TERRENCE HONORÉ
THERE ARE many things that make the city of San Fernando great, but few seem to know them. We have been failing in our efforts to show them. The sites and scenes to recall our past remain in our hearts and minds, but we need to do more to preserve and promote the heritage of our much-loved city.
A look into our history revealed that a famed tourist came to our shores on the eve of Christmas in 1870. It was the English novelist Charles Kingsley who visited the then small town of San Fernando. He wrote about his experiences in his book At Last a Christmas in the West Indies. The publication was described as "a book by an ordinary tourist."
Kingsley went on to give a detailed and colourful account of his ride on the Cipero tramway drawn by long-legged mules and his visit to the nearby Cedar Grove estate with its tall palmiste palms at the entrance to the great house. Much was seen then and even more should be seen today of the sites and scenes of the quaint town that has grown into our thriving southern city.
We no longer have the sweet fragrant scent of sugar cane lingering in the air, or the site of the nearby Pointe-a-Pierre refinery glowing brightly in the night. But there is still much to share about the paths we have passed, the old places and stories of those who went before us.
Yes, we have a few historic remnants to remind us of our past and other places for an eager tourist to see. But it will all remain a distant memory if we don’t outline a tourism plan to guide our visitors, local and foreign, who gather around our famous hill.
A few years ago I took the time to identify 15 heritage sites in the city, to add to an earlier listing of eight or nine locations, including the Carnegie Library and the railway station. A quick tour map revealed some interesting routes. I shared my thoughts with a south-based tour guide but was disappointed to hear him say, "There’s little to see and know in San Fernando." How sad.
Today we have the advantage of several new vistas and much more to share about how we came to be as we are today. Our ethnic groups have merged into our culture, eager to tell the tales of our heritage in cuisine and festivities.
Meanwhile, the faithful San Fernando Hill looks down at the small, spreading metropolis as old cane fields gave way to housing schemes, shopping malls and new businesses. But the legacies are there, hidden in plain sight or buried under a few layers of clay.
The little town has risen to modern times, but with its growth there is a concern. We have been busy creating history but leaving little for others to see. Many are overwhelmed with passion for the place of their childhood, but we are failing to document our accounts or even recount the narratives of the past.
As a grateful son of the Sando soil, I must trumpet the need for a tourism plan for the city. One that we will share with tourists who come our way. A plan that chronicles and displays our heritage, from the days of the aborigines to slavery and indentureship, to modern enterpris
