a equalizer from a 41st-minute penalty converted by Canius Sandiford. The balance of the match shifted in the second half after a key substitution: Keenan Joseph came off the bench in the 65th minute, and went on to score two quick goals in the 67th and 74th minutes to lock in the three points for the champions.

    Sunday brought a packed double-header of Tier 1 action, opening with a dominant 3-0 win for Canaries over neighboring side Anse La Raye. Oneal Toussaint got Canaries on the board first in the 12th minute, and the side sealed the victory late in the second half with two goals from Alex Longville: a penalty in the 72nd minute followed by a second strike just four minutes later. The defeat leaves Anse La Raye stuck at the very bottom of the league table.

    The day’s final match saw hosts Gros Islet claim a 1-0 win over Vieux Fort North, with Dervaj Edward netting the game’s only goal in the 59th minute. The hosts faced a late setback when defender Thierry Morille was sent off after picking up a second yellow card in the 76th minute, forcing Gros Islet to play out the final 14 minutes with just 10 men on the pitch. Despite the disadvantage, the side held on to secure their first win in three outings, breaking a brief dry spell.

    Following the full week of matches, the current league table reflects the tight gap between the top contenders. VFS leads the standings with 17 points from eight matches, with defending champions La Clery trailing just two points behind in second place on 15 points. Dennery sits third with 13 points, holding a game in hand that could see them close the gap on the top two. At the lower end of the table, Central Castries and Gros Islet sit in seventh and eighth place respectively, both tied on nine points and separated only by goal difference. Mabouya Valley and Anse La Raye occupy the final two spots in the 10-team league, both sitting on five points.

    The Saint Lucia Semi-Professional Football League will resume its schedule this midweek, with two fixtures scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday evenings in Gros Islet, before another full weekend double-header of matches kicks off.

  • Saint Lucians aim to progress at Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan

    Saint Lucians aim to progress at Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan

    The 46th edition of the global Chess Olympiad is set to kick off in the historic Central Asian city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and a small but mighty delegation from the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia is ready to test their skills against the world’s top amateur and professional chess players. Running from September 16 to 27, this year’s tournament sees Saint Lucia fielding full rosters for both the open and women’s divisions, marking the latest milestone in the country’s steadily growing reputation in international competitive chess.

    Eight of the 11-member delegation departed the island for Central Asia this past Saturday, with the full group led by head of delegation Tesa St Ange. The squad boasts significant international experience, with seven of its eight competing players having already competed in high-stakes global tournaments. The open division roster includes Candidate Master Kaieem Elisee, Saint Lucia Chess Federation (SLCF) President Sixtus Gabriel, Justin James, Arvin Nicholas, and Daniel Nunez. Competing in the women’s division are Woman Candidate Masters Tris-Ann Richards and Chelsea Wahid, joined by Sibani Elumalai, Vernesa James and Kiara Lambert.

    This year’s Olympiad appearance builds on two years of strong showings for Saint Lucia’s national chess program, following their well-received campaigns at the 2022 Olympiad in Chennai, India, and an early 2024 event in Budapest, Hungary. During the 2022 Chennai tournament, Saint Lucia held higher-seeded national teams including Nicaragua and Cape Verde to hard-fought 2-2 draws, turning heads among international chess observers with their disciplined play. At the 2024 Budapest competition, the Saint Lucia open squad delivered a standout performance, climbing 23 spots above their initial seeding to finish 146th overall. The delegation also earned an official honor at the event, taking home the award for Best Sports Team Uniform.

    Individual player achievements have also lifted the national team’s competitive standard in recent years. In Budapest, Tris-Ann Richards notched an impressive 7.5 points from a possible 9 competing on the first board, while Chelsea Wahid secured 6.0 points across 11 matches – a result that earned her the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) title directly from the tournament results.

    These experienced players, led by Elisee in the open division and Richards and Wahid in the women’s draw, give Saint Lucia a solid competitive foundation for the 11 rounds of classical chess that will unfold across the two-week tournament in Samarkand.

    Saint Lucia’s continued participation in top-tier international chess competition would not have been possible without the backing of key local corporate sponsors. This year’s delegation receives support from the Saint Lucia National Lotteries Authority (NLA), Computer and Business Services Ltd (CBS), Saint Lucia Electricity Services (LUCELEC) and Bank of Saint Lucia Ltd (BOSL).