La Brea historian supports smelter

According to Forde the plant will provide ample opportunity for job employment for the thousands of people that reside in and around the environment. He stressed further that, “Aluminum products are all around us, in the kitchen, on the roads, in the air, and in the office. Once they put the proper things in place then I do not have a problem.”

He made it clear, “La Brea was once the industrial capital of the Caribbean. While they were still using pitch oil lamps on the streets in Port-of-Spain, La Brea had electric street lighting.”

He noted that many years ago, people used to come from all over looking for work in La Brea adding that at one point in time there were lots of pay stations available.

“At one time, there were 16 pay stations in Brighton for the hundreds of workers that were employed in the area. A lot of Port-of-Spain businessmen made a bundle from the economic activity in La Bea and even the calypsonians used to come down regularly to perform,” Forde said.

He pointed out that the great Lord Invader, who sang “Rum and Coca Cola” was a regular visitor to the area.

He described La Brea as the economic capital of Trinidad and Tobago at one time and therefore sees no reason why the smelter cannot be constructed in the area.

“Between 1783 and 1883 La Brea c-arried the economy of Trinidad and the largest sugar estate, which at the time was at Vessigny Village, which was owned by Count Vessigny- a French aristocrat” Forde said.

Forde who is renowned throughout the Southwest Trinidad for his knowledge and recollection of historical facts about La Brea and environs, added, “By 1914, there were two oil refineries in La Brea, one owned by the Standard Oil Company and the other by the Trinidad Lake Asphalt Petroleum Company. Since then, we have seen companies like Van Lear and Texaco operating in the area.” He made it clear La Brea has always had a history of heavy industry “and that is why we are happy to see a company like ALUTRINT- a new company that is majority owned by Government, bringing back industrial activity into La Brea.” “He claimed that since the inception of ALUTRINT down in the deep south, things have already started to improve.

ALUTRINT Limited is constructing an aluminum complex at the Union Estate which will include a smelter, a rod mill and a wire and cable plant.