By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 14, 2019 — The inaugural Cascarilla Heritage Festival held in Acklins June 6 – 9, 2019, was such a huge success that Bahamians visiting the southern Bahamas Family Island reportedly are already looking forward to next year’s festival.
Surely, there is no reason why this event cannot join the sundry regattas that annually infuse economic lifeblood into those Family Islands where regattas are held. Indeed, there is no reason why annual events such as this cannot be organized in those Family Islands that perpetual have stagnant economies, primarily due to the fact that fishing and farming – industries that should thrive in some of our Family Islands – are no longer attractive occupations for young Bahamians, who instead move to New Providence as soon as they are old enough to begin their lives as working adults.
As a result, New Providence, one of the smallest occupied Islands of The Bahamas, has a population greater than all the other occupied islands of The Bahamas combined. Indeed, according to the Department of Statistics most recent census report, New Providence had a population of 246,329, more than 68 percent of the total Bahamas population.
On the other hand, Andros, the island of my birth, which is 27 times the size of New Providence, is said to have a population of 7,490. Of course, the second highest populated Bahamas island is Grand Bahama (51,368), the vast majority of whom are concentrated in Freeport. Next, is Abaco (17,224), followed by Eleuthera (8,202), Exuma and Cays (6,928) and Long Island (3,094).
These statistics are based on the 2010 census; therefore, it is highly possible that considering the huge influx of illegal Haitian immigrants since that census was taken, the populations of New Providence, Grand Bahama and Abaco – favourite destinations for illegal immigrants – have increased, but taking this likelihood and other factors under consideration, the Department of Statistics projected that the mid-2019 population of The Bahamas would be 385,340.
Obviously, for an island like Acklins, whose 2010 population was said to be 565, it is unlikely that illegal immigrants would consider seeking a “better way of life” there, so more likely than not there has not been a noticeable increase in its population.
This being the case, the inaugural Cascarilla Heritage Festival provided a welcomed economic boost for that island’s economy.
Clearly, one of the drawbacks of staging events at underdeveloped islands like Acklins is the lack of proper accommodations for visitors, and I was somewhat surprised when my Facebook friend, Rosemary Clarice Hanna, who was among those who visited the island for the festival, posted photos of where she stayed.
“We had wonderful time in Acklins and lived in first-class accommodations at Ivl’s Bed and Breakfast, owned by the Ferguson family, who were very hospitable and friendly, topped off with excellent food by Chef Peter Hanna,” Rosemary wrote in a caption that accompanied the photos she posted.
“I highly recommend this establishment for anyone who plans to travel to Acklins,” Rosemary added.
The Ministry of Tourism was well represented at the festival by Ellison “Tommy” Thompson, MOTA Deputy Director General; Rissie Demeritte, Manager Onshore Communications, MOT; and Janel Campbell, Manager Sustainable and Domestic Tourism, MOT.
Hopefully, after having a wonderful time at the inaugural Cascarilla Heritage Festival, they collectively reached the conclusion that similar events should be replicated in islands throughout The Bahamas that have the necessary infrastructure to stage the various events.
