Daley pleads for Spanish Town

Member of Parliament for St Catherine Eastern, Denise Daley, on Tuesday made an impassioned plea for Spanish Town, the capital of St Catherine, to be restored to some semblance of the grandeur it enjoyed during its reign as the capital of Spanish Jamaica from 1534 to 1655, when the English captured the island, and remained until 1872 when this status was transferred to Kingston.

Daley reminded fellow parliamentarians of the town’s rich heritage, as evidenced by a number of landmark buildings and infrastructure, some of which are still standing. She went biblical in driving home the need for restoration of the old capital by quoting Proverbs 22:28: “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.”

“We must preserve these historical sites and utilise them to teach the citizens of Jamaica of our rich and vibrant culture, while sharing the same with the world,” the member of parliament (MP) urged.

Among the buildings Daley referenced were the Cathedral of St Jago de la Vega, the oldest Anglican Church in the Commonwealth, outside of the United Kingdom. The old courthouse, the parish council building established in 1801, which was used as the first House of Assembly, as well as the Rodney Memorial also made her list.

The old cast iron bridge which spans the Rio Cobre at the eastern end of Spanish Town, and was erected in 1801 for the princely sum of 4,000 pounds, is the oldest bridge of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. It was also included.

However, Daley was far from finished and reminded her colleagues that the Jamaica Archives, the greatest repository of the island’s written history, is also located in Spanish Town, and it is the home to many important documents, including a few signed by historical giants such as Louis XIV, King of France, and George Washington, who was the first president of the United States of America, among others.

The MP, who has held the seat since 2012 on behalf of the parliamentary Opposition, the People’s National Party, believes that reviving the town’s history by rehabilitating some of the cultural landmarks, such as the Taino Museum in White Marl, should be used as a starting point to inculcate strong Jamaican values in our children.

“Let us retrain our children and get them more culturally aware. Let them see how the Tainos lived and give them a sense of how they farmed and what they ate. Let us ground them in what makes them uniquely Jamaican. That is better than some of the diet of foreign-made cartoons and entertainment, with nothing that can enrich the minds, value systems and self-awareness of our young people,” she pleaded.

According to Daley, “It is time to take a look at the infrastructure of our historical Spanish Town and adjoining communities. We will not preserve our history and culture if we allow these iconic monuments to crumble and the communities to wither and die because of neglect. The time has come for us to stop paying lip service, let us restore Spanish Town to its former glory. Let us fire up the passion and pride of our people, many of whom feel that the system has abandoned them,” she told the House of Representatives, in making her contribution to the Constituency Debate.

Describing the outdated drainage system which serves the town as nothing short of a national disgrace, Daley said quick and temporary fixes are not the answer. Instead, she argued for proper assessments to be carried out and long-term rehabilitation done, so that taxpayers will get value for their money.

Pointing to some of the gains made under her watch, Daley singled out the renovated De La Vega City Park where children can now play and relax in comfort; the installation of lights in Tredegar Park which allows people to jog and relax more safely; and the renovation of the McNeil Park through the Universal Access Fund.

With money from the Tourism Enhancement Fund, much was accomplished in beautifying and enhancing the appearance of some communities, including the removal of zinc fencing on Monk Street, as well as the erection of a perimeter fencing at the De La Vega playing field which is ongoing, with a zinc removal project also on track for Thompson Pen. However, much more needs to be done in terms of the removal of zinc fencing in other communities.

In pressing home her case for improve infrastructure, the MP argued that this inevitably will lead to stronger economic growth.

“Good roads create greater access, encourage new enterprises, boost established businesses and provide livelihoods,” she said.

christopher.serju@gleanerjm.com