Like it or not, PoS is expanding

THE EDITOR: As a resident of Woodbrook for the past 18 years, may I respectfully express some of my views regarding the changing profile of Woodbrook from residential to commercial. Needless to say, one can understand and appreciate the feelings of inconvenience and frustration, as mentioned by some of the residents during this awkward period, as it affects their day-to-day lives; however, on the other hand, many of the said residents are now expressing a completely opposite view. In that regard, one has only to examine some of the major facts related to that situation, if only to try and cope during this very yielding period. Let us all for a moment think back a few years and reflect. The old city of Port-of-Spain has not changed much; a few modern buildings here and there, does not make Port-of-Spain a modern city with the necessary infrastructure  designed to deal with the challenges of the 21st  century.

Unfortunately, the early colonials saw Trinidad only as a port of convenience, to serve their colonial needs, with the movement of human resources and the establishment of plantations, to satisfy their taste, during that period of colonial dominance. Fortunately for us here in Trinidad and Tobago, oil and gas were  not a factor in those days, which brings me to into the 21st century. Here we are today, after 165 years of colonial rule, independent; a young republic, blessed with diverse cultures, rich in natural resources, about to take our rightful place in a very competitive world; and what is one of the problems? the old city of  Port-of-Spain about which, historically, governments  past and present lacked foresight and vision  — with no future planning. As a consequence, population growth, progress and development,  have created a huge demand for accommodation by commercial activities in goods and services. 

This transformation which is also necessary in order to meet modern day realities,  has caught many totally unprepared; added to which, the old city’s laws of governance was never changed; not to mention the existing bureaucracy  which has only added chaos to the recipe. To be quite blunt, the city of Port-of-Spain is expanding whether we like it or not; and the demand for future development is not only consuming Woodbrook, but Belmont, Newtown, St Clair and St James. The fact of the matter is the entire landscape of the nation is changing. Change will come, change must come and why? For the betterment of all our citizens. However, we must thank our lucky stars that Port-of-Spain is not New York city during the early 19th century when developers  had to dig and remove roads in order to install the underground rails; water and sewerage; telephone and electricity etc; in order to meet the needs of a growing city.

Remember Lock Joint? . . . well that was only a small  taste. Brothers and sisters, regardless of how difficult it appears today, we must think of tomorrow and the benefits it will bring to all our children and our children’s children. Change brings opportunity! and opportunities are for all rich and poor. To conclude, I sincerely hope that we can all develop the type of acumen, so that we can emerge unscathed from the demands of the future and perhaps some day all our citizens will begin to share from the god given resources of this land, — this Trinidad and Tobago.  Just for the records the “dust” that we are experiencing is not “pollution” -  it’s  golddust.”

RICHARD AFONG
Woodbrook