by Curlan Campbell
- Vincennes Community Centre is fourth to be finished in St David within last 2 years
- First 3 are located in Belle Isle, Berrotte, and Corinth
- Project funded by The People’s Republic of China
After decades of waiting, the residents of Vincennes and surrounding communities welcome the opening of the Vincennes Community Centre, which once lay derelict for decades.
Under the leadership of the Dickon Mitchell administration, the Vincennes Community Centre is the fourth community centre to be finished in the parish of St David within the last 2 years. The first 3 are located in Belle Isle, Berrotte, and Corinth.
The project, overseen by Contractor Dean Celestine and funded by the People’s Republic of China with $304,247, was officially opened by Member of Parliament for St David Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell and Chinese Ambassador HE Wei Hongtian, who both participated in the ribbon-cutting and declaration ceremony.
Gloria Thomas, Minister of the Ministry of Social & Community Development, Housing and Gender Affairs, and Adrian Thomas, Minister for Tourism, Creative Economy and Culture, also attended the ceremony.
For residents of Vincennes and surrounding communities, the grand opening of the Vincennes Community Centre was a long overdue journey.
“This new building stands as a testament to what we can achieve when we come together with a shared vision and purpose,” said Richard Pierre, a resident of Vincennes. Whether you are here to explore new opportunities, participate in enriching programmes, or simply build relationships, this space is yours to embrace and enjoy as we embark on this new chapter; let us celebrate the power of community and the promise of a brighter future that we create together.”
Prime Minister Mitchell reiterated that the centre is designed to facilitate social interaction, education, and community engagement in Vincennes and nearby communities such as Syracuse, Dudmar, and Windsor Forest. He highlighted the importance of involving young adults in skill-building activities to foster unity within the community and emphasised the need for skills training, particularly in construction-related areas such as furniture making and tiling. He also expressed the intention to ensure that training facilities are easily accessible in the community. “We want to make sure that we have the training facilities readily available so that we can bring the necessary training to our young men in particular. I know Senator Thomas talked about the young women, but we need to bring everybody together. We need to absolutely pay attention, to speak with and hear from our young men. They now have a place to meet, to congregate and to talk about the challenges they face, and it’s important for us to ensure that we support them in that initiative.”
Ambassador Wei was hands-on during the centre’s construction phase and donated ping-pong tables and a television for the centre. “As a good friend of the Grenadian people, China is committed to continuing its support and cooperation with our brothers and sisters of Grenada. I have been here (Vincennes) about 10 times to witness this project from the beginning because I wanted to make sure that everything goes smoothly, to make sure that we have this brand new community centre as soon as possible and to hand it over to the local community. Let the people enjoy this facility. They can come here to have social events, even wedding ceremonies.”
During the opening, contracts were signed for the commencement of the 5 Play Park project: the construction of recreational facilities for the communities of La Sagesse, Bellevue, Berrotte, Malmount playing field, and Malmount big yard. The next community centre to be opened will be located in Old Westerhall, and Prime Minister Mithcell is also determined to take on the challenge of refurbishing the Windsor Forest community centre, which is presently in a derelict state.
