Dear Editor,
While I agree with the writer, Faud Rahaman, that we need to keep public spaces within the city, comparing the Merriman Mall with Bel Air Park and Thomas Lands is not quite a valid comparison. Bel Air Park has areas that were given to the City Council by the head of Booker Bros McConnel, Jock Campbell, with a restrictive covenant which specifies that those areas must be used for recreational purposes. Therefore the City Council could not use those properties for a car park, nor for housing for the Mayor and the City Engineer (which the previous City Council proposed doing). Similarly, Thomas Lands was given to us with a restrictive covenant that the area be used for educational and recreational purposes. Which is why we now have a number of schools, including Queen’s College, in that area, and the National Park. We also have the Pro-menade Gardens and the area south of the Gardens which used to be the Parade Ground, which, again has a restrictive covenant. Thomas Lands and the Gardens – Parade Ground were given by the owner, Thomas Cuming, (a Scot who made a fortune in Demerara. One “m”, not two as we now spell “Cummingsburg”, which was literally Cuming’s Burgh. He bought Pln La Bourgade, which is now Cummingsburg, Alberttown and Queenstown) and divided it into housing lots which he then sold).
The Merriman Mall, on the other hand, was originally a canal which brought water from the Conservancy Dam to the Georgetown waterworks building which was on the eastern side of Camp Street, between North Road and Church Street. It belonged to the City Council, and was filled in by the city council and named Merriman Mall in honour of a previous highly respected Mayor. Where that building once stood is now a public garden. So yes, we need more beautiful spaces in the City. But Bel Air Park and Thomas Lands are not the comparisons we need. The garden which replaced the waterworks and the Company Path Garden at the High St junction are better examples of what we can do. I should also add Brickdam as an example of what we should NOT do. Brickdam once had a series of trees beside the roadway, which flowered magnificently each year. Today many of those have been cut down to create roadside car parks. Perhaps we should start a “Make Georgetown Beautiful Again” movement?
Sincerely,
Patricia Robinson Commissiong
Kingstown
St Vincent and the Grenadines
