The Canadian Government, which has been of much assistance to Anguilla and other Eastern Caribbean Islands, under the former Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), is now on a mission to assist Anguilla and other regional territories under the auspices of another agency – the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC).
From the funding of a number of past projects – including some of Anguilla’s infrastructure, the training of teachers and senior members of the public service – the Canadian Government is now working through the CCC to assist Anguilla with its planned airport expansion project. It is a project which involves the investor, the ICA Group, the Government of Anguilla, the British Government (which has already outlined the requirements for the granting of an entrustment to the Government of Anguilla for the project) and the landowners – the Lake’s family.
A Memorandum of Understanding to that effect was quietly signed a few weeks ago by the above parties. The MOU was signed in Miami – on May 17 – on behalf of the Government of Anguilla, by Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, Mr. Cardigan Connor. It was followed by an Acknowledgment Ceremony held in the Executive Council’s Chambers on Thursday, July 19.
The Acknowledgment Ceremony was chaired by Mr. Larry Franklin, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Economic Development.
Mr. Marcel Fahie, Chairman of the Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority, welcomed the Barbados-based Canadian High Commissioner, Her Excellency Marie Legault, to Anguilla. “In my earlier life, as a senior civil servant, I was in the Ministry of Infrastructure at a time when Canada had a very robust development assistance programme throughout the Caribbean,” he reflected. “There was the famous Airports Project and Anguilla substantially benefitted from that. There was also a water project and then, for various understandable reasons, that level of support dwindled.
“I am hoping that the fact the [the Canadian High Commissioner] is here today, at the ceremony acknowledging the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Anguilla, the ICA Group, the developers for the Conch Bay Legacy Project and the Canadian Commercial Corporation, is a signal that, going forward, it is very likely that there will be much more Canadian assistance to enable the Anguilla Government to obtain its sustainable goals.”
Mr. Fahie continued: “I think the MOU is an indicator to a new approach to the Anguilla Government tackling vital infrastructure projects which are essential if the country is to develop and generate the kind of economic activity that can generate sustainable incomes and a decent standard of living for all our people. As a very small microstate, there are the challenges of size, but I have always felt that size is not a fundamental constraint. The fundamental constraint is the brains to resolve the challenges of building a viable micro society – so I think this is a big test for us. But I think, with the cooperation of the Anguilla Government, CCC, ICA and all the other players and parties that would come to the table to enable us to develop our airport infrastructure, that we should be able to achieve success.
“I am a very bullish guy when it comes to Anguilla, and I know that the Board of the Air and Sea Ports Authority, the management and staff – all of us – are betting on this project coming to fruition sooner, rather than later, because Anguilla’s progress to the next level depends on it…Our airport is a must. Not getting it done is not an answer. With the support from Canada through the CCC, the Anguilla Government pushing ahead, the partners in the ICA and the Lake’s family, we will make it happen.”
Mr. Ali Nawaz Shaikh, speaking on behalf of ICA, said that his Group was excited to be part of the airport project and that Chief Minister, Mr. Victor Banks, had been very kind, supportive and committed to the project. He spoke about the good relationship that had developed between the ICA Group and the CCC, and noted that ICA was also excited that the Canadian Government was looking at the project as well.
Mr. Luc Allary, an official with the CCC, said he was extremely happy to see the Canadian High Commissioner at the ceremony. He was of the view that this was a testimony of the Canadian Government continuing its supporting work in the region. “I have been involved in a lot of projects in the region. I understand the history and the impact that Canada has had in the region, and I think that the CCC and the efforts that we put in are small – but are part of that continuing support to deliver infrastructure projects which the various countries can carry on further in their developing efforts,” he stated. “I am very proud that this is the kind of project that CCC continues to do in the region and around the world. We are extremely confident that it will get there – may be not as fast as everybody would like, but we will get there.”
Chief Minister Banks, in welcoming the Canadian High Commissioner to Anguilla, said: “We have been awaiting your visit because we know that it would solidify all the things that we are planning to do in terms of advancing the airport project. We have had a Memorandum of Understanding signed by all three parties involved, including the necessity for this agreement of an entrustment from the British Government to allow us to move forward. I think the fact that the Canadian Government is involved, and that the UK Government, the administering power, has indicated its support for this project, that this is critical to the success of this project. It is the first step in taking this project forward.”
Her Excellency, the Canadian High Commissioner, Ms. Marie Legault, said she had spent 20 years working with CIDA and was very well aware of its assistance to Anguilla and the rest of the region. “I am very happy about the collaboration we have had in the past through airports, schools and training,” she continued. “We are now doing different things together on public finance management aspects, contacts and other collaborative efforts. What is happening today is just another indicator of our relationship. I am very happy with this new collaboration between Anguilla and Canada.”
She added: “Anguilla is well known in Canada. It is a place that Canadians are happy to visit especially in the winter, but also at other times. I hope that the airport project will improve or expand that relationship.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Connor, who signed the MOU, in Miami on behalf of the Government of Anguilla, commented: “It was an honour for me, especially the fact that the Chief Minister has given me responsibility for tourism and, of course, the big part of tourism here is access. For quite some time we have been talking about the importance of the development of the Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport – and day by day we are getting closer to that reality. We are thankful for seeing all of you who made it possible to be here.”
Among those present was Mr. George Lake, a representative of the Lake’s family, whose mother is a Canadian national. He said a number of the shareholders in the ICA Group were educated Canadians and have had interactions with his family – thus promoting a close relationship between Anguilla and Canada.
The Acknowledgment Ceremony was brought to a close by Mr. Larry Franklin. He expressed the hope that all related issues affecting the airport expansion project would eventually be resolved over the coming months – to be followed by the ground-breaking event later on.
